Compiled by Caleb Nickerson, Emily Hsueh an Stephen Riccio
JANUARY
New year, new baby
The Outaouais region’s first baby of 2020 arrived just after 2 a.m. on Jan. 1 at the Gatineau Hospital. Lexi-Anne Helmer was welcomed into the world by her parents, Quyon native Tyler Helmer and his wife Fanie. Though she was born a little earlier than her Jan. 17 due date, both parents said . . .
they were excited to introduce Lexi-Anne to her big brother Mayson.
Disrespectful councillor gets 10 day suspension
A councillor from L’Île du Grand Calumet was suspended without pay for ten days for acting disrespectfully towards municipal employees on multiple occasions. Réjean Meilleur was handed this sentence on Dec. 12 by the Commission Municipale du Quebec (CMQ)’s Administrative Judge Sylvie Périard, and it was served starting on Jan. 6. The complaints were filed with the CMQ on May 2019 and stemmed from incidents that took place between July 2018 and March 2019. In one of the four incidents detailed in the report, Meilleur told the director general at the time, Sabrina Larivière, “Toi, ma p’tite, je pourrais t’enterrer” (You, my little one, I could bury you).
The amount of overtime clocked by health care workers in several local clinics and long-term care facilities in the Pontiac region increased steadily between 2015 and 2019, according to data acquired by THE EQUITY through an access to information request.
The CHSLD du CAP in Shawville saw their overtime for nurses double in that five year span (916.59 hours/ $40,211.36 in 2015 to 1,894.21 hours/ $90,836.04 in 2019), and more than quadruple for auxiliary services and trades (341.01 hours/$9,592.81 in 2015 to 1,869.34 hours/$58,160.45 in 2019). At the CAP alone, just under $150,000 was spent on overtime in 2019.
At the CHSLD in Mansfield the story was similar, with slightly smaller increases over the same time period for nurses (1,570.66 hours/$75,599.53 in 2015 to 2,186.04 hours/$114,942.54 in 2019) and auxiliary services and trades (474.92 hours/$14,530.20 in 2015 to 1,638.30 hours/$51,032.93 in 2019).
The Shawville Arena was packed over the Jan. 17-19 weekend for the fifth annual Pontiac Provincial Atom/Peewee hockey tournament. The event kicked off with a tribute to former minor hockey star Jimmy Russell by tournament organizer Ed Rusenstrom. Though Russell tragically passed away at the age of 13 in a farm accident, he managed to make a lasting impression on the regional hockey scene in a few short seasons, even attracting attention from the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Russell’s family had front row seats for the ceremony which concluded with the unveiling of a large banner at the end of the arena bearing his photo. The Peewee A Lions were the only local squad to come out on top in the action over the weekend, taking out the Hull Citoyens in the final game 6-2.
Weightlifter wins national championship
A teenager from Fort Coulonge took home a gold medal from the Canadian Junior Weightlifting Championships in Edmonton on Jan. 18. Xavier Lusignan, 16, competing in the 89 kg class hoisted a whopping 118 kg in the snatch competition, destroying his previous record of 109 kg. Even though he was one of the youngest competitors at the event, Lusignan told THE EQUITY he was confident going in.
“I knew, this year, that I would win,” he said. “There was no doubt.”
Lions win Bantam/Midget tournament
The home town squad brought home the first place banner in the third annual Pontiac Provincial Bantam/Midget hockey tournament over the Jan. 24-26 weekend. There were 16 teams competing in four divisions over the weekend, and the Midget A Pontiac Lions took out the Renfrew Timberwolves with a 4-2 win in the final match to claim the victory. The tournament was started as a way to build on the success of the Atom/Peewee tournament held earlier in the month, and organizer Jeff Ireland was pleased with the results.
“It has been a great success,” he said. “Probably better than we initially thought. The positive feedback, not only from the players and the parents, but the community has been phenomenal.”
