As we come to the end of 2024, I want to wish you and your families a happy holiday season and all the best for 2025. Throughout this year, we have looked back with admiration and pride at the events, people, and projects that have shaped our City. We finished a year of celebrations for both the City\u2019s 150th anniversary and the Westmount Public Library\u2019s 125th anniversary.<\/p>\n
This year, we accomplished a significant amount of infrastructure work, but there is so much more to do. Recently, we voted on our three-year Capital Works Program, and on December 16, we will vote on the operating budget for 2025. The Three-Year Capital Works Program is a detailed, quantified plan of the projects we hope to undertake. Projects that are necessary and that will benefit the community. Our commitment must meet the community\u2019s needs but must also prepare us for the challenges ahead. We live in a community where the consequences of global warming are increasingly impacting our roads, water mains, and infrastructure in general. A world where the growing electrification of transportation will require us to invest massively to meet the demand for electricity in our cities. We are also in a time when much of our infrastructure is due for rebuilding or significant maintenance. In the coming years, we will have to meet the challenge in upgrading our infrastructure.<\/p>\n
The Three-Year Capital Works Program we adopted does not address all problems at once, but it is part of our commitment to meeting these challenges. We must maintain and preserve the green spaces that are the joy and pride of Westmounters. Invest so that our parks are more accessible and adapted to our community. Some of our roads are still in deplorable condition, we are very aware of the challenging state of some of our roads, and next year\u2019s work will continue to invest heavily in the upgrading of the roads and sidewalks.<\/p>\n
We also know that we must continue to invest in the maintenance, rehabilitation, or replacement of certain sections of our water main network, some of which are a century old. For 2025, we plan to invest more than $20 million in road and water main projects. So much of the work we will undertake will be driven by the state of the underground infrastructure. We know that below the road is in some cases much more important than the state of the surface of the road. These projects are essential to continue providing service that meets our expectations. All of this must be done strategically to minimize the impact of these works on residents\u2019 quality of life. Simply put, we cannot do all the work that needs to be done in 1 year alone, nor can we pay for it. Please visit our website to look at the projects planned for the coming years.<\/p>\n
In 2025, we will also continue to do the important planning work for the redevelopment of the South East sector, an area that deserves investment and a zoning renewal to help it reach its full potential. This will be one of the most important projects that the City will undertake. Many residents have participated in the public consultations, and I hope you continue to share your vision for this area.<\/p>\n
Municipalities face significant challenges. The aging infrastructure and increased demand for services will continue to rise. The increased cost of public security, the impact of climate change, and housing demands will continue to be beyond what municipalities can afford. Westmount is not alone in facing the challenge of how we can afford to address these issues, both the federal and provincial governments must work with municipalities to invest back into the communities they serve.<\/p>\n
As we head into the final year of this Council\u2019s mandate, I am grateful to be a part of this incredible community. It is an honour to be able to serve this city and its residents. I am also thankful for the work of Westmount\u2019s employees who deliver the services to our City.<\/p>\n
Again, this year, our Public Safety team is leading the efforts to collect nonperishable food items for our holiday baskets for families in need. You can still donate until December 13 at the Library, Victoria Hall, City Hall, Public Security, or the Recreation Centre. If you can\u2019t drop it off, we are happy to pick it up; please call 514-989-5367.<\/p>\n
Wishing you health and happiness for the holiday season and all the best for 2025.<\/p>\n
Christina M. Smith<\/strong> As we come to the end of 2024, I want to wish you and your families a happy holiday season<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":105,"featured_media":106748,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6594,6299],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nMairesse de Westmount<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"