Hollow Glen District Residents Association elects new Executive Committee and sets priorities for the coming years

Sophie Demers

 

The Hollow Glen District Residents Association (HGDRA) recently elected their new executive committee comprised of Pierre Bilodeau as President, Edmond Hétu as Vice President, Lynda Pedley as Secretary, Isabelle Rodrigue as Treasurer and Emily Bradley, Erica Hambsch, and Meghan Racine as Directors.
The HGDRA is a non-profit organization that represents the residents of District 6. The district is located in a unique environmental setting, as it is part of the Breckenridge Creek corridor, an important ecological corridor near Gatineau Park.
In the summer of 2021 the organization released a Quality-of-Life Survey for their residents in order to engage the community and get a better understanding of the priorities of the district. The association approved recommendations that fell under three main categories; environment, community life and recreation.
For the environment, HGDRA approved the recommendation to create the environmental stewardship committee, a permanent committee chaired by an HGDRA Executive committee member and made up of volunteer residents. The purpose of the committee is to develop, manage, and seek funding for environmental activities.
The second recommendation in this category is setting the priorities of the environmental stewardship committee. These are, first, to analyze the current environmental situation in the area; second, to identify issues and areas that need more attention; and finally, to develop a plan that addresses the issues.
The final approved recommendation for the environment is for the HGDRA to collaborate closely with the Department of Planning and Sustainable Development at the Municipality of Chelsea and other potential partners to ensure that the activities are aligned with the Municipality.
“Hollow Glen residents have been generous in their responses to the 2021 Quality-of-Life Survey, stressing the need to protect our environment,” said Bilodeau. “HGDRA has already taken concrete actions, including the submission of a grant application to the Municipality of Chelsea Green Funds in October 2021 aimed at mapping Mountains Lake aquatic plant communities.”
With regard to concerns about community life that were highlighted by Hollow Glen residents in the survey, HGDRA commits to developing a document outlining guiding principles and behaviors for residents and visitors in order to protect the community and the environment. HGDRA states that this document will be created in close consultation with residents and stakeholders.
In the fifth recommendation, HGDRA commits to better communication with residents by identifying important information, making it accessible, and updating as needed. For the final recommendation in this category, the residents association committees will collaborate with District 6 City Councillor Kimberly Chan, to assess the possibility of paving roads.
For recreation, HGDRA commits to creating a Recreation Committee chaired by a member of their executive and made up of volunteer residents. The committee will develop, manage and seek funding for recreational activities. They will collaborate with the Recreation, Sports, Culture and Community Life Department and Committee and the Planning and Sustainable Development Department and Committee at the City of Chelsea. The committee will be responsible for creating the Hollow Glen Community Recreation Plan with details about what is most needed and how they will be funded and implemented.