I’m a father (3 little boys), a fishing enthusiast, an entrepreneur, a North Hatley merchant, a North Hatley tenant at 80-82 Main, a North Hatley homeowner at 135 Main since 2016 and a North Hatley outcast in 2024 with the Navigo company. A lover of people, I’ve built a “Plogg” community in Sherbrooke, bringing together more than 25,000 members over the years around free events and activities for all for more than 10 years. I’ve volunteered for Oxfam, Grands-Frères et Grandes Soeurs de L’estrie, the Axile dance company and North Hatley’s Fête Nationale.

Note : Les vue intérieures des bureaux sont au 135 Main et au 44 Main au dessus de Saveurs et Gourmandises.

From the time I arrived in North Hatley in 2016 until 2021, when the newly elected officials will take office, I’ve worked closely with the municipal administration to offer my expertise in revitalizing the village through strategic planning (vision) aimed at making life more pleasant for residents, while ensuring synergy with visitors and merchants. In fact, I’ve had the good fortune to meet some brilliant and dedicated people in the village of North Hatley. Unfortunately, many of them are no longer involved.

Our company also won the Omer Award representing the municipality of North Hatley in 2021. In fact, it was the municipality of North Hatley itself that encouraged us to enter to represent North Hatley. We purchased the former Hatley Township Hall to use as technology offices from 2016 to 2021. The pandemic broke the mood. Following the pandemic, employees didn’t want to return to the North Hatley office. To avoid selling the building, we completely renovated it and turned it into a resort chalet called 3 Ours.

Over the years, I’ve come to realize that municipal information in North Hatley circulates poorly, isolating citizens and leaving only “sayings” from the municipality or citizens who have received a message distorting or misrepresenting the message.

Currently, there is no public digital space for exchange, apart from certain Facebook groups. In fact, not everyone is comfortable on Facebook and wants to sign up for a North Hatley group. What’s more, with U.S. tariffs and the control exerted by the GAFAMs (Google (Alphabet), Apple, Facebook (Meta), Amazon and Microsoft), I think we need to set up local tools.

It’s very difficult to talk publicly and simply in North Hatley, with the exception of going to Town Council, an environment that’s not very conducive to discussion. And, let me tell you, I’ve been there a few times, and it takes a lot of patience! With 3 small children, it’s not always easy to spend time at the North Hatley Town Council.

Of course, you can read the minutes, which are still limited in information, or listen slowly to the audio recordings of city councils. It’s a bit like listening to old Expos tapes on the radio!

Since information in North Hatley circulates mainly by word-of-mouth, the message can be misunderstood, transformed and even erroneous. The village is full of passionate locals who want to participate and contribute to the betterment of the village. However, it seems to me that there is no exchange platform available to allow exchanges. I’m talking here about proposing ideas for improvements, events, finding volunteers, presenting innovative projects or discussing municipal problems and issues between citizens.

That’s why I’m proposing a space for discussion and publication of citizen news on everything that surrounds the municipality, whether the subject is positive or negative, since the aim is to discuss progress, real issues and problems that are often not discussed or distorted outside the city council.

Here’s a space for sharing and disseminating information to all citizens. If you’d like to publish information or a situation surrounding the village of North Hatley, write to me or come and meet me at Pub Vilandré almost every Thursday at 7:30 – 8:00 pm. I rarely miss the opportunity to chat with passionate residents and shopkeepers over a good beer brewed right in North Hatley!

The project is non-profit. All project costs and time are my responsibility.

Philippe Marchesseault
Email: pmarchesseault(-)gmail.com. (replace with @ to write to me)
Passionate about fishing and North Hatley, the place!