Joyce Beauchamp
Special to the Tribune
Sudbury East-Manitoulin-Nickel Belt MP Jim Bélanger revived an old tradition on Tuesday, January 6, inviting West Nipissing residents to a New Year’s Levee at Twiggs in Sturgeon Falls. According to Google, “a New Year’s Levee is a Canadian tradition, originating from French royal court customs, where government officials hold public open houses on New Year’s day for citizens to offer greetings, share goodwill, and get a glimpse of public service in a festive, social setting with treats and sometimes music. The name comes from the French word “lever,” meaning “to rise,” referencing the king’s morning ritual of receiving visitors as he rose, a practice brought to Canada by early French governors.”
Bélanger was cheerful, welcoming guests and treating them to a beverage and a bite to eat from an array of platters before taking questions from the floor. Someone wondered how he was settling into his second home in Ottawa after his election just this past April 28. “I’m quite comfortable, but the thing is, I didn’t realize until I got there what an honourable institution Parliament is. It’s such a position of respect, to represent a riding made up of real citizens and to voice their concerns,” he responded. He stressed the importance, the legacy and the history of Parliament, this democratic institution where the people have their say. “You folks are my voice in Ottawa. It’s not the other way around,” he emphasized. For Jim Bélanger, government is not top down, telling the people what to do; it’s about the people telling government what it needs to do.
Is it challenging to represent such a vast riding and the varied interests of residents in Sudbury East, Manitoulin and Nickel Belt, he was asked. “Yes, it’s a large riding, but I have a great staff, experts at what they do, and I’m trying to move around the riding fairly regularly, visiting constituency offices and attending events,” he answered.
