A group of citizens concerned about the vitality of the island of Île Perrot held on Saturday, May 4th , 2024 the official launch of AVENIR ÎLE PERROT - BECOMING ÎLE PERROT, a non-profit organization founded in November 2023 with the goal of bringing together four municipalities on the island: namely Pincourt, Terrasse-Vaudreuil, L'Île-Perrot and Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot.

With Ms. Francine St-Denis as president, the new association constitutes a place of exchange and discussion for citizens interested in the future of Île Perrot. Businessman Gérard Farmer-the spokesperson for the organization - explained that merging the four municipalities will allow for more effective management by pooling human and material resources.

“Merging our four municipalities will increase the political weight of the island, streamline municipal governance, gain efficiency and make it easier to obtain services. In short, united to better serve! “ said Mr. Farmer.

Avenir île Perrot's website indicates that, should the four towns unite to form a single entity, the municipal council would consist of a mayor and eight councillors. Currently, four mayors and 24 councillors govern the island's municipalities.

According to the organization, combining the four municipalities of Île Perrot into a single entity would create a city of over 40,000 inhabitants. The new Île Perrot agglomeration would then be comparable to the other major cities of the Suroît region, including Vaudreuil-Dorion (43,228 inhabitants), Salaberry-de-Valleyfield (41,837 inhabitants) and Châteauguay (51,292 inhabitants). It would rank 9th among Quebec municipalities with populations of 25,000 to 50,000.

For Avenir île Perrot, the island will thus be able to speak "coherently and with a single voice" to various bodies, including the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) and the provincial and federal governments.

According to Île Perrot historian Lise Chartier, the successive divisions of the island in 1948 for Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot, in 1950 for Pincourt, in 1952 for Terrasse-Vaudreuil, in 1955 for L'Île-Perrot and in 1958 for Pointe-du-Moulin, slowed the development of essential services and infrastructures, forcing elected officials and civil servants into constant inter-municipal negotiations.

"The decision to amalgamate the four municipalities of Île Perrot into a single large town is a fundamental and legitimate right that belongs to the citizens," says the organization.

Over the coming months and weeks, Avenir île Perrot plans to conduct research, organize meetings, disseminate information and launch a campaign to get the population to recognize the merits of unified political representation on Île Perrot.

To find out more about the new organization, visit the Avenir île Perrot Facebook page and its website at: www.avenirileperrot.ca