Since June 2025, the Mékinac RCM has been engaged in revising its Land Use and Development Plan (SAD), a structuring exercise intended to guide land use planning and development across its territory in the coming years. To support this major undertaking, the RCM mandated APUR to assist it throughout the process, notably by implementing a citizen participation approach to mobilize the population and inform collective reflection on the future of its territory.
In this context, APUR will facilitate, in close collaboration with the RCM team, a citizen participation activity to be held on April 27, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM, at the Aubin Hall of Sainte‑Thècle Town Hall. Facilitation will be provided by Guillaume Gilbert, urban planner and Vice President; Yves‑Olivier Palardy, Director – Urban Planning; and Sébastien Marchand, Urban Planning Project Manager.
Workshops at the heart of territorial planning
Revising the SAD is a decisive step in guiding the future development of the Mékinac RCM. With this in mind, APUR designed a participatory approach to gather residents’ perceptions, knowledge, and lived experience of their living environment.
The activity will take the form of several thematic workshops, enabling participants to share their observations, concerns, and aspirations. The input collected will enrich the territorial analysis and support the development of a shared vision grounded in local realities.
This public consultation aims in particular to:
- Identify the issues, strengths, and opportunities of the territory
- Foster collective reflection on land use planning and development directions
- Ensure that the future SAD faithfully reflects the population’s expectations and priorities
A diverse range of working workshops
The workshops will address the following themes:
- Strategic vision
- Agricultural land and its activities
- Sustainable mobility and territorial connectivity
- Public infrastructure and community services
- Ecological systems and climate resilience
- Natural and human-made constraints
- Managing urbanization and urban development
- Identity landscapes, heritage, arts, and culture
- Recreational tourism
- The development and enhancement of natural resources
Facilitating to enrich collective reflection
Beyond planning the workshops, facilitating dialogue is an essential lever for creating a climate conducive to collaboration and fostering meaningful discussions. As part of the SAD revision workshops, particular attention is paid to the quality of exchanges in order to fully benefit from collective intelligence.
Facilitation aims in particular to:
- Encourage open, constructive, and respectful dialogue among participants
- Welcome and guide the diversity of viewpoints and perceptions of the territory
- Support a shared understanding of the approach’s objectives
- Keep discussions focused on land use planning and territorial development issues
This approach helps structure citizen participation, ensure the relevance of contributions, and effectively inform the reflection leading to the development of a shared vision for the RCM’s territory.
About APUR
APUR supports municipalities and RCMs in a variety of mandates in urban planning, land use planning, and regulatory matters, taking into account the realities specific to each community. Among its areas of expertise, the firm also offers the design, preparation, and facilitation of citizen participation processes integrated into planning and strategic reflection initiatives. Drawing on in-depth knowledge of municipal operations and a rigorous approach, APUR’s team implements structured, accessible consultation activities tailored to local issues. These initiatives aim to foster high-quality dialogue, gather diverse viewpoints, and enrich territorial analysis, thereby supporting informed, coherent decision-making grounded in the needs and aspirations of communities.