LONGUEUIL – Two Greenfield Park councillors who were barred from speaking at Canada Day festivities arrived at Longueuil’s city council meeting Tuesday to demand answers.
Ahead of the July 1 celebration, Longueuil mayor Caroline St-Hilaire was supposed to be the only person to speak at Greenfield Park’s Canada Day party.
As mayor of the agglomeration of Longueuil, protocol dictates that she address the crowds.
“The presidents of the borough of Vieux-Longueuil and Saint-Hubert, they’re not invited to the stage to speak,” said Julie Martineau, a spokesperson for the City of Longueuil, at the time.
“It’s just the mayor who’s going to speak so we just want to apply that in Greenfield Park.”
Yet, St-Hilaire never show up.
READ MORE: Greenfield Park borough councillors barred from speaking at Canada Day celebrations
That prompted Greenfield Park councillors and some residents at Tuesday’s meeting to ask for an apology from the mayor.
“She would have been welcome if she had come,” Greenfield Park resident Eric Prince told Global News.
“If she had come, it would have gone a long way to show that she actually cares about Greenfield Park.”
WATCH BELOW: Longueuil says ‘no’ to Canada Day speeches in Greenfield Park
According to Greenfield Park borough president Robert Myles, tradition has always allowed representatives from Greenfield Park to address party-goers.
READ MORE: Longueuil mayor a no-show for Greenfield Park Canada Day celebrations
This year, the mayor insisted that Myles and fellow councillor, Wade Wilson, not be able to speak.
“We are being muzzled,” Wilson said Tuesday.
“We are a proud community and we deserve the respect. This is something we won’t stand for.”
WATCH BELOW: Greenfield Park Canada Day controversy
Myles and Wilson hope to get the mayor to agree to make changes ahead of future Canada Day celebrations.
Representatives for St-Hilaire insisted the mayor would not be discussing the Canada Day controversy.
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