North Grenville had visits from both our M.P.P. and Member of Parliament last weekend. Steve Clark was here, in part, to help mark the official opening of Michael Barrett’s new constituency office on Clothier Street in Kemptville. It is the first time that the local Member had a full-time office here since Bob Runciman’s days, and it was warmly welcomed by residents who gathered to enjoy the event. They were also joined by Mayor Nancy Peckford and United Counties Warden, Pat Sayeau.
In his remarks, Michael thanked Keith Lindsay, whom he described as his “landlord”, and gave him a lot of credit for promoting the presence of an office in North Grenville. Keith believes it is an important step, given the growing population in the municipality, and the increased demand for services, given the lack of a Service Canada office here. The new constituency office will provide some of those services, such as passport applications, until a Service Canada office can be established here. Warden Sayeau noted, with a large grin, that he expects an office immediately after the federal election in October.
Michael Barrett expressed his satisfaction that his office will meet some of the needs for services in North Grenville, and was thanked by Mayor Peckford for taking the initiative. The fact that the office is open five days a week came as a surprise to many in the community, as it was assumed there would only be part-time hours kept there. In the past, the late M.P., Gord Brown, had an office in the Municipal Centre which was only open for two hours each week.
After the official ribbon cutting, where Michael was joined by his wife and children, everyone was treated to a tasty cake especially baked by the master, Rick Grahame, of Grahame’s Bakery.
Steve Clark presented Michael with a certificate on behalf of the provincial government, saying as he did that no event was complete without an official certificate. It was a happy group of supporters who celebrated a milestone in political accessibility in North Grenville