Stolen guns spotted in THE EQUITY
An Ontario man was reunited with some of his firearms in a rather peculiar twist of fate on Jan. 21. Mike Stevens, an employee at Performance Printing in Smiths Falls, was helping print the Jan. 22 edition of The Equity and spied one of his guns in a front page photo about a drug bust that had also turned up some weapons. He told The Smiths Falls Record News that after recognizing a familiar strap on one of the guns in the picture, he called police who confirmed the serial numbers.
The guns were seized as part of a bust that also saw the seizure of large amounts of cocaine and methamphetamines from several residences in Ottawa, Gatineau and Chapeau. Four people, including a 39-year-old man from Chapeau and Gatineau were arrested on a variety of drug trafficking and firearms charges.
Ag society elects new executive
The Pontiac Agricultural Society (PAS) held their annual general meeting on Jan. 30, electing a new slate of directors and executive committee. The 2019 PAS President, Tyler McCann, gave an overview of the activities from the previous year, which included hiring a full-time general manager and hosting the RCMP musical ride. Mavis Hanna gave a breakdown of the 2019 financial statements for the group. The year’s take from the gate of the Shawville Fair was $425,960, up from $345,347 in 2018. The big crowds came thirsty, as the beer garden brought in a staggering $254,595, up from $198,787 the previous year. The 2020 executive team was as follows: President Charleen Moore; First Vice-President Vaughan Bastien; Vice-Presidents Kayla McCann, Lisa Coles, Paul Scheel and Kelly King; secretary Beth Campbell and financial officer Tyler McCann.
FEBRUARY
Community Bonspiel wraps up 45th year
The 45th Community Bonspiel wrapped up at the Shawville Curling Club on Feb. 9, with a team of newcomers taking home the coveted Toilet Seat Trophy. Over a two week span, 46 teams took part, divided into eight divisions based on skill. In the end, it was Cartrites restaurant that came out on top, made up of skip Kaara Brown, third Bree Barr, second Jayme Hines, lead Ashley Hodgins and spare Grace Sally.
The 2020 bonspiel was held in honour of long-time club member and volunteer Phyllis Wilson, who started curling at the club back in 1977.
Local chef to judge on Food Network
A Shawville-born chef was selected as a judge for one of Food Network Canada’s new televised cooking competitions. Renée Lavallée was selected to appear in three episodes of Wall of Chefs, which pits home cooks against each other in a contest to wow a rotating panel of pros in the hopes of taking home a cash prize. The first two seasons of the show were filmed in 2019, but the episodes featuring Lavallée didn’t air until February and March 2020. She said that being recognized for the show was awesome, and added that it was a welcome change of pace.
“It’s nice to be able to do something that’s different than what we do every day, which for me would be going into my restaurant and cooking,” she said.
On Feb. 7, the regional health authority, CISSSO, announced that the obstetrics unit at the Pontiac Community Hospital (PCH) would be closed for a week, starting that day. The reason stated for the closure was a lack of nursing staff. Leading up to the closure, there had been a dozen interruptions to the service since Sept. 2019, including a three-week break over the Christmas holidays.
A PCH employee familiar with the situation spoke to THE EQUITY anonymously and said that they had only half of the 12 nurses required to run the unit. The source said that while the obstetrics unit had gotten a lot of attention from the public, the short-staffing extended to nurses in PCH’s other departments as well.
Province shakes up school boards
On Feb. 8, the CAQ government moved forward with their election promise to replace the province’s school boards with unelected service centres, invoking closure to pass Bill 40 in a late-night vote. Though the English-language boards were allowed to retain elected officials, the French boards were not. In a last-minute decision, the commissioners for the French boards were eliminated immediately, even though the government had originally agreed to allow them to stay on until Feb. 29.
“I’m very disappointed that this government decided to cut all debates and discussions and ram through this bill,” said Western Quebec School Board Chairman, Alain Guy. “It’s not a very good day for democracy.”
