September
Shawville Fair back in full force
The 165th Shawville Fair was grand, with huge crowds and a many activities to see during the five days of festivities. These included the classic truck and tractor pulls, animal shows, exhibits, live entertainment, a variety of food vendors, carnival rides, the beer tent and more. Ominous clouds brought a brief downpour, forcing attendees to run for shelter on Saturday afternoon, but the party continued as soon as the skies cleared.
Shawville 4-H auction raises thousands for members
On the night of Sept. 4, the Shawville Fair saw the long anticipated 4-H Market Steer and Lamb Auction in the outdoor showpen at the back of the fairgrounds. In front of the packed bleachers, nine 4-H members of a diverse age range presented their award winning steers and lambs for auction.
All of the animals up for auction had won awards during the 4-H Market Steer and Lamb Show on the Friday morning.
Overall it was a great evening for those presenting their animals. Participants said they planned to use the proceeds of the sales to fund their education, expand their herds and donate to charity.
The five steers sold at the auction averaged $8.05 per pound meaning that the average amount raised per was $9,948 per member. The lambs averaged $40.75 per pound, and each of the four lambs sold averaged $3,812.25.
Ron Sparling honoured
Long time Shawville Fair talent booker Ron Sparling was honoured on Sunday afternoon of the fair for his long career of bringing top-notch entertainment to the event’s stages.
The fair board took the stage between sets by local performers to present Sparling with a plaque for his many years of service.
“I did what I did but really the directors and volunteers are the ones who should take the credit for the way the fair has been built over the last 25-30 years. They take the chance to spend the money even when maybe you’re looking at rain, that tested you a bit last night,” joked Sparling about the threat that Saturday nights’ act, Aaron Goodvin, was going to be rained out, which luckily did not happen.
Provincial candidates take questions at forum
The CHIP 10.9 FM radio station held a candidates’ forum at the Pontiac Conference Centre in Fort-Coulonge on Sept 13. Five candidates running to represent the Pontiac in the provincial election scheduled for early October attended the bilingual event, including Québec solidaire (QS) candidate Mike Owen Sebagenzi, incumbent Liberal Party of Quebec (QLP) MNA André Fortin, Conservative Party of Quebec (CPQ) candidate Terrence Watters, CAQ candidate Corinne Canuel-Jolicœur and Green Party of Quebec (GPQ) candidate Pierre Cyr.
Topics discussed at the forum included the economy, healthcare, education, Bill 96 and more.
Pontiac reacts to Queen’s death
Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Sept. 8. She was the longest reigning monarch in British history. Many groups across the Pontiac expressed public mourning of her death, including the MRC, the Anglican Church and the Orange Lodge in Shawville.
The Fair comes to the Manoir
Les Ami(e)s du Manoir St-Joseph held its annual Fair Day for the residents On Sept. 16. This involved various activities, the highlight of which was volunteers from the 4-H club bringing out some animals to spend time with the residents.
A recent Covid-19 outbreak at the home caused the residents to completely miss the Shawville Fair, so staff did their best to bring the fair to them.
“We did exhibits where some of them put up their quilts for display, we had games, we had fair food like homemade Beavertails and ended with the 4-H coming and showing off their animals,” said Charleen Moore, a personal support worker and activity coordinator at the home.
PQ candidate talks to THE EQUITY
Jolaine Paradis-Châteauneuf stopped by THE EQUITY office to discuss her paltform as Parti Québécois (PQ) candidate for the riding of Pontiac.
Paradis-Châteauneuf is a social worker with the CISSSO in Gatineau. Her work involves providing services to youth and her involvement in her union, the Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux, both influenced her decision to get involved in politics.
Paradis-Châteauneuf said one of the reasons that pushed her to run in this election was the need she saw for a spokesperson for healthcare and social workers in the area.
“The fight to defend the rights of the population that is more vulnerable is important for me,” said Paradis-Châteauneuf.
Shawville dental office closes its doors
Centre Dentaire Shawville, the only dental practice based in Shawville, closed its doors on September 29.
The dentist, Dr. Mohamed-Aban Al-Khatib, is being transferred to Aylmer while the eight staff members are losing their jobs, according to a staff member within the office who wishes to remain anonymous.
According to that same staff member, the private company that operates Centre Dentaire Shawville, Clareo, made the decision due to rising expenses and a shortage of dentists at their Aylmer location. Patients are being told it was a “business decision by Clareo.”
