Municipal Committees

The Casselman Downtown Revitalization Corporation is an organization committed to enhancing the vitality of downtown Casselman. Its primary goal is to enhance the appeal and energy of the central area by promoting local purchasing, creating a welcoming environment for visitors and strengthening the sense of community.

Working closely with local businesses, residents and community partners, the corporation implements initiatives to energize the downtown area, promote local businesses and attract tourists to Casselman and the surrounding area. Whether through special events, promotional campaigns or urban development projects, the Casselman Downtown Revitalization Corporation is actively working to create a vibrant, welcoming and prosperous downtown, where all members of the community can feel proud and connected. For more information, please visit the website at https://crcasselman.ca/en/

The Christmas Festival is a winter must-see, held annually in early December! The festival remains one of Eastern Ontario's most anticipated Christmas festivities, offering a variety of interactive shows, art exhibits, outdoor activities and a host of traditional holiday activities to suit every family. To find out more about the festival or to join the wonderful team of volunteers, please visit: https://casselmanfestival.ca/

Mission

The Casselman Public Library is committed to fostering a bilingual environment conducive to the learning and development of its members. Patrons from the community and surrounding areas will find a warm environment in which to enrich themselves intellectually and socially.

Vision

The Casselman Public Library aims to educate and entertain, using all the resources (including technology) available to its users.

Geneviève Lajoie, Municipal Representative

Maxim Normand, President

Carole Prévost, Vice-President

René Laflèche, Treasurer

Renelle Boulerice, Secretary

Under the Land Use Planning and Development Act, the committee may grant minor variances to the provisions of the zoning by-law, in order to permit extensions, enlargements or variations to existing but non-compliant legal uses. The committee meets as required when applications for minor variances are submitted.

Suzanne Charette, President

Paul Groulx, Municipal Representative

Anik Charron, Municipal Representative

René Laflèche, Member

Mathieu Surprenant, Member

Vision statement 

Our vision is to create a dynamic and engaged community, where community events thrive, volunteers are valued, the environment is preserved, and young people are actively involved. We aspire to foster strong, lasting ties between local organizations, volunteers, the municipality and youth, in order to strengthen our social fabric, cultivate a sense of community belonging and contribute to a sustainable future.

Mission statement

Our mission is to facilitate the planning, coordination and success of community events, with a focus on volunteer mobilization, environmental preservation and youth involvement. We are committed to supporting local organizations and residents in organizing events, offering resources, advice and facilitating volunteer recruitment. By working closely with the municipality, community partners and youth, we aim to promote an environment in which events can flourish, volunteer involvement can be celebrated, our environment can be preserved and the items included in the municipal strategic plan that fall within the committee's mandate can flourish.

Aims and objectives: 

Promoting community involvement and volunteering :

Increase the number of community members actively involved in volunteer activities. 

Develop outreach strategies to encourage diversity in volunteering and community events.

Support local organizations in planning and coordinating events:

Provide resources and advice to local organizations to improve their event planning skills.

Foster collaboration and partnerships:

Facilitate networking events to connect organizations, volunteers and municipal representatives.
Develop promotional options for local organizations in collaboration with the municipality.

Recognize and celebrate the contributions of volunteers in the community:

Implement a system of ongoing volunteer recognition and appreciation.

Improve inclusiveness and accessibility of community events:

Promote events adapted to diverse age groups, cultures and abilities.
Advocate for accessible facilities and communications.

Measure and evaluate the impact of community events and volunteer efforts:

Establish evaluation criteria to measure the success and impact of events.
Regularly review data and make recommendations for future planning.

Composition: 

The committee will be made up of a diverse group of residents representing different age groups, interests, environmental professionals, educators, representatives of local non-profit organizations and engaged citizens. The mayor, a member of council and members of the community will form the committee. One or more municipal employees will assist and contribute to the smooth running of the committee.

Role of council members :
•    Policy guidance: Council members can provide advice and input on mandate development and implementation. 
•    Advocacy: They can champion the committee's initiatives and secure the necessary resources and support from the municipality. 
•    Community representation: Board members can represent community interests and concerns in committee discussions and decision-making.

Role of municipal employee(s) :  
•    Help the committee understand and navigate the municipality's policies, procedures and guidelines. 
•    Balance, so as not to overshadow, the decision-making and autonomy of committee members. Their primary objective should be to provide the necessary support and guidance while respecting the committee's vision, mission and objectives.

In recognition of their commitment and contribution, committee members will be entitled to the following incentives:
•    The opportunity to apply for volunteer hours for their involvement in the committee, which can count toward community service hours required for high school graduation.
•    Receive a letter of recognition from the Mayor of Casselman after one year of dedicated service, acknowledging their portfolio and efforts.