Obstetrics unit closed “temporarily”
The regional health authority, CISSSO, announced the “temporary” closure of the Pontiac Community Hospital (PCH)’s obstetrics unit in a hastily-announced press conference on Feb. 21. Director General Josée Filion made the announcement and said, entirely in French, that she had made the difficult decision to close the unit due to a lack of nursing staff and added that their goal was to re-open by September. The move came after a three week interruption to the obstetrics unit over the Christmas holidays and another week-long break earlier in the month.
The following Monday, around two-dozen Pontiacers turned out in front of the Hull Hospital to protest the closure. Pontiac MNA André Fortin attended the rally and expressed his frustration that the issue of short-staffing hadn’t been adequately addressed.
Second ski trek to Parliament Hill
For the second year in a row, a group of Pontiac students travelled roughly 140 km on cross-country skis from École secondaire Sieur de Coulonge (ESSC) in Mansfield et Pontefract to Parliament Hill. The group of ten students made the trek over three and a half days, starting on Feb. 23 and culminating on Feb. 26.
The event was made possible by Ski at School Outaouais, an organization that gives students an opportunity to learn how to glide across the trials and offers use of their equipment. The timing of the event was to coincide with National Health and Fitness Day.
Elvis Stojko wows local figure skaters
The Shawville Arena hosted a Canadian figure skating legend on Feb. 26, as Elvis Stojko and his wife Gladys Orozco put on a clinic organized by the local club. While most of the 47 participants came from the Pontiac, the event was open to skaters from as far as Aylmer and Arnprior, braving some hellacious winter weather on the way.
The Olympic medalist and his partner dazzled their young pupils with impressive jumps and twists, and also conducted some off-ice training in the Lions Hall.
“I’ve got so much stuff in my head that I need to get it out,” he said. “It’s just fun to talk to the kids and just share some of the knowledge that I’ve learned over the years from my own experiences, from my coaches and from what I’ve developed.”
MARCH
More than 200 protest obstetrics closure
On March 1, roughly 200 people crowded the parking lot of the Pontiac Community Hospital to protest the “temporary” closure of the local obstetrics unit.
The gathering was organized by the citizens group Pontiac Voice, which was formed in 2017 in response to the imposition of paid parking at the hospital and other health care facilities. Spokesperson Josey Bouchard said that the goal of the event was to show support for the workers at the hospital and project the community’s frustration over the lost service to the provincial government.
“We want to make sure CISSSO does what it has to do to make sure that it re-opens in six months,” she said.
Two dead, four injured in highway crash
Two Pontiac residents in their early 20s were killed in a head-on collision on Hwy. 148 just outside of Quyon on March 8. Karine Marion, 22, of Fort Coulonge and Todd (T.J.) Vibert, 23, of Campbell’s Bay were travelling eastbound when their car collided with a minivan in the westbound lane near the intersection at chemin Murray. A female passenger in the deceased’s vehicle sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries. The minivan was carrying a woman and her two children, who also sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries.
Fort Coulonge Mansfield Winter Carnival
The Fort Coulonge Mansfield Winter Carnival took place over March 6-7 at the Centre de Loisir des Draveurs, with plenty of different activities for adults and children of all ages. Following a talent contest on the Friday night, Melody Freeland, 18, was crowned the Queen of the Carnival while the crown for the first King of the Carnival went to nine year-old Louka Jolin.
Inside the arena, a friendly hockey tournament took over the ice for the two days, with sleigh rides and activities outside on Saturday.
Teaching mental health first aid
On March 12 and 13, a workshop on mental health care was held at the Little Red Wagon Winery in Clarendon, sponsored by The Do More Ag Foundation and Farm Credit Canada. The workshop was put together by local organizers Cindya Labine and Rebecca Balsdon and 25 people attended. The course taught participants the skills to help people through a variety of mental health issues, from substance abuse to suicidal thoughts, with a specific focus on the farming community.
