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IMPORTANT MESSAGE

 

FROM YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Renato Livinal [President]

Stacy Molyneaux [Vice President]

Stephanie Milford [Secretary]

Chantale Barbarie [Treasurer]

June Lafleur [Board Member] 

NOVEMBER 18th, 2007 

TO THE MONT O’BRIEN MEMBERSHIP  

 

Dear Members,

This message from your Board of Directors is twofold. Firstly, we feel that we should inform you as to what we have accomplished since taking office this past May 2007 and secondly,  explaining to you…our membership… some of the operational problems that we are presently experiencing. 

 Your new Board of Directors took office at an Annual General Meeting this past May 2007. Shortly after taking office, we sent out a survey which most of you either filled out over the Internet or attached it to the new membership forms. The results of this survey expressed your opposition to the Proposed Mega Dump at Danford Lake and directed your new Board to introduce changes as to how the Mont O’Brien Association operates as well as dealing with the current needs of the members. We are in the process of fulfilling your directives. So far, we have completed or are in the process of completing work on the following… 

  • We are now finally able to reach Lac O" Brien by car from Ross’s Creek on the new road that Mr. David Tanner helped us upgrade and complete. Many thanks, David.
     
  •  We now have the use of a website “montobrien.com”
     
  • We have managed to keep the annual membership fees at $15.
  • We are actively selling memberships.
     

  • We have held a very successful fundraiser in September 2007 and plan to make it an annual event. We were able to raise approximately $600.00
     

  • We are in the process of planning and organizing another outdoor summer event, with activities for all ages. This new event will be take place during the summer of 2008.
     
  • We held a nature hike at Mont O’Brien ending with a  BBQ and live entertainment at Lac O’Brien in September 2007
     
  • We have actively participated at the Quebec Government BAPE hearings concerning a Mega Dump at Danford Lake and because of our opposition to the proposed Dump, we contributed in their findings. The BAPE Report concluded that a Landfill site in Danford Lake should not proceed.
     
  • We have met with MRC Pontiac and other Quebec ministry officials to explore the possibilities of establishing a nature park at Mont O’Brien and preserving the Mont O’Brien ecological and environmental systems.
  • We are continuing to upgrade the road to Lac O’Brien.
  • A fundraising initiative goal of $5000 is in the planning stages. 

  As you can see, we have had a very busy summer.

  As stated above, this Board of Directors is presently experiencing several operational problems. When we took office, we were interested in what the prior administrations for the Mont O’Brien Association had accomplished and in that regard we asked for an inventory so that we would be able to know what the Association actually owned. We also wanted this Board to be responsible to its members because as a legal Association, the Quebec government could audit it and we wanted to obey the law. In addition to collecting information for this inventory, we discovered that the Association had received a grant of $30,000 and this Board was very interested as to how this grant money was spent and how the Association benefited from this $30,000.

What we have discovered since May to the present date is that the prior administrations for the Mont O’Brien Association did not keep proper records. After several requests, this Board received two weeks ago (almost six months later) boxes containing papers. These papers were in no specific order that would tell you our members as to what inventory the Association had or has. These papers do not tell us who spent the $30,000 grant monies, who did work for the Association, who benefited from this grant and whether or not all or only part of this money was spent. We do not know the answers to these questions. We are presently in the process of going through these papers to find some answers. It is very possible that the Association received in the past other grant money. This Board will be contacting the Quebec Government to try to find that answer.

Another situation that this Board has experienced since May 2007 is an illegal attempt to dismantle our Board by three ex Board members who are declaring that our Board is illegal. When we took office last May and held our meetings at the head offices of the Association, this Board had a Board member that seemed to always be in disagreement with the majority of the Board. The Board felt that it could not conduct its business because this member was disruptive and did not contribute to the mandate of the Association and as a result, this Board expelled this Board member and two other Board members. This is documented in our Board minutes.

It seems that because of this expulsion, these three ex Board members have taken it upon themselves to act as your unelected Board. They have notified the Association’s bank, the post office and the Quebec Government that they are the legal Board. We feel that this is tantamount to fraud and we are presently contacting the Quebec police to conduct an investigation. It is possible that this group has received funds from the Association’s bank account, have received donations belonging to the Association mailed to the post office and have filed an illegal document to the Quebec authorities. This Board is in the process of contacting the authorities to explain their illegal actions.

As a member of your elected Board, we feel that it is our duty to explain what is taking place with the Mont O’Brien Association. We are committed to following the mandate of the Association and to achieve the goal of preserving Mont O’Brien.

 Should you have any questions regarding the matters referred to above, kindly contact the secretary, Stephanie Milford at artificial2b@hotmail.com.

Many Thanks,

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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