Carole St-Aubin
Fort Coulonge Nov 17, 2021
Re-elected warden, Jane Toller says she is extremely grateful for the support that the people of the Pontiac have shown her, in trusting her to . . .
continue working on many projects.
Here are some of the issues at the foreground of her political agenda for her next term:
“I’ve always felt that it was very important to be involved in forestry again, because it is what built the Pontiac,” said Toller.
Seeing that 40 per cent of Outaouais’ forests are in the Pontiac, Toller feels we need to get involved in restoring the forestry industry.
“Prior to our mills closing in 2008 we had many people employed in forestry. And it’s not just the people working in the mills, it is the entire network of people who are out in the bush as well,” she said.
“Forestry built the Pontiac and our forests are growing back again. What I’ve been looking at with investors is new forms of forestry, green energy produced through forestry, and as many transformations as possible, which will lead to further employment in a sustainable way,” she elaborated.
Toller also spoke about the population boom that has been seen in all of the 18 municipalities, as a result of COVID-19.
“The need for construction and renovation has increased dramatically, and we do not have a sufficient number of contractors. There is currently a subdivision being built in Shawville at the moment and I was pleased to discover that all 18 of the municipalities have got a subdivision plan; they all have an area they have designated for future residential growth,” Toller said.
“Not only do we need materials, which could be provided locally, but we need the workers,” she added.
Toller said she has had conversations with someone from the high school in Mansfield in hopes of bringing back woodworking and construction, adding that it should also be brought to Pontiac High School in Shawville.
“Not only woodworking, I also want to bring trades back for two reasons. Firstly I think it will increase the population of that school, and secondly we need to encourage more people to go into the trade because there is great employment in this area,” said Toller.
She explained that along with Covid-19 causing delays in acquiring materials and work protocols; another reason for the delay of the construction was just not having enough carpenters.
Another venture Toller is passionate about is the Pontiac Aqua Gym that will be built beside the arena in Fort-Coulonge.
“This project has nothing to do with the municipalities, the funds for that will never be coming out of the pockets of taxpayers. I want to make that clear, because there were lots of rumors,” Toller told The Equity.
The Pontiac Pool non-profit organization is hoping to break ground on the indoor pool project as early as fall of 2022, according to Toller.
Next Toller talked about the cost of $1 million to bring our waste to the Lachute landfill site, which she feels is a hefty price tag for only 14,000 people.
She also wants to quell the rumours that were out there during her campaign by saying, “The MRC Pontiac will never build a landfill for municipal waste. I am 100 per cent opposed to landfill, to such an extent that I think we should stop taking our garbage to the Lachute.”
The council of mayors, she says, is currently looking at two different types of technology to generate energy from waste.
“But my biggest priority right now is to ensure that our hospital in Shawville remains strong, and that we reopen our obstetrics department. I do believe that women should not have to go to another province to have a baby. Pontiac babies should be born here,”
Finally, Toller believes that until the unfairness of nursing salaries (being $10 an hour less than in Ontario) it will be impossible to keep nurses here, but adds that her sources reassured her that it will be dealt with by the union by next summer.
