Practical guide
Taking part in public consultation

I would like to take part in a Montréal public consultation. I have things to say, but I’m unsure of how to proceed. I would like to have help preparing for the consultation and expressing my point of view.

The idea for this guide grew out of a consensus reached at the Sommet de Montréal: that ways should be found to foster effective citizen participation and help them properly express their opinions during public consultations.

The guide offers a series of practical tips that we hope will prove useful to you. It is designed for people who plan to make only a short comment as well as those who will be filing a more formal brief.

After reading this document, you will:

You can use the guide in part or in full, depending on your specific needs.

This guide was prepared by the Task Force on Democracy, created as part of the Sommet de Montréal, in collaboration with the Office de consultation publique de Montréal. It is also part of the framework of Montréal’s Public Consultation and Participation Policy.

We wish you every success in getting ready for and, most important, participating in a public consultation process.

Citizen's contribution

Quite a few citizens are unused to speaking up in a public forum, and wonder whether they have the skills required to participate.

Remember, citizens have wide-ranging knowledge of the area in which they live—knowledge that is particularly rich in information about their neighborhoods. As well, one does not have to be an expert to take part in a consultation and express one’s point of view.

Testimonial

“I believe that citizens who take part in public consultations are driven by a desire to play an active role in their community. Consultation leads to a mutual willingness on the part of the city and its citizens to work together toward the development of community that is more pleasant, more secure and full of life. I have noticed that, when citizens have all the information they need and consensus is the goal on all sides, more often than not we arrive at a situation where there are no losers, even though not all parties will have gained everything they wanted. The simple fact of having been able to take part in the debate makes all the difference.”

Suzanne Lalonde, citizen,
Borough of Saint-Laurent
Calendar of public consultations (in French)