We are currently living through a time in history that is sure to change us forever. In a matter of a few short weeks, our lives have been turned upside down. It all happened so quickly. And now, we are all confined to our homes, realizing that the entire world is waiting and holding its breath along with us. As a mayor, father and grandfather, I am as concerned as you all are about the uncertainty, monetary loss, human tragedy and stress experienced by our businesses who are starting to wonder what lies ahead for them.
Guy Pilon
photo Daniel Bouguerra
As much as I wish I had the answers, it’s not in my power. At the same time, I am focusing my energy on what I do have control over: ensuring that essential services remain in place and thinking about measures that could help make people’s lives easier. Recently, working with the MRC’s emergency community assistance committee, we made $90,000 in funds available to help community organizations. Also, with the help of Développement (DEV) Vaudreuil-Soulanges, we are implementing a series of measures to help support our businesses and buy-local initiatives. Funds of over 1.4 million have been made available for the local economy in Vaudreuil-Soulanges. This could be increased by an additional $300,000 provided through DEV.
If you are an entrepreneur, we therefore invite you to contact them for more information. I want to thank those who are currently volunteering, our organizations working on the frontlines providing food and psychological support, as well as all the other organizations that are working to make life easier for our population. Thank you to all of the businesses that are staying open. We invite you to consult the list of all these businesses on our Web site. We can never say it often enough: Buy local! Police officers, medical personnel, firefighters, operators at the filtration and purification plants, you are so important to us. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the City’s team, who quickly implemented a series of measures to ensure that the City’s services remained operational. To our population, I want to tell you how incredibly resilient you are. Everywhere I look, I see smiling faces, rainbows that have been hand-drawn with love and messages of encouragement that remind me: We will be okay-Ça va bien aller! To our seniors, I know just how difficult confinement can be for you. I have no doubt that you have all experienced some difficult times in your lives. However, this particular crisis is quite unusual and concerns not only Quebec, but the entire world. I have complete trust in our provincial government. We are indeed in good hands. I am asking you to please stay home, because we care about you. Your health depends on it. If you have family members nearby, ask them to run any errands you may have. This situation requires each of us to make sacrifices, but we are stronger together. I have no idea what the next few months will bring, but I know that we are all working together to help things return to normal—so that our seniors, children, teens and workers can get back to their favourite activities. No doubt, the very activities that once seemed so ordinary to us will become absolutely incredible. By staying home and respecting health recommendations, you are greatly reducing your risk of catching the virus and, perhaps without even being aware, contaminating those around you.
By working together, we will be ok. Ça va bien aller!
Guy Pilon
Special contributor
Mayor of Vaudreuil-Dorion
