CHRIS LOWREY
SHAWVILLE Oct. 12, 2017
The Equity hosted a debate for the first ever general-suffrage election of a Pontiac warden on Oct. 12 at Pontiac High School.
If the packed house was any indication, it seems that residents are intrigued with the chance to elect their warden for the first time and listen to the candidates.
The night started with each candidate giving a two-minute opening statement. The candidates were asked a total of seven questions throughout the night, which they had to respond to in 90 seconds.
After the candidates had answered each question, a rebuttal period was opened up to allow them to expand on their answers or respond to a fellow candidate.
After the question-and-answer session, each candidate had two minutes to sell themselves to the voters in attendance one last time.

Here is a breakdown of the debate:
Question 1: MRC Pontiac is one of the poorest in Quebec. What measures will you take to attract more employment opportunities to the Pontiac?
Raymond Durocher: “We forget too often to look at our advantages,” the current MRC warden said. He pointed to the major sectors in the Pontiac like tourism, agriculture and forestry that show what the region has to offer when it comes to expertise.
Pierre Fréchette: The former Calumet Island mayor said it’s important to work in partnership with existing businesses in the Pontiac. He wants to look for opportunities to renew sectors in the region and look at emerging ones like green energy, call centres and research centres.
Linda Davis: The former councillor in the Regional Municipality of Ottawa Carleton said it’s important to support those who work outside of the MRC. She pointed to the poor condition of Hwy. 148 as a burden to those who commute to the city every day. “If any of you have driven it, it’s a monster these days.”
Jane Toller: The Fort Coulonge entrepreneur wants to work with existing entrepreneurs in the region. She also said that Renfrew County has explored the potential of partnering with the MRC for a new pulp mill. Toller also mentioned relaxing existing regulations to make it easier for farmers to start working in the area.
Charlotte L’Écuyer: The former MNA for Pontiac pointed to the importance of attracting doctors to the region. She said that the MRC should establish a greeting committee for new doctors to help them find schools and neighbourhoods when they are settling into the community. She also pointed to greenhouse production and asked why there can’t be more greenhouses in the region.
Question 2: When it comes to the Near Surface Disposal Facility at the Chalk River Nuclear Plant, what concerns you most about the project, if anything?
Pierre Fréchette: Fréchette said that it’s important to make an informed decision. With that in mind, the MRC still needs more information when it comes to the project. He said he’s looking forward to the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories’ response that is due out in July.
Linda Davis: Davis said she supported the decision of the MRC to oppose the project in principle. She also said she would like to see an independent report on the site. Additionally, Davis said she wants to partner with other municipalities downriver and see the MRC’s plan for an emergency response strategy.
Jane Toller: Toller responded by saying that she’s concerned about the landfill-nature of the disposal site. She also said that people in the Pontiac have long been concerned with the water quality of the Ottawa River.
Charlotte L’Écuyer: L’Écuyer pointed to the need for an independent evaluation of the site. She also said that Pontiac could be a leader for other municipalities by warning them of potential harm caused to the waterway.
Raymond Durocher: Durocher said one of the main concerns about Pontiac waterways is the fact that cadmium has been found in many of them in the region. He also said that we can’t rely on the technology of today for the next 150 years to safeguard the river.
Question 3: What are your views on the economic potential of tourism for the Pontiac; what are the opportunities to be seized and what are the challenges to be overcome?
Linda Davis: Davis said there needs to be a closer relationship between municipalities in the MRC when it comes to co-ordination. She said that the MRC could create a website dedicated to tourism in the region.
Jane Toller: Toller said that the Pontiac could become a leader in the field of adventure tourism. She also said that the Pontiac should have a separate tourism fund from Tourism Outaouais because “all the money gets spent in Gatineau.”
Charlotte L’Écuyer: L’Écuyer also emphasized the importance of coordination between municipalities. She pointed to the Stone School Gallery in Portage du Fort as an asset in the Pontiac that could be used as a full-time art school.
Raymond Durocher: Durocher said that the MRC needs to do a better job targeting the people who live in the Pontiac when it comes to tourist options. He also said that the MRC has done work in Gatineau by pointing to an advertising campaign with the STO in Gatineau.
Pierre Fréchette: Fréchette said that the MRC could arrange a calendar to help different municipalities coordinate tourism events. He also said that there is a partnership opportunity between the MRC and the tourism program offered by La Commission scolaire des Hauts-Bois-de-l’Outaouais (CSHBO).
