Reviving the community spirit

Today, the Town of Saint-Lazare has close to 20,000 residents. These men, women and children moved to our town to enjoy a better quality of life. With the adoption of this families and seniors policy, my Town Council colleagues and I hope to encourage dialogue between residents and revive the community spirit that once prevailed in our town. There is no doubt that Saint-Lazare needed a families and seniors policy. Numerous families must juggle with a lower income and insufficient local and regional resources. As a Town, we have a social responsibility towards them and we must adapt to their new reality. Our municipal family policy and the senior-friendly municipality approach will serve as our guide.

One policy, two components

Our municipal family policy and senior-friendly municipality approach has two components. First, it takes into consideration the needs of residents aged 50 and over with the senior-friendly municipality approach (MADA). Developed in parallel with the municipal family policy, this approach will enable us to support our seniors and provide them with policies and infrastructures which will make their get-togethers even more enjoyable during the next three years. Our municipal family policy also promotes a healthy lifestyle. Being active, eating healthy… we must encourage these behaviours among our population, especially among our youth and seniors. How? The Town of Saint-Lazare will increase the number of infrastructures facilitating active transportation on its territory. Walking or cycling will never have been as easy and pleasant. Thinking and acting family and Thinking and acting senior… these are two of the main concerns of your elected officials who share a community vision. In closing, I wish to thank the members of the municipal family policy and senior-friendly municipality approach steering committee for their tremendous work. In March 2014, they set the stage for a unifying project which will benefit the entire population. I also take this opportunity to thank my Town Council colleagues for caring deeply about social development.

Robert Grimaudo
Mayor