Currently, I am experiencing problems regarding tax credits. As I explained to you, I am wondering who I should contact, which door I should knock on, and how I should go about doing this. The commander tells me I need to speak with the Deputy Minister of national defence. I am the mayor of a town of 7,000 people. You'll understand that I don't have a lawyer. Since there are so few of us, we work hard, and we're resourceful. I can tell you that my chief of staff works hard.
I'm telling you all this to explain that it's not easy. I'm currently looking for ways to make it happen.
I have contacts at the military base. There's one person who acts as a sort of liaison. She can provide me with information on a number of things, but she doesn't connect me with the people I need. This person takes my requests and forwards them to the relevant people.
We need to talk, if only to keep citizens informed. National defence closed the military base for security reasons. Citizens need to know this, because they cross the military base to get to neighbouring communities. There are young people who cross the military base to go to work at Village Vacances Valcartier. In the summer, they have to cross the base by bike. I don't want them to take the road and ride their bikes there. There are safety issues.
These aren't just details. These are important issues, and we need a voice to address these matters of safety and flexibility.
I'm being cannibalized by the military base. Because there are businesses on the base, I'm not developing the commercial sector in my area. Thirty years ago, that was fine because there was nothing else. Today, Shannon is a town. I'm struggling to develop it economically because there's a small grocery store on the base and a small pharmacy in a building that no longer meets 2026 quality standards. I want to tell them not to develop that there and not to compete with me.
All these things I'm telling you about are the reality of my town, and I need someone to listen to what I have to say.