Together on the Hill
GPR mayors were at Parliament Hill on May 17, promoting agri-food produced in the region to MPs and Parliamentary staff. Shown here at the event, left to right, are Russell Mayor Pierre Leroux, Deputy Mayor of North Glengarry Jamie MacDonald, Hawkesbury Mayor Jeanne Charlebois, The Nation Mayor Francois St. Amour, East Hawkesbury Mayor Robert Kirby, Clarence-Rockland Mayor Guy Desjardins, and North Glengarry Mayor Jim McDonell. Courtesy photo
OTTAWA — The United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) and the Township of North Glengarry held the first edition of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell Day, on Wed., May 17, at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, in the presence of federal officials.
The day was an opportunity for the region to showcase the many agri-food products in front of a larger audience. Previously, since 2008, the event was held six times at Queen’s Park, the Legislative Assembly of the Government of Ontario, always with great success. This year, for the first time, the showcase event was brought to Parliament Hill and the Government of Canada.
With the assistance of GPR MP Francis Drouin, several hundred people attended the event, including federal ministers, MPs, and Parliamentary staff. Also in attendance were the eight regional mayors of the UCPR and the mayor and deputy mayor of North Glengarry, who met with several ministers and their staff in order to advance specific regional priorities. These include the widening of County Road 17, the reconstruction of the Prescott and Russell Residence, the expansion of the 417 industrial park in Russell, and federal funding for social housing.
“I am extremely pleased and appreciative of this rare opportunity to showcase our many regional food products at Parliament Hill. Many attendees were pleasantly surprised to discover that these agri-food producers were located so close to Ottawa,” stated Gary J. Barton, Warden of the UCPR. “At the same time, it provided Council members with valuable face time with federal ministers and MPs to advance and discuss our ongoing projects.”
The showcased regional products included St. Albert Cheese Cooperative, L’Orignal Packing, Skotidakis Goat Farm (St-Eugène), Mariposa Farm (Plantagenet), Cakes On St-Philippe (Alfred), Prima Cossa (L’Orignal), La Binerie Plantagenet, Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co. (Vankleek Hill), Cassel Brewery Co. (Casselman), Tuque De Broue Brewery (Embrun), Etienne Brûlé Brewery (Embrun), Domaine Perrault Winery (Navan), Au Domaine du Verger Cleroux (Casselman), Glengarry Chocolate Factory (Alexandria), Muir’s Bakery (Maxville), The Pickle Patch (Dalkeith), Maple Ridge Farms (Apple Hill), The Quirky Carrot (Alexandria), Glengarry Fine Cheese (Lancaster), Lanthier Bakery (Alexandria), Honey from the Glen (Glengarry), Fauxmagerie Zengarry (Alexandria), Just Farms (Alexandria), Maple D Products (Sarsfield), McCaig Honey (Dalkeith), The Georgian House (Alexandria), and Vignoble Clos du Vully (Navan).
“We are extremely proud of our producers and our local products, and it was so encouraging to witness their popularity on a national level,” said Drouin. “On behalf of the entire riding, I would like to thank the producers and organizers for their assistance in the preparation of this event.”
