Meet the Candidates: Mary Jane Proulx
Municipal Elections are taking place in October. As one of the main media outlets in the City of Cornwall, The Seeker is always eager to getting to know the candidates. As such, we send each candidate a questionnaire requesting for them to give their position on the most pressing issues near and dear to you, our readers. During the upcoming weeks, we will be publishing the answers from each candidate who choses to respond. Every candidate was sent 11 questions, penned by our own, Jason Setnyk. They can chose to answer one, five, all or none at all. We will post them online as they come in. Here is Mary Jane Proulx’s Questions and Answers. Click on any question to reveal the answer.
1 – Please give us a brief biography / tell the readers about yourself.
(e.g., work/family/education/experience)
My name is Mary Jane Proulx, born and raised in Cornwall. I work part time as a counsellor for the mentally challenged. I also have a organization called Cattrap. We lend out traps for free and sell wooden winter shelters for the feral cats.
My campaign again is an awareness campaign for the feral cat problem in Cornwall. This is my second time running for City Councillor on this platform and my only platform
I have trapped over 300 feral cats in Cornwall. It’s called trap, neuter and return or rehome.
Feral cats just aren’t in the East End anymore. We picked up a feral mom and 4 kittens on 13th St W in July. And there have been sightings of 5 ferals on Wellington St West.
I would like to see the spay and neuter clinics come to Cornwall once every 3 months until the problem is better. I also would like to see the people of Cornwall get involved with a rescue by fostering, transporting or donating.
If we can spend 6 million dollars on the Arts Center, we can add another $10,000 to the feral cat budget.
A Vote for me is a Vote for the feral cats. Let’s show City Hall that this is still a problem.
I also want everyone to know that I fully support Calico House Cat Rescue. For a rescue to spend thousands of dollars of her own money is unacceptable. Let’s come together to help.
2 – If you were on Council the previous term, tell us about your accomplishments during the past four years. If you were not on City Council this last term, please tell us why you are running and what you hope to accomplish.
Declined to answer
3 – With rents skyrocketing, what can City Council in Cornwall do to prevent renovictions like those at Cumberland Gardens that have impacted many in our community?
Declined to answer
4 – In 2018, the City of Cornwall purchased the old Bank of Montreal building in our downtown for $450,000 as the future home of Cornwall’s Art Centre. In 2019, Council heard a report that renovations would cost an additional $4 to $6 million dollars. In addition to the fundraising already being done, will you support some public tax dollars going towards a Cornwall Art Centre, or should the municipality pause any additional financial support?
Declined to answer
5 – Post-pandemic, what can Council do to improve Economic Development for the city and support existing businesses?
Declined to answer
6 – What are your thoughts on the McConnell Medical Clinic closure? Although health care is a provincial issue, is there anything Council can do to attract more doctors and nurses to our city?
Declined to answer
7 – While climate change is a global issue, what can the City do locally to keep our neighborhoods cool and protect natural resources like the St. Lawrence River?
Declined to answer
8 – Many City businesses are open on Sundays, and many events happen on Sundays. Do you support Sunday service for Cornwall Transit?
Declined to answer
9 – What can we do to improve social services in Cornwall? Examples include but are not limited to Cornwall Transit, childcare spaces, or LTR spaces.
Declined to answer
10 – Do you support keeping tax increases to a bare minimum? If yes, where would the savings come from, and would you support reducing some services? If you do not support keeping tax increases to a minimum, explain your reasoning why.
Declined to answer
11 – How can candidates contact you? Please provide a phone number and/or email and/or one website (or one social media link).
