MINUTES OF THE BHCA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
SUNDAY, March 30, 2025 AT BEACON HILL NORTH COMMUNITY CENTRE
Call to Order at 3:15 p.m.
BHCA BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Julie Valiant-Saunders, Brook-Lynn Quinlan, Janis Parry-Hood, Mike Hood, Nancy Westran.
17 ATTENDEES, BHCA members in good standing welcomed
Agenda (attached as Appendix A, item 2): presented – motion to accept -Elizabeth Joly first, Mike Hood seconded. Unanimously approved.
Minutes 2024 AGM (attached as Appendix A, item 3): presented – motion to accept – Nancy Westran first; Brook-Lynn Quinlan seconded. Unanimously approved
President’s Report (attached as Appendix A, item 4): presented
a) BHCA’s activities in 2024 included Clean-up the Capital; April Spring Fling; Movie Night in the Park assisting councilor Tim Tierney; October Halloween Party; Outdoor Rink Maintenance with many thanks to Mike Hood for rounding up volunteers and his work both on and off the three rinks in our community and a heavy year for snowfall, but great weather for skating enthusiasts.
b) 2025 activities and events to include Clean up the Capital (date to be determined); Big Beacon Hill Garage Sale (May 30th, 2025 so as to avoid overlap with Glebe and Robert Hopkins activities – as previously requested by our community); Community Donations Pick up Day with Helping with Furniture following BBHGS; Canada Day Celebrations at Radford Park; Beacon Hill Creator’s Festival; Halloween Party 2025.
c) Volunteers through the many schools and within our community will be asked to step forward and volunteer to assist in BHCA activities and events.
Community Engagement and Communication:BHCA plans to continue improving communications with residents through newsletters, website and social media channels. Looking for new ways to engage and welcoming suggestions on how to improve BHCA efforts. To this a position for a communication member of the board is open.
Financial report: presented by Nancy – motion to accept – J.P. Lalonde first, Marie Sievers seconded. Unanimously approved. Financial Reports may be provided when requested by members in good standing.
a) Updated Statements/Budget for January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024; Projected Budget for 2025; Actual budget as of March 25, 2025.
b) The Treasurer confirmed that the balance is $15,416 as of March. 25/25 with all monies from the city for maintenance, for three rinks, being deposited.
BHCA Board Elections/Nominations for 2025: Current Board members were elected for a two-year term at BHCA AGM in 2024. Many thanks to Brook-Lynn Quinlan who has acted as V.P. for the past three years and has indicated she will help out as a volunteer at our events.
a) Positions open for nominations include:
– Communications/publicity
– Vice President
– Secretary
– Eco Chair
– Sponsorship/Local Business Liaison
b) Call for Nominations from the floor (nomination forms distributed to attendees).
c) Nominations for five positions provided from attendees; 1st, 2nd and 3rd call for nominations; all five nominations acclaimed and welcomed to the board.
– J.P. Lalonde; Cass Ryan; Nancy Robertson; Maria Sievers; Charissa Cheyne
These five new board members and existing board members asked to remain after adjournment of the AGM.
Old Business: Requested that any matters from prior meetings be raised. No response from attendees.
New Business: Requested that questions or ideas for coming year be raised. 5 minutes per question and response allotted.
a) BBHGS – Beacon Hill South not as active and wondering how to address this. Suggestions included:
– may not be a signage issue as multiple signs put up in that area, along roadsides;
– approach schools – Lester B.; St. Brother Andre; Colonel By S.S., Gloucester High to see if want to host at the same time; and/or residents selling to have use of school yards
– put up tables in parks for sellers
b) Art Fair – J.P. Lalonde (who spearheaded the very impressive Turkey Shirt sales) has spoken with 40-50 interested artists.
– January each year the city has a program {Paint It Up) for grants.
– Local art project such as murals painted on rink boards – get the community involved.
