The citizen blog NorthHatley.info is gaining popularity. In just a few months, the platform I founded, Philippe Marchesseault, now attracts more than 500 unique visitors per week, with an average reading time of more than three minutes per article. These are impressive figures for a local media outlet dedicated to municipal and political issues in a village of 690 inhabitants.
The goal has never been to entertain, but to enable citizens to better understand and discuss issues that affect our community.
Created to fill a gap in the local landscape, NorthHatley.info stands out from community Facebook groups. Whereas the latter often focus on social news or classified ads, the blog focuses on political, financial, and regulatory issues in the village.
Citizens can find analytical articles, opinion pieces, explanations of public documents, and sometimes lively debates, all in a spirit of transparency and participation.
Since its launch, more than 150 comments have been posted on the site. Some citizens share their experiences, others question municipal decisions or suggest new topics.
It’s not always a sexy or light-hearted subject, but it’s essential to question ourselves collectively so that the village can evolve in line with the needs and interests of the population.
A clear framework: opinion, transparency, and rigor
In a context where municipal and citizen communications sometimes overlap, NorthHatley.info takes care to establish clear editorial rules.
Each opinion piece is:
- signed by its author or a contributor;
- identified by the label “opinion”;
- accompanied by facts, links, references, and examples that support the analysis.
An “About” section details the site’s mission: to provide a space for free and responsible public expression, where citizens can reflect together on municipal governance.
REMINDER: By definition, an opinion piece is not intended to be neutral: it is based on a personal interpretation founded on observable facts.
A democratic tool at the village level
In a small community where information often circulates by word of mouth or municipal newsletters, NorthHatley.info is gradually establishing itself as a constructive counterbalance for better understanding public decisions.
The growing interest of citizens in the platform shows that there is a real appetite for independent local information. Every click, every read, and every comment helps to strengthen North Hatley’s democratic culture.
The more people are informed and participate, the better local democracy thrives.
