Jorge Maria
Municipality of Pontiac July 14, 2021
A long simmering dispute between the Municipality of Pontiac (MoP), the Pontiac Snowmobile Drivers Association (PSDA) and the National Capital Commission (NCC) looks set to come to a close over the next few weeks.
Ownership of Curley Lake road has long been in dispute, and as such, who had ultimate responsibility for it became a major bone of contention. Labadie said that finally in late 2020 after seeking advice from their lawyers, a final agreement was settled. The agreement would cede full control of the road to the NCC for which the municipality would be compensated.
During the municipality’s council meeting on July 6, the council passed a resolution by a majority to accept an agreement with the NCC which will finally settle the dispute. District 4 councillor, Scott McDonald was the only member to vote no.
McDonald said his primary concern was the lack of alternate route. “We had an original agreement to accommodate snowmobilers,” he said. “I’m really uneasy with the whole thing.”
Anger and frustration first boiled over during the summer of 2018 after the PSDA got wind of the planned closure. Toxic comments online, largely directed at the MoP and its mayor Joanne Labadie, became so concerning that the mayor asked the police service to attend the municipality’s council meeting in July 2018 where the road closure would be discussed.
Since Gatineau park trails are closed to all motorized vehicles, the track was a much used access point for snowmobilers wishing to access the main trails to the north.
According to McDonald, the trail has been used for four or five decades. Quebec has a massive network of snowmobile trails and the road’s closure would effectively cut off PSDA members from large swaths of the network.
The compensation package is $300,000, McDonald noted.
For the municipality to reach any agreement exceeding $100,000, it must seek final approval from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, which is expected in the coming weeks.
