The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and the prime minister’s Quebec lieutenant, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, toured the region on Aug. 19, meeting with politicians and representatives from local community organizations and small businesses to gain an understanding of the area’s needs now, more than five months into a global pandemic.
During his visit, Rodriguez toured several locations in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, including the 3 Lacs Distillery and the Port of Valleyfield, before stopping in the Haut-Saint-Laurent, where he met members of the local media at the new Barabas Brewery in Sainte-Barbe. There he explained that part of the logic behind his visit was to touch base with some of the people and organizations that had benefited from government programs over the past few months. He was also particularly interested in learning how the government could continue to support them. Since the start of summer, he has been engaging in similar tours throughout the province, always with the same goal of discovering what has been working and where improvements can be made to the government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.
The entourage also met with the mayors and representatives from the municipalities of Elgin, Huntingdon, Sainte-Barbe and Godmanchester before ending the day at the Friperie Communautaire Huntingdon, where Rodriguez toured the thrift store while discussing the organization’s mission with coordinator Guylaine Joannette. In a Facebook post, Rodriguez saluted the work of the Friperie Communautaire while noting the important role it plays in fighting poverty while also contributing to the social reintegration of people within the community.
(S.R.)