We actively encourage the participation of volunteers with a diversity of interests and skills, to enrich our discussions and meet the varied needs of our community. We believe that the diversity of our members' interests will help create events that are inclusive, captivating and relevant to all.

Condition of appointment: 

All members of the Special Committee who are over 18 years of age must submit to a Vulnerable Sector Police Check, in accordance with applicable legislation and regulations, prior to their appointment. It is the responsibility of each appointed member to provide the Vulnerable Sector Police Check within 30 days of appointment by the Board and prior to attending the first committee meeting. The police check is necessary to ensure the safety and security of committee members and to align with our commitment to protecting vulnerable people and maintaining a reliable and accountable committee environment.

Anik Charron, Municipal Representative

Geneviève Lajoie, Municipal Representative

Cheryl-Ann McConnell, Member

Cynthia Bekolay, Member

Danielle Dorschner, Member

Erin Foran, Member

Nicolas Sigounis, Member

Stephenie La Maina, Member

Terry Rowsell, Member

The Land Standards Committee of the Municipality of Casselman is responsible for ensuring compliance with municipal land use and development by-laws. In collaboration with residents, landowners and stakeholders, this committee is committed to ensuring the harmonious development of our community.

Its essential role is to enforce the municipal by-law, which governs standards for land use, zoning, building permits and other aspects of land development, in accordance with Ontario Regulation 380/04 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. 

Suzanne Charette, Member 

Carole Bourbonnais, Member 

Marcel Cléroux, Member 

A. Purpose

While it is the legislative mandate of the Detachment Board to work with the Detachment Commander to make decisions where appropriate and submit information to the Councils in other matters in accordance with the Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA), the purpose of OPP Detachment Board is to:

1. Comply with the prescribed standards, if any, with respect to the exercise of its powers and the performance of its duties under the Act;
2. make decisions on matters within their jurisdiction and provide advice and information to Municipal Councils on specialized matters as outlined in the Act;
3. facilitate public input on programs and ideas when appropriate and approved by the Detachment Board to ensure the work of the Board is representative of the communities they serve;
4. make decisions in enhancing the quality of life and ensuring the safety and security of all persons and property in the community, in keeping with the Minister’s Strategic Plan and the Detachment Board strategic plan or the annual objectives and principles as established by the Detachment Board; and
5. conduct itself in keeping with the prescribed Code of Conduct under the CSPA (Section 35(6)) and in keeping with the Detachment Board’s Procedural By-law.

B. Roles and Responsibilities

Per Section 68 (1) of the Community Safety and Policing Act, the OPP Detachment Board’s roles shall include:

1. Consulting with the Commissioner regarding the selection of a detachment commander and otherwise participate in accordance with the regulations in the selection of the detachment commander;
2. Determining objectives and priorities for the detachment, not inconsistent with the strategic plan prepared by the Minister, after consultation with the detachment commander or his or her designate;
3. Advising the detachment commander with respect to policing provided by the detachment;
4. Monitoring the performance of the detachment commander;
5. Reviewing the reports of the detachment commander regarding policing provided by the detachment; and
6. On or before June 30 in each year, providing an annual report to the municipalities regarding the policing provided by the detachment in their municipalities.

C. Authority

Authority delegation is restricted to the scope described in Section 42 of the CSPA.

The OPP Detachment Board members:

1. Shall ensure that all outgoing communications are in accordance with the Detachment Board’s policies;
2. Shall not communicate externally on behalf of the Detachment Board except as authorized by the Detachment Board;
3. Shall not post independently to social media but rather social media postings shall be forwarded to the Detachment Board Administrative Assistant for distribution which may be shared by the Detachment Board members;
4. Shall not authorize any expenditures outside their Detachment Board approved budget unless authorized by each of the Councils of the OPP policed communities comprised by the Board;
5. Shall have the authority to undertake special projects, or research matters that arise and that are within the scope of these Terms of Reference. The responsibility for these assignments remains with the Detachment Board or designate.

D. Reports To

The Detachment Board reports to the respective Municipal Councils comprising the Detachment Board as required in accordance with the CSPA.

E. Composition

Unless otherwise determined by Provincial Legislation, membership shall be comprised of four (4) Council representatives based on one (1) per OPP policed municipality, three (3) community representatives to be comprised of an uneven number of board members and two (2) provincial representatives.

