‘It’s a way for us to thank our citizens while just having a great time’
More than 800 guests – most of them constituents in Vimy MP Annie Koutrakis’s riding – chowed down on hot dogs, salad and other outdoor BBQ delights on the afternoon of Sunday Sept. 1 in Laval-des-Rapides’ Bernard Landry Park.
Again next year
Although it was Koutrakis’s first annual BBQ since first being elected in 2019, she pledged it was far from being the last. “We plan to have this event every year,” she said in an interview with The Laval News.
“And it’s a way for us to thank our citizens while just having a great time in a family atmosphere to tell them how much I appreciate them. It’s also for them to know that they have a federal Member of Parliament who is always there ready and willing to help.”
Touching base locally
Koutrakis and her staff spent time since early August visiting more than 40 local community organizations and non-profit groups, including several senior citizens’ retirement residences.
“Everybody knew about our annual BBQ,” said Koutrakis, noting that several buses of seniors were expected to take part in the festivities that afternoon. “For us, when I look at this, it warms my heart to know that we did the right thing.”
While there is a common misconception that MPs enjoy long summer and Christmas holidays when the House of Commons isn’t in session, the truth is that the vast majority of parliamentarians use the time to catch up on local issues in their ridings, while going around touching base with people and organizations.
Busy summer for Koutrakis
“Oh my god, I think summer is the best time for all Members of Parliament to be on the ground and visit the small businesses, family organizations, daycamps.” she agreed. “We visited many of the companies and organizations we helped this summer through Canada employment.”
She said the riding of Vimy alone this past summer received nearly $1 million to provide subsidies to 66 children’s daycamps and other groups so they could create 204 jobs for students who were off during summer vacation.
“So, the good word is that summer is the best time for MPs to get some things done, when we’re not torn between parliament and other things that need to be done,” she added. An event such as a large gathering of citizens can also offer opportunities to hear what’s on the minds of constituents. Koutrakis learned what some of them were thinking.
Meeting constituents
“Today I heard from several people who wanted more information on the government’s housing strategy, for instance,” she said. “There were some who said they had reached out in the past for services at my office and they specifically wanted to meet members of my team who had helped them out.
“I can’t ask for better than that,” she continued. “So, it’s really great to be able to have these informal get-togethers to hear directly from people where you know that you’re made a difference in their life. And it makes me better as a Member of Parliament. We learn as a team.”