– A community event with Artists to set up in BHNCC park;
BHCA to advertise. J.P. to follow up.
c) Marie Sievers said there is a gardening by-law and with the Gloucester Horticultural Society offering input to advise residents in a forum to increase habitat for insects.
d) BHCA board and Pineview board to collaborate on books for libraries and winter clothing directed towards new residents (need more input on this). Seraphin Marion has need of Parent Council help.
e) Food bank would like to join with us in our events and to use our media format for requests/needs.
f) Special meetings with BHCA Board would be appreciated by the community and to be determined with the newly elected BHCA Board.
g) Debates – previous debates were coordinated by past president; not included in current constitution so if to be held would need a bylaw to amend; two members of current board also work for the city so could be a conflict of interest.
h) Volunteers for events – Sarah McLellan has offered to help out with Halloween and other events.
Julie you had notes – April 9th HMMs for Community Consultation 6:30pm-7:30pm
LRT discussion – BHCA has no involvement – any questions need to be addressed to the city.
No further questions. Move to adjourn the AGM – Nancy Robertson first; Mike Hood seconded – unanimous from attendees.
Meeting adjourned at 4:20 p.m.
APPENDIX A – Beacon Hill Community Association – Annual General Meeting 2025
Opening Remarks:
Julie V-S, President, welcomes everyone.
“Good afternoon, everyone! Thank you for attending the Annual General Meeting of the Beacon Hill Community Association. My name is Julie Valliant-Saunders, and I’m honored to be your President. We’re thrilled to have you here today to discuss the progress we’ve made as a community, the initiatives we’re working on, and the exciting plans we have for the year ahead.”
- Call to Order:
“Let’s get started. I hereby call the 2025 Annual General Meeting to order at 3:15 pm.”
- Approval of the Agenda:
2025 Agenda:
- Opening Remarks and Call to Order; 2. Approval of the Agenda; 3. Approval of Previous AGM Minutes (2023); 4. President’s Report; 5. Community Engagement and Communication; 6. Treasurer’s Report; 7. Nominations; 8. Old Business; 9. New Business; 10. Adjournment.
“Before we begin, I’d like to ask if there are any additions or changes to the agenda.”
“If there are none, may I have a motion to approve the agenda as presented?”
“All in favor?”
“Motion carried. The agenda is approved.”
- Approval of the Previous AGM Minutes:
“Next, we’ll review the minutes from last year’s AGM. Due to the absence of a secretary, we’re left with a mere outline of what occurred:
- The meeting was called to order and welcomed by our Past President.
- The President’s report outlined the new constitution.
- The Treasurer’s report was presented.
- The dissolution of the previous board was discussed.
- A request was made for volunteers to assist in removing duct tape from the signs for the Big Beacon Hill Garage Sale. That volunteer effort included my husband, Hazen, our two kids, and myself.
- A roundtable discussion followed with ideas from members in good standing until the meeting was adjourned.
The newly acclaimed board met privately, and the following roles were filled:
- Board members at large: Mike Hood and Janis Parry-Hood
- Treasurer: Nancy Westran
- Vice President: Brook-Lynn Quinlan
- President: Myself (though I was given the choice between Secretary and President, and as you can see, we know how that turned out!)
Are there any questions or corrections to the minutes?”
“If there are no corrections, may I have a motion to approve the minutes?”
“All in favor?”
“Motion carried. The minutes from the previous AGM are approved.”
- President’s Report:
“I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the past year. Following the 2024 AGM, we promptly began our community efforts by volunteering with our city councillor at his annual Movie Night in the Park. As part of my volunteer duties, I drove out to Papa Jack’s, and I must say, my car smelled more like popcorn than dog for a few days after that!
We also hosted a highly successful Halloween Party, utilizing both of our community rooms—one filled with a variety of games and activities, and the other transformed into a lively dance party, complete with inflatables and a smoke machine. Leftover candy and generous cash donations were graciously redirected to our Gloucester Emergency Food Cupboard, ensuring our efforts benefitted those in need.