1. Qualifications of the Community Representatives
   • To qualify for the Community Representative on the Detachment Board, applicants must be eligible to vote in the respective municipality they are appointed from.
   • Community Representatives shall not be employees of their respective Municipality.
   • Preference will be given to people demonstrating knowledge or experience specific to the subject Committee / Board.
2. Appointments to the Detachment Board
   • i.    Appointments to the Detachment Board shall be made in accordance with the provisions of Section 33 of the Act.
   • ii.   Council Appointments to the Detachment Board shall be made by the respective municipal Council;
   • iii.  Community Appointments to the Detachment Board shall be made by all 4 municipal Council; three (3) total for the 4 municipalities.  In considering Community Appointments, preference should be given to Municipalities who do not have a provincial appointee and persons demonstrating knowledge or experience in one (1) or more of the following areas:
     • Finance
     • Social Services
     • Education
     • Governance
     • Legal
     • Health Care
     • Mental Health
   • iv.   Provincial Appointments to the Detachment Board shall be made by the Provincial Government.
3. Term of Membership
   • The Term of office for Council and Community Appointees on the Detachment Board shall be concurrent with the term of Council.
   • The Term of office for Provincial Appointees on the Detachment Board shall be as determined by the Provincial Government.
4. Absence
   • Any Community Representative who is absent from three (3) consecutive regular meetings without leave of absence or without satisfactory reason shall forthwith cease to be a member and the Administrative Assistant shall advise the liaison so that the vacancy may be filled.
5. Resignation of Representatives:
   • Any Council or Community Representatives wishing to resign shall provide their resignation in writing to the Chair (or Vice-Chair if the Chair is resigning) with a copy to the Administrative Assistant and shall notify the liaison so that a replacement may be appointed.
   • Any Provincial Representative wishing to resign shall provide their resignation in writing to the Chair with a copy to the administrative assistant and shall notify the Provincial Appointments Secretariat so that a replacement may be appointed.
6. Filling Vacancies:
   • Vacancies of Council and Community Representatives shall be filled at the discretion of the respective Municipal Councils and within 3 months of the vacancy occurring.
   • Vacancies of Provincial Representatives shall be filled at the discretion of the province.
7. Responsible Party:
   • The Administrative assistant appointed by the Detachment Board shall be responsible for all actions of the Detachment Board unless delegated otherwise by the Detachment Board in accordance with Section 42 of the CSPA.
8. Structure:
   • Chair and Vice-Chair 
     • In accordance with Section 36(1) of the CSPA, the Chair and Vice-Chair shall be elected annually at the first meeting of each year by a vote of the majority of the Detachment Board members.
     • In the absence of the Chair at a meeting, the Vice-Chair shall Chair the meeting. In the absence of both the Chair and Vice-Chair at a meeting, an Acting Chair shall be elected at the beginning of the meeting for the duration of that meeting.
   • Support Resources
     • i) The Detachment Board shall determine the support resources it requires to assist them with fulfilling their roles.
     • ii) Recording Secretary: The Recording Secretary shall be the administrative assistant appointed annually by the Detachment Board members at the first meeting each year and shall act as the Recording Secretary for the Board’s meetings.

 F. Procedures

1. All applicable Federal, Provincial and Municipal legislation and regulations shall be adhered to. This includes, but is not limited to:
   • i)   The CSPA and its regulations
   • ii)  Code of Conduct Regulation
   • iii) The Detachment Board’s
     • a.  Accountability and Transparency Policy
     • b. Procedural By-law
     • c. Procurement By-law;
     • d. Terms of Reference; and
   • iv) The Detachment Board shall determine the frequency of reviewing its documents identified in 1.iii) and amending them, as necessary.
2. The Detachment Board shall meet at least four (4) times per year, preferably every third Thursday of every three month, where possible and/or at such time and place as the Board Chair or Board determines necessary and shall publish its annual meeting schedule on the Russell Township website. The schedule shall include at least four (4) regular meetings per year with allowances for summer and Christmas breaks.
3. Unless excluded by legislation, all Detachment Board members eligible to vote, including the Chair, shall vote.
4. The Detachment Board may solicit, document, and consider public input where appropriate.
5. The agenda shall be distributed and posted at least seven (7) days before the Detachment Board meetings on the Russell Township website.
6. The minutes shall be posted once approved by the Detachment Board, in a timely fashion on the Russell Township’s website.
7. Provide the approved minutes, signed by the Chair and Recording Secretary, to the Clerk of the Russell Township for official record keeping. With respect to the last meeting prior to an election, the minutes shall be approved per the Procedural By-law.

G. Quorum

Greater than 50% of the Detachment Board members eligible to vote and not excluded by legislation shall constitute quorum.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) provide policing services to the Townships of Russell County on a contractual basis. If you have specific concerns or comments about the Police Services, please contact any member of the Police Services Board or the Detachment Commander, Josée Sabourin 613-443-4499.