It was standing room only last night at the Ramada Inn where Council, City administration and Citizens gathered for a Town Hall Meeting. Most members of both outgoing and incoming councils were in attendance.
From 7 to 8 p.m., the focus was post-secondary education, and from 8 to 9 p.m. it was an open forum. Cornwallites were invited to sign up prior to the event, but were also asked as they came in if they wished to speak.
Tracey Beauregard, city clerk, set out the rules. “The town hall policy calls for decorum, professionalism, mutual respect and constructive dialogue. All questions or comment will be directed through our chair, (Fred Ngoundjo) and I will recognize each person who has the floor.”
“It’s the lack of jobs after graduation”
First to the podium was Kelly Bergeron, SLC Kingston Graduate and owner of Poptronics VR, a virtual reality rental and events company. Her argument was simple. Don’t start from scratch.
“Cornwall’s problem isn’t a lack of interest in post-secondary, it’s the lack of jobs after graduation and placements during it,” she said. “So we shouldn’t start by building a new institution from the ground up.” Instead, put that energy behind St. Lawrence College, she said, “keeping it full, thriving and rooted here.”
Councillor and Mayor-elect Sarah Good answered, commenting that while the city cannot force the college to create new programs, it can work with college administration to keep programs sustainable and bring back some of what has been lost, “in terms of the library, in terms of student services.”
She said she would love to see a nurse practitioner program, building on SLC’s nursing program and on Cornwall Community Hospital being a teaching hospital. And she hoped to put some pressure on Quinn, “who … is in a unique position to help us.”
Denise Nielsen, a full-time professor at St. Lawrence College and longtime Cornwall resident, told the room that “post-secondary education is part of a community’s essential infrastructure,” just like roads, housing and transportation.
Asked afterward why it was important to her to speak, Nielsen told The Seeker: “I am a strong advocate for education and I spoke last night because of my deep belief that community colleges are essential to a thriving society, providing a stepping stone into post-secondary education to those unable (for many reasons) to move away, and providing pathways to jobs and opportunities.”
“Communities need and deserve accessible education options close to home, and genuine access means recognizing students have different needs and ensuring they have choices,” she said. “Investment in local post-secondary education is an investment in the people, the potential, and the future.”
Others came with ideas. One citizen asked council to consider directing staff to work with SLC on more bachelor’s degree programs at the Cornwall campus. Another said too many young people leave for university in Ottawa or Montreal and asked, “What is the plan to bring those opportunities here?”
The college had its say too. “I can tell you, we are not going anywhere,” said Glenn Vollerbregt, President and CEO of St. Lawrence College, to cheers. “SLC trains over 1,000 students every year at our Cornwall campus, the majority of which are from Eastern Ontario.”
“I think you might have found the topic for our next town hall.”
Many topics of interest were touched on during the second hour, and many stood up to be heard. From Patriotes and the dire need for a new La Citadelle High School, to the Southbridge situation, people let their heart do the talking.
Ann Seymour spoke about homelessness and challenged council to sit with people who are unhoused and ask how they’re doing. “We don’t know what’s wrong with them, but I know what’s wrong with us,” she said. “We step back and we choose to do nothing.”
Good’s reply: “I think you might have found the topic for our next town hall. And I mean that seriously.”
Town halls as a work in progress
The evening ended with remarks from Cornwall’s CAO Tim Mills. “First of all, I want to thank everybody for coming tonight.” He joked that a town hall makes you think of a chat by the fireplace.
“We have a room full of community leaders here tonight with a lot of great ideas and feedback.”
Senior staff will review what they heard and compile a report which will be made available to the public at one of the next council meetings.
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