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The town of Hudson, Quebec, its places, people and businesses online.
News for July, 2006
- Hudson Transportation Survey
- New Website for Hudson Fire Department
- Town's Summer Activities in Full Swing
- Police Surveillance of the Area to Improve
- No Interest in Macauley Barn
The AMT has told the town that it is willing to make changes to the train service but the town has to demonstrate that what it proposes is supported by its citizens. As a result, the town was going to consult about 200 residents to get a sample of opinion. Since there was a great deal of interest in the subject among the general population of Hudson, the survey is now going out to everyone.
Residents will be asked if the wish to have the train service continue or not. If it continues, it could be at the current level or increased to three trains per day. Residents will also be asked about week-end service. This current or increased service could be from the present station or from a new station near the new Petro Canada service station on highway 342 and there could be shuttle buses. The latter option would allow the development of a recreational corridor on the old track bed.
If the service does not continue, residents will be asked whether they want a replacement shuttle service to Vaudreuil Dorion or to Ste Anne. Such a service and also any increase in service would be financed out of the existing revenue which Hudson pays to the AMT. With the revised formula in place for calculating the amounts Hudson would pay, the current savings could also go towards increased service. The surveys are already in the hands of Hudson residents and must be returned before July 18, 2006.
News and information on the hudson fire department can be found at http://hudson-fire-rescue.com/. The website has general information including pictures of the team and equipment, a history of the department and lists of calls and pictures. Eventually tips on prevention will be included and there is a tribute section for James Ratcliffe.
In addition to the Day Camp program, the town is this year running a youth outreach program to offer young residents structured activities and reduce teen loitering. The activities are held at St. Thomas Park and typically about 20 young people join up to five staff members for games and other activities. The next town activity will be the Hudson Street Fair scheduled for August 5, 2006.
Now that the police have voted to accept the government's proposal for salaries and working conditions, the slow down in policing and ticketing should be over. After months of not seeing any Surete cars in town, several were sighted over the last few days. Residents will have to wait and see whether this means a reduction in minor crimes such as vandalism, petty theft and local drug dealing. However, judging by performance previous to the slow down, police are more likely to issue tickets for not wearing seat belts than to provide genuinely useful policing functions.
It's a beautiful barn, has historical significance, has been photographed from all angles and the owner is willing to turm it and the land around it into a park. The Macauley barn at the top of Mount Victoria just needs an organization willing to take on its preservation. The town isn't interested because of the potential cost involved. Heritage Hudson felt it was too ambitious a project. It was offered to Heather Markgraf and the Village Theatre before she agreed to take on the train station but there were a number of obstacles. The barn itself is in good shape for the fact it hasn't been kept up for a number of years and it has a unique and yet traditional design which should make it worth preserving. The land to one side of the barn is part of the Alstonvale develoment and the rest of the land is slated for development as well. The decision on whether another bit of Hudson history is going to be preserved or lost for ever will come soon.