CALEB NICKERSON
THORNE July 29, 2020
Work to pave a section of Rte. 366 in Thorne has gotten underway, thanks to a grant of nearly $800,000 from the provincial government.
The section being refurbished stretches from between . . .
Rte. 301 and Rte. 303, and is a municipal road. In addition to paving the full stretch, there will be several culverts fixed as well.
Pontiac MNA André Fortin said he was pleased with the commencement of the work and said it has been a priority for the municipality for some time.
“We’re thrilled that the provincial government, through the transportation ministry, was able to help with the grant of close to $800,000,” he said. “A few years ago, the MTQ asked various MRCs to prioritize projects and to submit projects through the MRC to the MTQ, and one of the roads that was prioritized was the 366 in the Municipality of Thorne.”
Fortin said that he and Robert Bussière, the CAQ MNA for the neighbouring riding of Gatineau, have also been working on sprucing up the section of Rte. 366 that connects Ladysmith to Masham.
“That part of the 366 is provincial government road and it’s a project that needs quite a few expropriations before you can pave it, just to make sure that it is safe,” he said. “In my mind it’s one of the priority projects for the area but it does fall outside of the Ponitac per se, so I’ve been working with Robert Bussière, who’s the MNA … for the La Pêche area, to try and get this project prioritized by the MTQ.”
“We don’t have any concrete confirmation that this is working ahead, but we have had a number of discussions with people at the regional and ministerial level about it, and I think, both from the point of view of a government MNA and an opposition MNA, we’ve sent very positive signals that this is one of our priority projects,” he added.
He concluded by emphasizing how important the east/west artery is to local residents, cottagers and businesses.
“The part of the road that’s municipal and is being paved is important because it gives access for Ladysmith residents to everything west, whether it’s Campbell’s Bay, Fort Coulonge or Pembroke and so on,” he said. “The part of the 366 that is MTQ jurisdiction is really one of the access points of the Pontiac. Using that road and having a serviceable and well-maintained road in that area is something that could help foster growth in Thorne.”