Snowmobile races in Fort Coulonge
The annual snowmobile races took place outside the Centre de Loisir des Draveurs in Fort Coulonge on March 14, with dozens of racers turning out for the competition across a variety of classes. Organizer Pierre Laporte, who has been running the races for the past 24 years, said that the event draws riders from as far away as the US. Racers start from an elevated “launch pad” and hurtle 1,500 metres down a gentle slope in a fast paced drag race.
“Everybody from all over the states comes here,” he said. “They love the track.”
Starting on March 15, provincial and regional authorities began enacting a broad range of measures to combat the spread of coronavirus in the province, from shutting down schools and daycares, to cancelling sporting events and closing government offices. By March 23, all businesses deemed “non-essential” were ordered to close.
Experts from the regional health authority, CISSSO, held numerous press conferences in conjunction with municipal officials in the initial days of the lockdown, giving updates on the spread and protocols for limiting the transmission of the virus.
Crematorium equipment causes explosion
An explosion tore through the crematorium at Hayes Funeral Home in Shawville shortly on March 19, cutting power to a large swathe of the town for several hours. A gaping hole was blown through the front corner of the building and bits of debris and insulation were scattered in a wide radius. A fragment of the building’s roof had tangled itself in the nearby electrical wires, causing serious arcing. No one was injured in the blast.
Owner Greg Hayes released a statement the following Monday, explaining that the explosion occurred while testing new equipment meant to be used as an alternative to flame-based cremation, which operates under pressure. He added that the cause of the accident was unknown at the time and that they would not be replacing or using that equipment for the foreseeable future.
APRIL
St. Joseph’s Manor adapts to new protocols
After nearly a month in isolation, the staff and residents at St. Joseph’s Manor in Campbell’s bay came up with some innovative ways to keep busy during the pandemic. Staff had to put in 108 extra hours every two weeks to keep up with sanitization and other safety protocols, but spirits remained high with socially distanced hallway bingo and meals, and new iPads for residents to contact their loved ones. Window visits allowed residents to see friends and family in person, which coordinator Catherine Bretzlaff said visibly raised their morale in a trying time.
Cross-border travel restricted
On Wednesday, April 1, police were stationed at checkpoints around the Outaouais to prevent non-essential cross-border travel. The move was announced that morning, and by noon checkpoints were established at all inter-provincial entrances, as well as some between MRCs like between Bristol and Quyon. Warden Jane Toller had been requesting travel restrictions since March 28, after many other Quebec regions were implementing them. She noted that the quick enactment of the checkpoints prevented a large wave of last-minute cross-border travel.
A group of first responders and business owners gathered outside local establishments on April 6 to pay tribute to essential workers. The movement was organized by police sergeant Yves Martineau to show appreciation for the front-line workers during the pandemic. “It’s basically to say thank you to all the hospital staff, the grocery people, if we can we’re going to do pharmacies in Shawville,” he said. The group started off in the southern parking lot of the Pontiac Community Hospital and made their way around town, including a stop at Valu-mart. A similar event was held at Fort Coulonge’s CLSC on April 3.
The Pontiac Agricultural Society announced on April 10 that the 2020 Shawville Fair would be cancelled due to COVID-19. This was the first time in the event’s history that it was cancelled completely. The news came after an announcement from MAPAQ that all agricultural events to come would be cancelled as well. It would have been the fair’s 164th anniversary.
Residents in Sand Bay noticed a strange patch of algae had emerged and blamed a septic system that was installed in October 2019 as the culprit. The septic system was authorized by the Ministry of Natural Resources, but residents worried that low water flow in the bay was preventing the waste from being completely filtered out. They started a GoFundMe campaign which raised over $10,000, and appealed to the MRCs, Pontiac Liberal MNA André Fortin and Pontiac Liberal MP Will Amos, but did not receive responses.
