The sole public question submitted to the MRC was from a resident asking about whether the newly revised Transcollines bus route, line 910, would be amended to allow for a direct route from the Pontiac to Ottawa.

The resident explained that with the route now transferring onto Gatineau’s STO bus system instead of travelling directly through the city, the commute now takes nearly . . .

an hour just to get into Ottawa once they enter Alymer.

Toller said that she met with Benoit Legros of Transcollines, and he clarified that the revised route was planned in 2018 and there is currently no backup plan. She said that the connection through Gatineau should take 37 minutes at the most, and not 58 like the resident reported.

She noted that the new route’s price has been greatly reduced, and she added that Transcollines is hoping that the service will actually end up enticing people from the cities to travel to the Pontiac.

Campbell’s Bay mayor Maurice Beauregard provided additional context for the resident’s question, explaining that Transcollines is willing to be flexible when it comes to the timing of their route.

“She was saying that there was a 10 minute gap and they couldn’t make it to work and back on time,” he said. “They did tell us, Transcollines, that they’re willing to work with anybody who came [within] a 10-15 minute [time range], they could possibly change the time of the bus. They’re welcome to call them with their problems and they [can] work out a situation.”

Public and fire safety

The MRC’s Public Security Committee made its recommendations for the 2021-2022 fiscal year during the meeting, with MRC clerk Travis Ladoceur breaking down the two key priorities.

Those priorities are: (1) reducing property crimes, using targeted operations in areas determined by the municipalities in the form of a patrol in the targeted area for a 35-day cycle and (2) decreasing violations regarding to recreation and tourism safety, by using targeted operations in areas determined by the municipalities in the form of a patrol in the targeted area for a 35-day cycle.

The Fire Safety Committee also made a recommendation, asking that the MRC request for a partnership with Quebec’s national fire school to proceed with carrying out a multiplicity of training programs.

Both resolutions/recommendations were approved by the council.

Rapides des Joachims land transfer

Public land that exists on the island Municipality of Rapides des Joachims was approved for annexation from the province to the MRC, after being put forward in a resolution presented by Jason Durand, director of land use planning and environment.

The municipality had previously requested via a 2019 resolution that the “intra-municipal public lands located on the Island of Rapides des Joachims be included in the territorial management agreement of the MRC Pontiac.” according to the MRC resolution. The land was previously managed by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks.

Miscellaneous

The council passed a resolution concerning a study of the management of organic matter in the MRC Pontiac, presented by Durand.

The study, which will cost roughly $20,000, would help to identify how each municipality would need to manage its own organic material according to its needs.

An application to receive funding for the study from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities was submitted on Jan. 22. Through the FCM, the MRC can have 50 per cent of the study’s expenses reimbursed up to $175,000.

Economic development director Cyndy Phillips presented two recommendations from the investment committee to the council, and they were both approved.

One was to approve the extension of a grant until January 2022, and the other was to grant a subsidy of $10,000 for the start-up process of an unnamed business. Phillips clarified in an email to THE EQUITY that the name of the company is confidential information.

The council also approved a donation of $500 to Groupe Île du Grand Calumet for the purpose of supporting their advertising of 2021 activities in the municipality.

The main attraction of the group’s activities would be a car rally which is scheduled to be held on June 5. The money will be used to pay for advertising the car rally, and other activities, in local newspapers.

Phillips also introduced a resolution to the council that paved the way to hire consultant David Cyr to assist the MRC in the “attraction of investors and businesses, the development of a toolbox, and the elaboration of the economic profile of the territory,” according to the resolution.

The payments made to Cyr will be eligible for reimbursement through the provincial FARR funding program. The resolution was passed by the council.

The MRC purchased a piece of artwork to add to its collection at its office, paying the artist Nancy Dagenais $1,400 for her 16 x 48 inch acrylic painting titled “La Marche à Scott”.

“I have people who are experienced in forestry in the Pontiac who are doubting some of the files that are being brought forward by the warden, that they’re not viable, or that they’re not feasible,” he continued. “So that’s the feedback I’m getting, and I’d like to get more documentation on what’s happening there.”

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