• I note that quorum has been reached, and I declare the meeting open.

• Please be advised that this meeting is being recorded and broadcast live. While I will provide my opening remarks in English, you are welcome to address me in either French or English, and I will respond in the language of your choice. If at any point a response is given in one language and you would like it translated, simply raise your hand and let me know.

• Veuillez noter que cette séance est enregistrée et diffusée en direct. Bien que je fasse mes remarques d’ouverture en anglais, vous êtes invités à vous adresser à moi en français ou en anglais, et je vous répondrai dans la langue de votre choix. Si, à un moment donné, une réponse est donnée dans une langue et que vous souhaitez qu’elle soit traduite, il vous suffira de lever la main et de me le faire savoir.

Happy New Year to everyone. Wishing everyone warmth, joy and generous well-being.

Following the CMQ audit (2022) and the audited financial statements management letters, the Town had a clear list of structural corrections to make. With the arrival of the new Treasurer in March 2025, those corrective measures were taken in hand directly.
Within months, the Treasurer has:
• Standardized budgetary controls and monitoring
• Tightened internal controls and segregation of duties
• Brought contract management and payment processes fully in line with CMQ and MAMH expectations
• Clarified the treatment of surpluses, reserves, and restricted funds
• Improved the clarity, cadence, and usefulness of financial reporting to Council

As a result, the CMQ Action Plan and management letter issues are now largely resolved at the structural level. What remains are not corrective fixes, but foundational planning tools:
• The Asset Management Plan, to ground capital decisions in condition and lifecycle data; and
• The Strategic Plan, to align Council priorities, organizational capacity, and long-term investments.

Both are proposed for formal mandating in 2026, now that the financial house is in order.
This allows the 2026 Budget and PTI to be adopted on a solid footing:
Controls in place, risks reduced, and the remaining work clearly identified and sequenced.

Looking ahead to 2026, I have gathered material received during the budget preparation period and comments received from councillors from the end of last term and gathered from the Campaign period. The items fall under 11 headings and 16 core deliverables proposed for 2026. These Council Orientations are intended to provide direction and alignment for both Council and the Town and will be validated with the public through a Strategic Plan exercise to take place this year. The deliverables for 2026 include the 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, clean management letters from the auditors for 2025 onward, improving and redesigning one major park per year, a vision for the Town’s look and feel and potential for redevelopment, the Sandy Beach Conservation and Management Plan, a branding refresh, a Cultural Action Plan, and the launch of the Economic Development Committee.

I would like to share a brief progress update and a few achievements. In December, the Town completed an ecological land acquisition through the federal Ecological Gifts Program, made possible by a generous donation from Susan Hoelscher. This 1.5-hectare parcel, signed on December 16, protects a section of the cattail marsh in Como Gardens, an area of significant ecological value. This donation was facilitated with the expertise of Nature-Action Québec mandated for this purpose in the fall of 2023. This year, the Town will begin a project to control invasive plants in the marsh.

The Canada Ecological Gifts Program is a federal program that encourages landowners to donate ecologically sensitive land or conservation easements for permanent protection. Donors receive exceptional tax benefits: no capital-gains tax on the donated land and a federal donation tax credit or corporate deduction based on full fair-market value. For individuals, the federal credit is 15 percent on the first $200 and 29 percent on the remainder, with provincial credits on top. There is no dollar cap on ecological gifts, and unused credits can be carried forward for up to ten years. Together, these incentives can offset a large share of the value of a conservation donation and make permanent land protection financially feasible for many owners.

Turning to Sandy Beach, the acquisition loan by-law came into force on December 17 on receiving the approval by the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation. The deed of sale is expected to be signed on February 11. This evening, Council will be removing the first right of refusal on the Nicanco lots.

At the same time, Council continues to assess public support for accepting the $2 million CMM grant tied to the acquisition and long-term conservation of Sandy Beach. The deadline to accept the grant is March 1, 2026. Council will receive a presentation in early February on the proposed mandate to be given to Nature-Action Québec for the next steps, the draft work plan and schedule for the Conservation and Management Plan, and the associated consultation periods with the community.

To assess the acceptability of the CMM grant, the Town will launch an online public survey in early to mid-February, presenting the next steps for reopening and conservation and inviting residents to share concerns, points of vigilance, and perceived benefits. A public information session is scheduled for February 19 here at Town Hall to present the survey results, Council’s position, and the proposed path forward.

In parallel, the Town is advancing the required governance steps, including amending By-law 770-2024 to allow use of the site following adoption of the loan by-law.

At the February Council meeting, Council is expected to proceed with registration of Sandy Beach in the Metropolitan Conservation Registry, which is a condition of the grant, and the awarding of the contract to Nature-Action Québec.

