“A community-wide challenge”

“A community-wide challenge”
Attendees of the recent caucus meeting at the National Cycling Centre in Bromont included Don Warnholtz (Townshippers’ Association), Kandy Mackey (Director General, Eastern Townships School Board), Sébastien Lebel-Grenier (Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Bishop’s University), Denis Kotsoros (Executive Director, Townshippers’ Association), François Bonnardel (MNA, Granby), Isabelle Charest (MNA, Brome-Missisquoi), Geneviève Hébert (MNA, Saint-François), Fadéla Hamou (Townshippers’ Association), André Bachand (MNA, Richmond), Sophie Nagle (Phelps Helps), and Katie Lowry (Director General, Phelps Helps) (Photo : Courtesy)

Caucus meeting fosters collaboration in the Eastern Townships

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

In an effort to strengthen connections within the Eastern Townships, Denis Kotsoros, Executive Director of the Townshippers’ Association, shared insights into a recent caucus meeting with MNAs from the region. Held Jan. 17 at the National Cycling Centre in Bromont, this gathering brought together key English-speaking and community organizations alongside provincial representatives to discuss shared challenges and foster collaboration.

“This is the first time in a long while that the Townshippers’ Association was invited to such a meeting,” Kotsoros said. He credited the pandemic for breaking long-standing lines of communication, stating, “We had to start over, rebuilding trust and confidence with political leaders after years of disconnection.” He noted that prior to this outreach effort, many political figures had little to no contact with English-speaking community organizations. “It wasn’t just us. COVID isolated many organizations,” he explained, adding that the pandemic’s fallout caused a significant lapse in advocacy efforts.

The meeting featured representatives from several organizations, including Kandy Mackey of the Eastern Townships School Board, Don Warnholtz of the Townshippers’ Association, Katie Lowry and Sophie Nagle from Phelps Helps, and Principal and Vice-Chancellor Sébastien Lebel-Grenier of Bishop’s University. Political attendees included MNAs Isabelle Charest (Brome-Missisquoi), François Bonnardel (Granby), Geneviève Hébert (Saint-François), and André Bachand (Richmond).

Discussions focused on socio-economic concerns impacting both the English-speaking population and the broader region. Kotsoros highlighted pressing issues, including the aging population, youth out-migration, and growing poverty. “Our communities are facing reduced entrepreneurial activity and financial instability,” he said. He elaborated that the English-speaking community often serves as a “canary in the coal mine” for Quebec’s broader social challenges. “What’s happening to us now will happen to the general community in five to ten years,” he warned, citing their minority status as a factor that magnifies the effects of socio-economic shifts.

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