Municipality of Pontiac throws business and tourism under the bus… again

July 20, 2021

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The Equity

Dear Editor,

The Curley Lake hand over has been in process for years. The problem is that it is the only artery this side of Route 303 to get to our neighbouring municipality of La Peche. By resolving to take the buy-out ($300,000) the municipality has foreclosed on any further negotiations with the NCC to create a link along the side of the Eardley-Masham Road. No more carrot and goodbye snowmobile club goodwill.

Now what? Snowmobiles will haul their machines to MRC Pontiac where they like and encourage business? They will join Pontiac Abattoir that moved to Clarendon when the MoP poo-papa-ed the iron will of Alain Lauzon who would have preferred to start the abattoir in this home municipality of Pontiac, and what of the PPJ which starts just over our western frontier in the Municipality of Bristol? Meanwhile, in MoP, the trail corridor was chunked and sold off so no one could use it except poachers. Quyon’s monthly market is the exclusive effort of a senior’s group.

In the last four years there have been more citizen’s kicked off all municipal consultative committees than invited to participate. You have to love representative government.

Oh and what about the community centre? Newly built in Quyon and never been kissed. It stands pristine on its unlandscaped footing… weddings were cancelled and events postponed … money to pay off the ridiculous amount of extra fees forked out for its completion (lawyers, consultants) does not seem to be on the agenda.

It feels like the municipality is not interested in having people stop along their way to the MRC Pontiac (aka Bristol and beyond). This 40 Km stretch of highway called the Municipality of Pontiac (from the edge of Aylmer to the beginning of Bristol) is just a drive through corridor with a couple big businesses, well maybe two or is that one? Other little businesses come and go, others keep their heads down and carry on serving their community with little or no support from the municipality.

We are just a sparse municipality but we have lots to offer if only the municipality would stop throwing business, agriculture and tourism under the bus.

Andrea Goffart

Beechgrove (Onslow), Que.

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