The importance of letter writing
Letter writing is the single most important thing we can all do to save Sainte-Marie!
Why? Because it shows our elected officials that there is strong public support and it reminds them of our goals.
It can be a difficult task, so here a a few tips :
1. YOUR LETTER SHOULD HAVE THREE MAIN ELEMENTS :
•Explain what Sainte-Marie means to you and why you believe it is important to maintain.
•Recognize in your letter that you are aware that Association Sainte-Marie héritage et développement is pursuing plans to transform Sainte-Marie into a viable heritage site and secular community resource.
•Respectfully ask that they support efforts to turn the site into a sustainable community resource.
Always keep it positive and respectful!
2. MAKE IT PERSONAL
Do you have a personal link to the building? (As a former resident of Clare... My family has celebrated many milestones in this church.... I remember midnight mass at Sainte-Marie.... When I first visited Clare... As a former Université Sainte-Anne Student...)
Do you have a particular skillset, background or passion that you can bring to your letter? (As an avid traveler, I've seen many beautiful churches throughout the world and Sainte-Marie always takes my breath away... I'm a lover of the arts and am looking forward to seeing this beautiful place restored to its former glory...)
Here are a few ideas to inspire you :
Sainte-Marie is an economic and heritage resource we cannot afford to lose
Sainte-Marie is a unique building and has an important architectural value, not just for Clare but for the World.
Sainte-Marie is a monument to Acadia and Acadians everywhere
3. REFER TO OUR ASSOCIATION AND OUR GOALS
By naming our Association in your letter and showing that you know who we are and agree with our goals and our approach, it helps solidify our credibility and will undoubtedly help us!
Here's a quick reminder of our main goals :
•We wish to transform Sainte-Marie into a economically viable heritage destination that contributes to the tourism industry and serves the needs of the community that built it.
•We are NOT asking the government to provide all funding and save the building as a relic or monument.
•We ARE asking leaders to prioritize it and help us find solutions to protect Sainte-Marie's heritage and turn it into an economic asset for the region.
4. FOLLOW-UP
After the letter is sent, we encourage you to continue writing, calling or speaking with your representatives regularly to show sustained interest and support.
You can also ask them (politely!) to provide updates on what they have accomplished and specifics on how they propose to help.
Here's who to write to. (You can adapt the same letter and send it to multiple individuals)
Federal Government
Chris d'Entremont, Member of Parliament for West Nova, Nova Scotia
Greeting: Dear Mr. d'Entremont
Minister of Environment and Climate Change (Parks Canada)
Greeting: Dear Minister
Title: The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Canadian Heritage
Greeting: Dear Minister
Title: The Honorable Pascale St-Onge
Senat
Senator Allister Surette : Allister.Surette@sen.parl.gc.ca
Senator Réjean Aucoin : Rejean.Aucoin@sen.parl.gc.ca
Provincial government
Ryan Robicheau, Member of Parliament for Clare
Greeting: Dear Mr. Robicheau
Email: info@claremla.ca
Constituency office: daralyncomeau@claremla.ca
Minister of Acadian Affairs
Greeting : Dear Minister LeBlanc
Title: The Honourable Colton LeBlanc
Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage
Greetings: Dear Minister Ritcey
Title: The Honourable David Ritcey
Ministerial Assistant
Hon. Susan Corkum-Greek
susancorkumgreekmla @gmail.com
Premier Tim Houston
Greeting : The Honourable Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia
Dear Premier Houston
Councillor for Church Point
Mrs Réanne Cooper
Warden
Mr Yvon LeBlanc
Template you can use
Copy, paste, and modify to make it your own!
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, Province, Postal Code]
[Email Address]
[Date]
[Politician's Name]
[Politician's Title]
[Office Address]
[City, Province, Postal Code]
Dear [Politician's Name],
I am writing to you as a concerned citizen of Clare regarding the future of the former Sainte-Marie church. I believe this building is important because .... (EXPLAIN WHY YOU THINK SAINT-MARIE IS IMPORTANT) IDEAS : It represents my Acadian culture/the region's Acadian culture, it's a key landmark of Clare, my family has special ties to this building, it was built by 1,500 volunteers, it's architecturally significant, it has the potential of becoming a major part of our tourism industry...
I've been following Association Sainte-Marie héritage et développement on Facebook/I was happy to hear a new association had taken up the fight to save Sainte-Marie/I'm a volunteer for Association Sainte-Marie héritage et développement/I'm familiar with Association Sainte-Marie héritage et développement's work and objectives and I agree that....
I kindly request your support in preserving and transforming Sainte-Marie into a vibrant community and heritage space. Specifically, I ask for your assistance in : 1) Prioritizing Sainte-Marie in economic and cultural development planning, ensuring it receives the necessary attention and investment at the federal and provincial levels. 2) Encouraging your counterparts in government to recognize and support this project as a key regional initiative. 3) Supporting the work of Sainte-Marie héritage et développement in identifying creative solutions for funding and long-term sustainability, including partnerships, grants, and innovative reuse strategies.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]