Three public meetings scheduled to hear opinions, proposals from residents

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By Yvon Gauvin
Times & Transcript staff

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CAP-PELÉ - The Village of Cap-Pelé and the Beaubassin-est Rural Community have joined forces to establish a green plan for their respective communities.

The purpose of a green plan is to help guide future development that will reduce the impact on the environment and improve long-term quality of life.

The "harmonized green plan" is the initiative of elected officials and the Vision H2O watershed group.

Three public meetings will be held over the next two weeks to hear from citizens on the proposal and on sustainable development in the region.

One official described sustainable development as seeking greater balance between economic, ecological and social needs for the survival of coming generations, and to improve the community's abilities to cope with future challenges.

At issue are staples such as drinking water, forest management, energy and heating needs, parks and conservation areas, fishing, health and quality of life as well as tourism, he said.

"Public involvement in the green plan's creation is essential," said Cap-Pelé Mayor Debbie Dodier. "Our goal is that citizens and community organizations will be our main partners in its implementation."

"Our communities have a lot of things in common and many treasures to protect for future generations," said Beaubassin-est Mayor Ola Drisdelle.

The first public meeting will be held at the Cap-Pelé Municipal Hall, 33 St-André Rd., tomorrow. The next meeting will be at the Grand-Barachois Municipal Hall, 1709 Route 133, on Feb. 24. The third meeting will be at the Club d'Age d'Or, 5654 Route 15, in Shemogue on Feb. 26.

Each of the three meetings gets under way at 7 p.m.

The New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund and the Regional Development Corporation are helping with the project.

Environmental consultants Mathieu D'Astous and Gilles Martin will present the project and facilitate group discussion at the meetings.

n Questions and comments can also be e-mailed to leplanvert@gmail.com or by phone at 577-2071.