Hudson, February 17, 2024
Dear Hudson residents, business owners and property owners,

Thank you for your active and generous participation. The period of consultation on the draft ByLaws 767-2024 and 768-2024 for added provisions to better preserve natural areas of interest and trees is now closed. Nearly 800 written responses were received through the online portal and in paper form.

Through the sheer number of people who attended the open-door events, the public dialogue evening and the quality of the responses received, it is clear that Hudson not only cares about environmental protection but also about how this is achieved. We look forward to continuing to work with the community in finding an acceptable balance between environmental protection and development.

I admit that standing back during this consultation period has been challenging, and also useful in reminding us of the risks which exist in seeking to do more before all the key pieces are in place. Having a concerted Conservation Plan would certainly have avoided the confusion and fears generated. In many ways, we are perfectly imperfect.

We all agree, several definitions and proposed measures in the draft bylaws presented need to be improved, clarified, or simply removed; rest assured this will be done.

Your comments are the substance from which the next phase of the process will be generated. Council will receive the Consultation report including the consolidation of your comments on March 8, 2024. Following the receipt of the report, there will be a series of working sessions involving the Council and Town’s Technical Team during March and April. Providing the working sessions progress well and are conclusive, the results will be presented to the public on April 24, 2024, with an adoption of the final bylaws during the regular Council meeting of May 6th, 2024. The process from draft adoption on January 10th to final adoption on May 6th, 2024, will have taken almost 4 months.

In the meantime, Council will continue to focus on several key files, including the upcoming public presentation on March 11, 2024, by RCGT (Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton), the experts mandated in 2023 to prepare the Town’s Financial portrait and projection for 2023 to 2028, and the CMQ (Commission municipale du Québec)’s completion of the performance audit on surplus and reserves management of 3 municipalities of comparable size and considerations. This report will be presented to Council by the CMQ on Monday, February 19th, 2024 and will be tabled at the next Council meeting, on Monday, March 4, 2024.

In closing, I am sharing below an excerpt from a letter received during the consultation period. In my view, this person has beautifully captured several of Hudson’s elusive qualities, for our reflection:

(…) The natural landscapes, forests and waterways that define our neighbourhoods are as much a part of our town as the people, families, organizations and businesses. The land itself tells Hudson’s story, and it is absolutely up to all of us to work together to safeguard our natural surroundings for generations to come. The means through which we deliver on that promise matters (…)

Thank you for the many letters received, for your care, your time and your passion.

Thank you also to the Town organization, the directors, the coordinators and the staff, who support us in this continual improvement process, even when this generates an impetus which takes us out of our respective comfort zones. I recognize that this transition is not easy.

We will get this right. Together.

Most sincerely,
Chloe Hutchison
Mayor of the Town of Hudson