Dear Editor

I am writing to address the concerns expressed by Lawrence Stafford about the number of “semi ’s loaded to the hilt” carrying timber to Mont Laurier. Everyone shares this frustration including myself as I see the trucks turning up the 301 outside of my MRC office. 

I want to provide an update and without making promises, provide positive information. The Pontiac has come a long way in four years. The Pontiac is now being spoken of regularly in Quebec City as a region which can return to forestry. With the closure of Fortress in 2019 and the resulting crisis caused by the build-up of biomass in the Outaouais, I have recognized the need and synergies to have the Pontiac open for business with re-opened mills. This is because we have forty per cent of the forest in the Outaouais and with the present cutting activity we need to provide transformations and employment here to lessen the need for trucking to remote destinations. This saves government grants and lowers the carbon footprint.

Mr. Stafford refers to four former mill sites. The first near Shawville owned by Maibec, has been recently listed for sale (which our Economic Development department is well aware of) to now be available for some new use. I have worked for these past four years on the other three mill sites. Rapides des Joachims (Commonwealth Plywood) has a business plan to re-open with the provincial government and are waiting for news on that. Energie Davidson has also submitted a great plan and it is also being considered. Lastly I have been involved with three recent tours at the Jovalco Mill of interested forestry investors. I also spent a Saturday cleaning the mill with two other men. The MFFP are aware of all of these projects and have told me that if one mill opens they all can.

This summer, the MRC Pontiac has been involved in sylviculture such as contracting the Groupment Foresterie and their employees, to do site preparation, tree planting and non-commercial thinning of our forests. The MRC Pontiac is hiring a regional firm from the Outaouais who will help us prioritize our forestry action plan. This plan includes more harvesting on private lands, as well as the possibility of a community forest and a forestry school. 

When all of the mills closed and it was said that forestry was dead in the Pontiac, it takes time to get back on our feet. We now have the support and respect of the MFFP and the MEI and Pontiac will be involved again. What we need is to have the man/woman power in place with experience and the equipment to do the work. We also have the interest of the mills in Renfrew County to process their biomass as well as the Algonquin Forestry Association. Stay tuned and never lose hope.

Jane Toller, Warden

MRC Pontiac