Press release
Metropolitan governance:
The Quebec government keeps its word
Montreal, October 25, 2005 - The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is delighted with the announcement made today by Nathalie Normandeau, Minister of Municipal Affairs and the Regions, concerning the recommendations she plans to submit for the approval of the Conseil des ministres, which will determine the composition of the agglomeration council for the Island of Montreal.
The government has clearly remained faithful to its commitments in this area. From the beginning, Jean-Marc Fournier, the minister responsible for drafting Bill 9, demonstrated great discernment in establishing conditions for the demerger that would largely protect Greater Montreal's ability to ensure its full and healthy development. With the recommendations she is submitting to the Conseil des ministres, Nathalie Normandeau, Minister of Municipal Affairs and the Regions, is following firmly in the footsteps of her predecessor to finalize this matter in a particularly responsible and enlightened way, declared Isabelle Hudon, president and CEO of the Board of Trade.
We are especially pleased to see that the governance of the Island of Montreal will be in line with the choices presented to the citizens during the process leading up to the referendums in June 2004. Moreover, the Board of Trade made very clear to the government the importance it placed on respecting the rules in force at the time of the referendums. For the Board of Trade, this was not just a matter of respecting the choices made by citizens throughout the island but also of giving the metropolis an effective government structure capable of supporting its full development and thereby contributing to that of the entire province, concluded Hudon.
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has some 7,000 members. Its mission is to represent the interests of the business community for the greater Montreal area and to offer a full range of specialized services to individuals, merchants and companies of all sizes so as to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is the largest private organization in Quebec dedicated to economic development.
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Source:
Sylvie Paquette
Coordinator, Media relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: (514) 871-4000, ext. 4015
sylvie.paquette@ccmm.qc.ca