Someone owes Yvette Pinsonneault an apology.
The Mitchell’s Bay woman has planted flowers, weeded gardens, cut grass and generally looked after the park at the end of the pier in her community for nearly 20 years.
So when she asked for a couple of flags to fill out the five flagpoles which have been in the park for decades Pinsonneault was told she couldn’t because mechanisms on two of the flagpoles didn’t work.
They moved the flags around and found out all the poles work. Armed with the truth she still got nowhere but wanted to have flags up prior to the recent visit by Communities in Bloom judges.
She went to MP Bev Shipley’s office and was given a Canadian flag that she promptly ran up the flagpole.
Shortly thereafter, a municipal truck and two employees showed up to take it down, even though it was on one of the poles the municipality said was in working order.
It’s abundantly clear Pinsonneault was being shown just who’s the boss.
The problem is, whoever is piloting that bureaucratic desk at the Civic Centre has it backwards.
Pinsonneault contacted the mayor, her local councillor and bureaucrats and all she got for her effort (and hundreds of hours of volunteerism) was grief.
Then she heard through another media (Civic Centre staff didn’t return our calls) there was an iron clad flag protocol for Chatham-Kent.
It was news to her. And to us.
The Civic Centre has three flags (the Canadian flagpole has a serious tilt by the way) the band shell in Tecumseh Park has two, the Cenotaph in Wallaceburg has four and Kingston Park, the latest jewel in the parks system, has none.
This wasn’t about flags, this was about power.
Instead of being subjected to such a response, Pinsonneault should have been thanked for her work and allowed to put up a couple of flags, even if she had to pay for them.
As a matter of fact, they should give back the flag they took. It wouldn’t hurt to gift-wrap it.
Thanks for your hard work and dedication to your community Yvette…and good luck!
This just shows us taxpayers that we don't matter. There are 3 flagpoles outside the municipal office in Dresden. One of them does not have a flag flying on it. Why??? Good luck trying to find out the answer to that one. Also, I know this next problem isn't the municipality's problem, but there are 3 flag poles at the historic Uncle Tom's Cabin site. There haven't been flags flying there of any kind for quite a few years even though if you look the site up on the internet there are 3 flags flying in the picture. At the least, in my opinion, the Canadian Flag and the American Flag should be flying there. I know that this lady did the volunteer work at Mitchell's Bay because she had pride in her municipality. If she is treated like this for very much longer I'm sure she will quickly lose interest in volunteering at all. Too bad. Thank you Yvette for your dedication in the past and I hope that this doesn't dampen your enthusiasm for the future.
Jim, nice article and great support for this selfless lady who gave of her time and talent asking nothing in return (no, I do not know her nor do I live in Mitchell's Bay)! Such nonsense on the part of whomever gave her the 'response' and **** up a rope (or should I say flag pole) to the alleged rule maker that sent staff to take down the Canadian flag…how dare you.
this really shows how government has lost touch with the people they work for.
If it was something Hope wanted we'd get it
Thank you for all you have done Yvette. This kind of bureaucracy is the reason that Donald Trump is leading the polls for the Republican presidential candidate in the USA. We could use someone like that for mayor of Chatham-Kent.
I also agree. Uniformity would be nice. four flags could look awesome.
l think a Dutch flag would look good as well….Give up Mrs. Pinnsonneault C / K is run by a bunch of over payed under worked morons. Why does it take two workers to take the flags down ? Do they weigh 500 pounds each ? This is just another example of what l m talking about…
Yvette Pinnsoneault is a pillar in our community, but like so many others her good intentions and ideas are shot down without so much as a discusion. I have been on the receeiving end of Parks & Cemeteries– trying to improve the Mitchell's Bay Community Park.. It is one of the most used parks in the Municipality thanks to the volunteers who take care of it. Yvette takes care of the Pier and she has done a fantastic job . It wouldn't hurt the Municiplity to put back the two flags that are missing.
Why would you take down a Canadian flag????
It's no wonder why s twe cannot attract business to Chatham-Kent withg the moron…hat are running it or a nicer word would be nincome poops
I was at Mitchell's Bay today, and the pier park is just beautiful. The flags were in a pretty pitiful state. As we say where I come from "don't let the bastards get you down" Yvette. Our municipal staff are getting worse not better. I was always a C-K booster, but they are slowly kicking it out of me.
Sounds like the noram red tape of Government
If it's not a windmill the does not have time for it