Please note that at this time, Council is leaning toward accepting the grant, subject to public consultation and formal safeguards, with a conservation-first approach centred on monitoring, patrolling, managing overuse, and adaptive measures such as temporary or seasonal closures if regeneration is needed. A resolution to confirm acceptance of the grant will be presented for adoption at the February 24 public Council meeting.

On primary health care, Quebec reached a tentative agreement in principle with the FMOQ last December and delayed implementation of Law 2 to February 28, 2026, but the revised framework remains undefined. This uncertainty led GMF Hudson Médicentre to suspend its previously announced closure, while noting that nothing in the current agreement improves real patient access or removes the systemic and financial barriers facing frontline clinics. One physician has confirmed her departure to Prince Edward Island, others remain uncertain, and financial viability remains the binding constraint. This fragile reprieve is unfolding amid political disruption: Health Minister Christian Dubé resigned in December, and Premier François Legault has announced he will step down before the next election. Quebec law does not currently support a municipal GMF model, sharply limiting what towns like Hudson can do beyond advocacy, coordination, and territorial defence of access to care.

There are no known examples in Quebec of cities or towns owning and operating primary-care clinics as seen in some other provinces. By contrast, in Prince Edward Island, primary care is organized through provincially run Patient Medical Homes and Primary Care Networks. In Ontario, community-based models such as Family Health Teams and Community Health Centres operate under provincial frameworks, including in the Collingwood–South Georgian Bay area. While not municipally operated, these models illustrate alternative governance approaches that relieve physicians of the financial and administrative burden that characterizes Quebec’s GMF model.

Updates on activities: The Town is offering additional seniors activities at the Community Centre, including Bingo Morning on the second Wednesday of each month and Movie Mornings on the fourth Wednesday, beginning tomorrow with Grumpy Old Men.

February highlights include the War Memorial Library book sale from February 1 to 7, live music and open-mic events at Microbrasserie Cardinal on February 1, the Mona Turner vernissage at the Hudson Creative Hub on February 8, a sing-along evening at the Hudson Village Theatre on February 10, the movie is The Sound of music, the AHA General Meeting on February 18, ShiverFest on February 21, and the Steel Rail concert at the Hudson Creative Hub on February 28.

On committees, councillors were nominated on various committees on December 15, this evening, members of council will be nominated to the Demolition Committee.

At this point Councillor Mark Grey reported on the progress of the Environment Committee.

The call for candidacies for the Economic Development Committee closed yesterday, with 18 candidates. Interviews and selection are under way, and appointments will be presented at the February 24 Council meeting.

The call for the Ad Hoc Horticulture and Public Landscape Design Committee also closed yesterday. This advisory committee will develop practical guidelines for public landscaping aligned with Hudson’s character and upcoming projects.

The Cultural Policy was adopted on October 1 and is now on the Town’s website. Working meetings are under way with the Hudson Arts and Culture Council. The Environment Committee met on January 20, and TPAC and the Seniors Committee resume in February.

District meetings have started, and Coffee with the Mayor returns this Saturday, January 31.

Before moving to our agenda, I would like to remind everyone regarding the placement of the bins for collection: The placement of the bins must not prevent snow removal or street cleaning. In winter, because of the snow removal, the bins must be placed in the driveway entrance. Place your bin 1 meter from the street (not in the street or on the sidewalk), wheels facing your home. If you have multiple collections on the same day, place your bins a minimum of 30 cm apart from each other, and a minimum of 1 metre away from any objects, trees, cars, etc., in order to allow room for the mechanical arm to access your bin.

And provide an update on heritage protection at the provincial and regional level:

The 2021 reform of Quebec’s Loi sur le patrimoine culturel was adopted following a province-wide assessment and public reckoning over the rapid and often irreversible loss of historic buildings, highlighted by high-profile demolitions, Auditor General findings, and sustained pressure from heritage organizations. In response, the government shifted from an optional to a preventive and mandatory heritage governance framework. As part of this reform, all MRCs are now legally required to produce and adopt an inventory of buildings constructed before 1940 with heritage potential by April 1, 2026. The intent is to ensure that heritage value is identified before redevelopment or demolition pressures arise, rather than after the fact. This new framework strengthens demolition controls, transparency, and consultation requirements, and clarifies municipal and MRC responsibilities for heritage protection. It reflects a clear provincial recognition that Quebec’s built heritage was being structurally under-protected and needed a more rigorous, forward-looking regime.

Hudson has 333 buildings on the heritage list to be adopted at the MRC level.

With that, we now move to this evening’s agenda.