Vision

The municipality is committed to providing its citizens with opportunities to safely experience sports, leisure and cultural activities in the community and will develop a municipal recreation policy to reflect this commitment. The primary aim of the municipality is to enter into mutually beneficial partnerships with local recreational facilities and organizations.

Actions :

• Establish and publish a municipal user agreement for the use of local infrastructure with low or no cost to residents.
• Support the MRC in its coordination of the Upper Pontiac Sport and Leisure Committee that will coordinate sport, leisure and cultural activities for all age groups in all four seasons. This action will occur in partnership with our neighbouring municipalities and other local partners.
• Upgrade the municipal park on Front Street to include adequate play structures, a multi-use court, a covered rest area and washroom facilities.
• Explore and support these new initiatives e.g. Baseball/softball/T-ball, Summer Day Camp, a local Youth Centre, a local Senior’s Centre, expansion of the PPJ around the Island, bicycle and walking clubs, learn to skate program for young children, sports exchange program, community theatre.
• In partnership with Dr. Wilbert Keon School and the Young at Heart Club offer inter-generational activities e.g cooking, sewing, weaving, canning, painting, etc.
• Support improvement of the acoustics and signage for the purpose of advertising events at Harrington Community Centre.
• Assess and improve the municipal play structures.
• Safety regulations will be adopted and enforced by the municipality to ensure that area infrastructure is safe for the community to use.
• Promote and expand the trails for ATVs and snowmobiles.
• Support improvements to the Chapeau R.A.’s ball field and playground.
• Increase the number of rest areas in public places.
• Improve landscaping and decorations to enhance themes, e.g. Harvest.
• Find an event to put L’Isle-aux-Allumette on the map, e.g. Ironman, Triathalon, Marathon, half-marathon, poker run, music/art/drama festival, Tour de L’Isle.

The municipality’s goal is to promote safety and security for families and seniors throughout the region and on our roads.

Actions:

• Support a senior fraud prevention program.
• Establish Cottage Watch and Neighbourhood Watch programs.
• Support the volunteer firefighter house call visit program.
• Emergency Preparedness plans to include outreach to all seniors residing in the municipality.
• Support child car seat safety clinics on an annual basis.
• Support the acquisition of a local driving test facility for seniors and youth.
• Review area speed limits and signage to ensure safety of residents is prioritized, especially on St. Jacques Street in front of St. Alphonsus Church and the corner of Pembroke Road and St. Jacques Street.
• Review the speed limit, signage and need for a crosswalk at Demers Centre where Pembroke Road crosses Range V.
• Increase police surveillance so there is regular patrolling in our municipality.
• Identify other zones where pedestrian crossings and children at play signs are needed to insure safety, e.g. École Notre Dame du Sacre Coeur, Harrington Community Centre.
• Increase the number of sidewalks within the town of Chapeau.

The Municipality encourages the health and well-being of all residents and intends to promote programs targeting health and well-being.

Actions:

• Promote the information and health prevention campaign of public health agency and CSSSP through a variety of media, e.g. municipal web site, local bulletin boards, newsletters.
• Develop an information and support kit containing information about relevant services for seniors and families.
• Review the supports available for seniors and families and explore expansion to ensure health and well being needs are met.
• Support the development of literacy in both official languages across age groups.
• Support computer literacy for seniors.
• Support lifelong residency within the municipality (e.g. Residence Meilleur) and safe adequate housing for families and seniors.
• The municipal library can facilitate cultural, literacy and inter-generational activities, e.g. seniors teaching quilting/sewing/knitting to youth; youth teaching seniors computer skills; literacy tutoring or workshops in both languages, literacy activities for young children and their parents, parent education workshops, other workshops of general interest to the public.

The municipality recognizes the need to communicate information about services and resources to families and seniors with special attention to welcoming new citizens and acknowledge departing citizens.

Actions:

• The municipality will create a website that includes a facebook page and features information about local organizations, businesses and activities.
• A quarterly municipal newsletter will be issued in print and digital formats that has: a section for the Family Senior Municipal Policy Committee, family resources, senior resources and a program of activities for each season: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer.
• Post banners promoting our community.
• Create a tree park where citizens can plant a tree to commemorate birth of newborn citizens.
• Establish Welcome Wagon or other welcoming service.
• Give each new resident an information packet in a welcome bag. Newborn packages will include a book to foster the literacy objective, with library information on a bookmark.
• Publish and distribute a directory of services to be included in the welcome bag.
• Acknowledge and welcome new residents at the annual Heritage Day activities.
• Support the development of a memory garden where citizens can sponsor planting a tree, shrub or flower to acknowledge departed citizens.
• Erect bulletin boards at each entrance to Allumette Island by boat and road, stores, the municipal office, waste transfer site and community buildings in each sector (St. Joseph’s, Desjardinsville, Demers-Centre, Chapeau, Cottage Road) for posters and with a place to put brochures, information packets and maps that identify local resources (e.g. public library, schools, parks, town hall, businesses) and identify you are here. Print smaller maps/brochures and provide copies at bulletin board locations and in welcome bags.

The municipality will promote and develop local business that is family and senior friendly.

Actions:

• Development of main street including handicap access.
• Attract businesses, beautify the town, and install sidewalks.
• Sponsor Community Clean up Day-free garbage bags, pickup along the roads.
• Support the development of green business.
• Improve zoning for business without negatively impacting citizen’s quality of life.
• Support job creation for youth and adults.
• Promote youth employment to local businesses.
• Student summer employment with the municipality.
• Promote everything; publicity that is wide reaching.
• Communicate with businesses to promote handicap access and family/senior friendly businesses.
• Support the establishment of a farmer’s market.
• Maintain our quiet way of life.

The municipality is responsible for supporting the needs of this committee in cooperation with the MRC, and the members will continue to represent the community (e.g. seniors, youth and parents).

Actions :

• The municipality will provide a meeting location, secretarial support, mileage and babysitting fees for 2-3 meetings a year.
• The municipality will assign a councillor or Director-General to coordinate the biannual meetings.
• Committee coordinator or members will attend coordination meetings with The MRC and other Person (Councillor) Representing Family and Senior’s Issues (PRFaSI).
• The municipality and committee will encourage promotion of our Family-Senior Friendly municipality by local businesses and organizations, e.g. signage, banners, placemats.
• The orientation process for new municipal councillors, mayors and staff will include reviewing the Family-Senior Policy and Action Plan.