Going door to door and meeting with my constituents of Côte Saint-Luc District 2 is not something I reserve for election campaigns. Via this blog, my annual District meetings and regular walkabouts in this area I remain in very close contact with the electorate.
Being a city councillor makes you accountable to the public. Each day I respond to phone calls and countless e-mails. When I attend public events or go to the shopping center, someone always has a request to make. Last week I took a family member to the hospital. A gentleman who just walked out of day surgery recognized me and asked if he could raise a municipal issue with me. Of course! I welcome these interventions.
This brings me to Mitchell Brownstein, our new mayor. The next municipal election is in November 2017. Mitchell was acclaimed office last March. He is a full-time mayor, having virtually given up his law practice. Everyone agrees what a fabulous job he's doing.
Well Mitchell really wants to get out there and meet the people. That is why he has been going door to door for several months already. For each outing he is accompanied by members of his team, his devoted wife Elaine and the district councillor for the street he is visiting.
Last week part I joined Mitchell and his delegation as we knocked on a few doors in District 2. Besides Mitchell's wife, Myra Dodick and Anouk Benzacar were with us. We were not handing out any election brochures. Everyone got a polite "hello," some business cards and an opportunity to ask us any questions on their mind. Some folks even wanted our opinion on Donald Trump. The reception we got was overwhelmingly positive. In some cases, we were asked to come inside. Resident Michael Litvack showed us his beautiful collection of artwork while Jack Miller shared some pretty funny jokes, somehow linking one of them to the extension of Cavendish Boulevard.
In the next few weeks Mitchell will have criss-crossed the city with each member of council. Bravo to our devoted mayor, a true man of the people!