Question 4: With more than 122 council seats throughout the Pontiac, would any of you support amalgamation initiatives if residents expressed interest in it?
Jane Toller: Toller started by saying that the Pontiac needs stability right now but suggested that if residents expressed interest, she would support the idea if it saved money and avoids duplication.
Charlotte L’Écuyer: L’Écuyer pointed to regions that have amalgamated and noted the fact that the municipalities didn’t lose their identity. She also said that amalgamations are a municipal issue.
Raymond Durocher: Durocher said that the driving force behind amalgamations has to be the municipalities and not the MRC. He also said that there are ways the province can assist and said he supports amalgamations if they result in a more efficient municipality.
Pierre Fréchette: Fréchette said that amalgamations need to be done for the right reasons like improving services. However, he also stressed the fact that they are a municipal decision and the MRC can’t impose amalgamation.
Linda Davis: Davis started by saying that it would be tough for politicians to gauge interest in the community when it comes to amalgamation. She also said that perhaps it’s something that needs to be looked at.
Question 5: What is your vision for the PPJ and what role should it play in tourism development?
Charlotte L’Écuyer: L’Écuyer started by saying the PPJ has to remain as a cycling trail. She said the municipality has to aggressively push the idea of extending the PPJ to Aylmer
Raymond Durocher: Durocher said that cycling is a growing tourism market and the PPJ is a great asset for the Pontiac. Durocher also said he was against the idea of using motorized vehicles like ATV’s on the PPJ because of safety concerns.
Pierre Fréchette: Fréchette pointed to the fact that parts of the stretch where the PPJ could be extended have been bought by private land owners. He said that although he’d be open to exploring the potential for snowmobiles to use the path, it is funded and recognized as a cycling path.
Linda Davis: Davis said she is open to a multi-use for the pathway but more information is needed. She noted that the MRC could look into renting out portions of the path at certain times to different groups.
Jane Toller: Toller said she has an open mind when it comes to motorized vehicles on the PPJ and said she`d ask each mayor to hold a town hall on the subject. She also said that a partnership with Renfrew could increase the tourism money flowing into the Pontiac.
Question 6: Some residents have complained that different geographic regions in the Pontiac don’t get the same attention, time and effort as others. Is this a real problem and how would you address it?
Linda Davis: Davis said that the size of different municipalities has an impact on their services. She said the issue is mainly a reflection of the varying size of the tax base in each municipality.
Jane Toller: Toller said that she will be spending more time in the Pontiac than Quebec City and pointed to isolated communities like Alleyn et Cawood. She also said she wants each mayor to give her their top three priorities.
Charlotte L’Écuyer: L’Écuyer said the fact that the Pontiac is a sparsely populated area can leave gaps in services. She pointed to the fact that some firefighters in isolated communities can lose communications as an issue that needs to be fixed.
Raymond Durocher: Durocher said that being in Quebec City is an important part of the job because decisions and details are made there. He said that excessive provincial regulations like expensive water filtration systems can impact smaller municipalities.
Pierre Fréchette: Fréchette said that the mayors of the municipalities need to have the pulse of their communities and bring concerns to the MRC. He also said the massive size of the Pontiac and the relatively low population make it difficult for allocating resources.
Question 7: Communications infrastructure is a hot button issue in the Pontiac — from unreliable land lines to spotty cell service and slow internet speeds – what will you do to improve communications infrastructure in the Pontiac?
Raymond Durocher: Durocher said that internet and cell service is a high priority when it comes to attracting employment. He also said he wants to see redundancy in the infrastructure in the Pontiac, where one line going down can cut service to the entire region.
Pierre Fréchette: Fréchette said that putting pressure on the big telecommunications companies is difficult because the MRC is a relatively small market. He said he would ask the federal government to put pressure on these companies to improve services.
Linda Davis: Davis said that the telecommunications companies have used inadequate infrastructure to support the demand in the Pontiac. She said residents need to focus their complaints with the CRTC who enforce consumer protection provisions.
Jane Toller: Toller said that the five telecom failures in nine years in the Pontiac demonstrate that the service is inadequate. She also said that the service gaps need to be identified before laying new cable.
Charlotte L’Écuyer: L’Écuyer said that the MRC and consumers need to hold telecom companies to account, especially when it comes to holding them to deadlines. She also said that the companies need more continuity so that residents aren’t constantly explaining their situation to a new person.