Vaillant on Seniors: Rousseau on the future of Work
NDP Pontiac Riding Association General Meeting
Carl Hager
WAKEFIELD; The NDP riding association of the Pontiac held its general meeting at the Wakefield Community Centre Friday evening, August 18th. Two guest speakers were featured.
New executive members were elected including Steve Harris, Steve Tupper and Annie Yeo. Catherine Emond was re-elected as riding president. Charles Bachand was taking a leave from the executive but commented that he would continue to assist efforts as he could. Denise Giroux, formerly a candidate for the NDP continues her work with the executive.
Emond said: “Holding relevant sessions on people oriented issues is important for the people of the Pontiac. We want to grow our movement by being able to find and present solutions to the needs of the people of the Pontiac. We look forward to people contacting us for more information and ideas on what to do.”
Guest speaker Larry Rousseau, executive vice-president of the Canadian labour Congress spoke on the future of work in the Pontiac. Infrastructure inadequacies, which would cost municipalities much more money than they have is an impediment to new large enterprise initiatives in the Pontiac. The Pontiac was favourable to more residents making the Pontiac their home as fibre optic networks were installed making it easier for people to commute and work from home. The digital age makes the prospect of labour intensive enterprises setting up in the Pontiac less and less likely.
Logan Vaillant, Director of the Tables des Aines, operates out of Cantley. Vaillant said demographic change in Quebec towards an aging population requires services for seniors they are not getting. He indicated the unavailability of affordable housing, lack of public transportation, and poor medical services geared to the needs of older people as being particular sore spots. Vaillant said that the results of a major research report will be released at a presentation in Quyon in November. The report will highlight the research conducted on the needs of seniors that his organization deals with. The Muniicpality of the Pontiac is one of the members of the Tables des Aines that he directs.
Photo caption: 716: Marie-Pier Chaput, Director of the Grenier de Collines (Food Bank), Larry Rousseau, executive vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress, Logan Vaillant, Director of the Tables des Aines, and Denise Giroux, former NDP federal candidate in the Pontiac.
Photo credit: Carl Hager