Students, school boards adapt to online learning
Nearing a month after schools and daycares shut down on March 22, students and staff alike had to adjust to the new normal that was online learning. New online resources from Open Schools, the Western Quebec School Board and commission scolaire des Hauts-Bois de l’Outaouais offered ebooks, chat features and helpful links to students and their parents and guardians for effective at-home learning. Bouffe Pontiac partnered with the latter to offer meals to families in need. It was announced by Minister of Education Jean-François Roberge that no new curriculum would be taught and no exams applicable to students in grades 6 – 11 would be issued.
Restaurants adjust to social distancing
Deliveries and take-out orders skyrocketed as restaurants adapted to having empty dining rooms. For Rumours Café in Otter Lake, the sudden halt of dine-in services forced them to stop serving breakfast — one of their more popular menu options — and give away their perishable supplies, like eggs. It also made supply deliveries to the café as well as Billy T’s Pizza and Waltham Station nearly impossible, with the latter having to lay off four employees due to the low demand. Establishments erected plexiglass shields and taped arrows on floors to guide and protect customers entering.
Second COVID death in the Outaouais, schools to re-open
The CISSSO announced that the second recorded COVID-19 death was that of a resident at the CHSLD Lionel-Émond in Gatineau, which was then experiencing an outbreak of 11 cases. The first death was reported at the Hull Hospital a week earlier. At this time, Premier François Legault announced all primary schools outside of Montreal would begin to re-open on May 11. High schools, CEGEPs and universities would remain closed until late August.
MAY
Parents anxious about back-to-school
As schools were set to re-open, some parents weren’t sure the move was the right one. Staff over the age of 60 were asked to stay home and would be replaced with individuals with at least three years of university education. Commission scolaire des Hauts-Bois de l’Outaouais Director General Denis Rossignol advised parents on guidelines with how to send their children back to school, but also commented on the staff replacement. “We have a hard time recruiting teachers,” he said. “Even before the schools closed, it was an issue.”
On May 11, primary schools and daycares re-opened. They were supplied with hand sanitizers, disinfectant wipes, masks and protective glasses. Schools would also have an isolation room stocked with PPE and a thermometer in the event someone tested positive. Cafeterias and gymnasiums could only function as classrooms, and entry and exit points into the buildings were established. Class numbers were limited to 15. Despite all this, very few children returned to the campuses. “Many parents have decided not to send their children to school, and we certainly understand and support their decisions,” said WQSD Director General Mike Dubeau. “…There’s a lot of things that parents are dealing with and students are dealing with.”
Long-serving politician passes away
Long-serving politician and former MRC Pontiac Warden Raymond Durocher passed away on May 15. He passed at the age of 62 and left behind his wife, two children, and four grandchildren. Toller expressed condolences to Durocher’s family on behalf of the regional council in a message posted to the MRC’s website, stating “Raymond has served the Pontiac well in so many ways and he will be greatly missed.”
Feds announce millions in agriculture relief
The federal government announced that agricultural producers would be provided with millions of dollars to relieve them during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some farmers had to house their livestock for longer or dump the supply they produced due to low demand. The total cost of the relief initiative was over $250 million. Half of it went to AgriRecovery to help with the two former issues. $50 million of it was provided to move the surplus of food to food banks, and Pontiac Liberal MP Will Amos said there was a big shift to buying produce locally.
Calumet mayor takes leave citing health reasons
Serge Newberry, mayor of Calumet Island, took a leave from his duties for health reasons. The announcement came shortly after council requested Newberry respond to allegations of assault and intimidation put forward by councillors Réjean Meilleur and Alice Meilleur-Pieschke in regards to two separate incidents on April 28. A protest on May 2 had also taken place urging the mayor to resign. All parties declined to comment on the matter at the time. Pro-mayor Meilleur-Pieschke took over his duties while he was away.
