The NDG Community Council hosted its annual general meeting on June 15, highlighting its many achievements for 2010-2011. The Council is a hub of community information and networking and works in partnership with different levels of government in the CDN-NDG borough.

Since its founding almost 70 years ago, the Council has worked collaboratively with residents, community groups, elected officials, and civil servants to find local solutions to widespread problems such as poverty and lack of affordable housing, and has helped new immigrants integrate into the wider community.

Each year the Council holds a number of public forums known as the 2020 Public Assemblies. This past year, as part of its long-standing tradition, the Council organized a Meet the Candidates meeting for the 2011 federal election in the NDG-Lachine riding.

The event drew about 80 participants. The five candidates got the opportunity to lay out their platforms, while residents and community representatives were able to ask them questions in person, no mean feat when you consider the hit that direct democracy has taken because of the digital revolution.

The Council also hosts public assemblies that deal with specific issues of interest to residents, local merchants, and the public at large. These town hall-style meetings provide additional opportunities for people to meet with their elected representatives and borough administrators.

In September 2010, the Council organized one such event on the future of the Empress Cultural Centre - an ongoing concern - bringing together diverse stakeholders, including the Empress Cultural Centre and the Renaissance Empress resident coalition.

With the completion of the residential portion of the Benny Farm development and close to 800 households on the site, the Council hosted a meeting on the future of the former veterans housing complex in November.

The Council also acted as fiduciary for three projects this past year: the Young Leaders project of the Table Jeunesse; the seasonal markets of the NDG Coalition for Food Security; and the Bienvenue à NDG project of the Action Committee for children 6-12 years of age. The projects were respectively funded by the Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity; CRÉ (Conférence régionale des élus); and the Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles, among others.

Last year, the Council received 44% of its funding from Centraide, 33% from the provincial government, 17% from municipal granting bodies, 2% from the federal government, 1% from CRÉ, and the rest from memberships and other sources.

Its AGM report is available online, and audited financial statements as of March 31, 2021 can also be obtained.

The Council is planning a series of public assemblies for this upcoming year on the MUHC, the NDG Centre, seasonal markets, and a special youth forum on healthy eating and lifestyle habits. It will also be showcasing its achievements since 1942 to commemorate its anniversary.

[ Deborah Rankin ]