Despite facing a series of challenges, including the ongoing effects of COVID, walking pneumonia, and an unrelenting winter, we navigated through our Outdoor Rink season. A special acknowledgment is due to Mike Hood, who ably led the volunteer efforts. His commitment ensured the success of our three rinks, and his contributions deserve our gratitude. Let’s all take a moment to applaud Mike for his hard work.
Though we encountered these obstacles, I am pleased to report that we only missed two board meetings during what I will affectionately refer to as our ‘hibernation’ period. I extend my sincere thanks to all our volunteers and board members whose hard work, dedication, and unwavering support allowed us to achieve so much despite the hurdles.
Looking ahead, we have some exciting initiatives planned for 2025:
- Clean Up the Capital – Spring Edition is scheduled for April. Given the current weather challenges, however, the date remains flexible. We will confirm as soon as conditions allow.
- Big Beacon Hill Garage Sale: In response to feedback from community members, we’ve rescheduled the garage sale to May 31st—after the Robert Hopkins Annual Fun Fair and the Glebe’s sale, ensuring we avoid any overlap. We look forward to another successful event.
- Community Donations Pick-Up Day: We are in the early stages of coordinating this initiative with Nathalie from Helping With Furniture. We hope to align it with the Big Beacon Hill Garage Sale on May 31st to make it easier for residents to donate items in need of a new home. Further details will follow as logistics are finalized.
- Canada Day Celebrations: We are thrilled to announce our plans to host the community’s Canada Day festivities, with daytime activities both at the Community Centre (pending permit approval) and in our beautiful park. Volunteers are welcome to join in the planning and help make this event enjoyable for all!
- Beacon Hill Creator’s Festival: This community-driven event will showcase the exceptional talent of local artists, makers, and creators. Attendees will have the opportunity to support and celebrate a wide range of works, including paintings, photography, handcrafted jewelry, textiles, and woodwork—all created by our very own neighbors.
- Halloween 2025: Of course, Halloween remains a highlight, and we have already begun brainstorming creative ideas for the Christmas holidays. We are exploring the possibility of hosting a pre-skating event before the Outdoor Rinks are up and running, ensuring that our community’s festive spirit stays strong year-round.
With the continued support of our volunteers and board members, I have no doubt that 2025 will be an even greater success. Thank you all for your ongoing commitment, and let’s make this year our best yet.”
- Community Engagement and Communication:
“As we move forward, we plan to continue improving communication with our residents. We encourage everyone to stay informed through our newsletters, website, and social media channels. We are always looking for new ways to engage with you and welcome any suggestions on how we can improve our efforts.”
- Treasurer’s Report:
“Now, I will turn the floor over to our Treasurer, Nancy Westran, to present the financial report for 2024.”
“Are there any questions or comments regarding the financial report?”
“If there are no further questions, may I have a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report?”
“All in favor
“Motion carried. The Treasurer’s Report is approved.”
- Nominations:
“It’s now time for the nomination of new board members, as we all committed to a two-year term at the last AGM. The following positions are up for nomination:
- Communications/Publicity
- Sponsorship/Local Business Liaison
- Secretary
- Eco Chair
If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else for any position, please let us know.”
“Are there any further nominations?”
“If there are no more nominations, we’ll proceed with the vote. All in favor of the proposed slate of nominees?”
“Motion carried. The new board members have been elected. Please remain after we close the meeting to vote on board positions.”
- Old Business:
“We now move to old business. Are there any matters from previous meetings that need to be addressed?”
“If there’s no further discussion, let’s move on to New Business.”
- New Business:
“If you have any questions or ideas for the upcoming year, please feel free to raise them now. Each speaker will be allotted 5 minutes.”
“Thank you to everyone for your input. We value your ideas and suggestions.”
- Adjournment:
“If there’s no further business, I will now entertain a motion to adjourn the meeting
“All in favor?”
“Motion carried. The meeting is adjourned at [Time]. Thank you all for attending and for your continued support of our community.
We look forward to seeing everyone at the Beacon Hill Spring Cleaning event, where we’ll shamelessly bribe you all with treats to help pick up the litter around here!”