Pontiac Farmers’ Market adopts new location
The Pontiac Farmers’ Market started up for a new season on May 23, but at a brand new location thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. In previous years it was held on the Shawville Fairgrounds but it was moved this year to R&R Farms in Clarendon, owned by Ron Hodgins. Hosting the market at the farm allowed for more space between the vendors, and permitted Hodgins to sell more of his plants as opposed to just what he could transport to Shawville. Visitors were appreciative of the new venue’s perks, like grazing cows and Hodgins’s flock of peacocks.
Kidney walk brings in over $10K
The second iteration of the Kidney Walk in Pontiac was a go on May 24 as several small groups gathered to raise money for the Kidney Foundation of Canada. Despite public events being cancelled, the committee was able to plan for virtual and socially distant walks to support the cause. Three teams of four to five people walked a five-kilometre track around Sand Bay, while others who wished to participate did so in their own communities. Altogether, they raised over $10,000, the third largest amount out of 22 teams in the province, behind Montreal and Quebec City. They were also the first of the teams to reach their goal.
JUNE
“Big cowboy boots to fill”: Ann Taylor retires from the Printshop after 42 years
Ann Taylor worked at the Pontiac Printshop for 42 years, and retired as the general manager in late May. She started at the Printshop in 1978 as a maternity leave replacement and worked her way up the ladder. She loved the close-knit nature of the business and said she would miss working there. Those that had worked with her, whom she called family, know her for her great personality and strong work ethic, which is what they would miss most.
VJS committee inks deal with architects
Several members of the Villa James Shaw board met outside the parking lot of Giant Tiger in Shawville to safely celebrate the signing of a contract with an architect. Signing with the firm, Mercier Pfalzgraf, meant that the project for the new seniors’ home could advance to the planning and fundraising stages. “This project hasn’t stopped, this pandemic hasn’t slowed us down,” VJS President Ken Bernard said. “[It’s been] five and a half years in the works. We’re all very happy to have reached this milestone.”
Shawville holds vigil for George Floyd
Following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, members of the local clergy and some parishioners came together to protest police brutality. Participants stood on the sidewalk for eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence, the same amount of time a police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck. About a dozen people turned out for the last-minute vigil, which was used to highlight that “…we have some systemic racial issues in our own country,” Rev. Eric Morin said.
Rally in support of Énergie Davidson
The Davidson Sawmill saw more than 60 people gather outside its doors holding a rally in support of Énergie Davidson, a project that would restart the facility. By gaining the cutting rights for wood, the mill would be able to produce 9.5 megawatts of power. It would cost $65 million if the project was approved.
Sirens blared and trucks rolled by to celebrate the Pontiac’s most recent graduates. On June 12, vehicles of all kinds, some decorated, made their way down rue Leslie where friends and families of grads from St. John’s Elementary School cheered on the students as they were driven past. Shawville’s streets were filled with cheers, sirens and bells on June 19 to celebrate the Pontiac High School grads on their accomplishments. They rode from rue John Dale, around town and ended at the Shawville Fairgrounds for a group shot.
Graduates of Dr. S.E. McDowell School received a unique commencement ceremony on June 25 as teachers and staff loaded up a school bus and spent the day visiting each grade six student across the Pontiac. In total, 36 graduating students were visited and applauded outside of their homes, as school staff looked to make up for the absence of a regular graduation ceremony. “I saw a lot of happy faces,” said Maureen Levesque, who teaches grade six at McDowell. Students received a gift bag with personalized glasses, t-shirts, a painted rock and each child’s shiny diploma.
ESSC graduates
Despite COVID-19 changing everyone’s plans, École secondaire Sieur de Coulonge still managed to celebrate their graduating class on June 25 with a photo-op and some cupcakes. Vice Principal Gabie Paré was pleased with how the event was set up, adding that one student who helped out with decorations did a beautiful job. In the photo-op, graduates posed with the yard signs that were bought by the school for each student.