Conversation with the Candidates hosted by THE EQUITY
THE EQUITY held a Conversation with the Candidates at the Little Red Wagon Winery. The event was structured to encourage candidates running to represent the Pontiac in the October provincial election to engage with each other in open and honest conversation around central issues for the riding. Topics included rural economic development, Bill 96 and Bill 21, rural healthcare in the Pontiac and climate change and the environment.
The conversation featured Will Twolan of the Canadian Party of Quebec (CaPQ), Terrence Watters of the Conservative Party of Quebec, Pierre Cyr of the Green Party of Quebec, André Fortin of the Quebec Liberal Party (QLP) and Mike Owen Sebagenzie of Québec solidaire (QS). Both Corrine Canuel-Jolicoeur of the CAQ and Jolaine Paradis-Phâteauneuf of the Parti Québécois were invited but did not attend.
The five attendees were given a chance to introduce themselves, followed by four 20 minute segments where they talked about some of the issues of the campaign. At the end they were given a chance to give concluding remarks.
The topics discussed at the event included You can watch the full debate for free at theequity.ca or on THE EQUITY’s Facebook page.
New initiative to supply healthcare institutions with local food
The health authority for Outaouais announced a new program that aims to source more food supplies from local and provincial producers to feed the painents of local facilities.
CISSSO made the announcement at a press event on Sept. 23 at the CHSLD du Pontiac in Shawville.
“Today is the first day in the Outaouais that we’re actually using products from the region,” said Joanne Dubois, CISSSO’s coordinator of all the food services in the Outaouais region.
“Forty nine per cent of our menu in our 21 food services is sourced from Aliments du Québec, so it’s all Quebec products that we use in our recipes. Next year we’re aiming 54 per cent,” said Dubois.
The event showcased various foods that are all or in part made with local products.
“We have cream of apple and turnips, where the apples come from Coronation Hall in Bristol, “ said Dubois. “The veal stew is from the Viande Du Pontiac. We bought everything there. So everybody at the hospital here and at the manoir is eating local today.”
October
Results of the 2022 Quebec Election in Pontiac
André Fortin of the QLP held onto the riding of Pontiac with 43.8 per cent of the vote and was the only Liberal candidate to do so outside the Montreal area on Oct. 3 election.
In second place came Corinne Canuel-Jolicoeur of the CAQ with 24.9 per cent of the vote.
In third place came the CPQ candidate Terrence Watters with 11 per cent of the vote.
In fourth came the QS candidate Mike Owen Sebagenzi with 10.2 per cent of the vote.
In fifth place came the PQ candidate with 6.1 per cent of the vote.
In sixth came Pierre Cyr of Quebec Green Party with 2.2 per cent of the vote and in seventh came Will Twolan of the Canadian Party with 1.8 per cent of the vote .
Oktoberfest Ladysmith returns after two year hiatus
Oktoberfest Ladysmith, the annual celebration of German heritage in the Pontiac, was held in Thorne the first weekend of October.
The event included a parade, various musical performances, vendors, German cultural activities like dancing, a horse shoe tournament and plenty of German food.
“We have planned a little smaller event this year. We had less volunteers and it wasn’t really economical to have a truck pull,” explained Lorraine Bretzlaff, president of Oktoberfest Ladysmith.
However despite the downsized event, Bretzlaff was impressed with the turn out.
“I’m surprised it’s going very well. We didn’t expect to have as many attendees because of the truck pull not being here. But so far it’s been very good,” said Bretzlaff, saying that attendees were enjoying the atmosphere and food.
Fibre Optic internet deadline missed for many in the Pontiac
The company Xplore, which recently changed its name from Xplornet, was contracted to build out the infrastructure in the region. Xplornet received $57.5 million to connect 15,310 households in the region last year from funds sourced from both the provincial and federal government and is working on fiber-to-home infrastructure in every community between Waltham and the Municipality of Pontiac.
The deadline for the work to be done was set to be September 30 by the CAQ government.
“A month ago, we were advised that it was pushed to November 30,” said Terry Lafleur, mayor of Otter Lake. “And now it’s the last quarter according to an email from the vice president[of Xplore] the other day, saying it’d be the last quarter of 2022, which I guess is December 30.”
Bryson Catholic Parish celebrates 75 years
The Church of the Immaculate Conception, the Catholic parish in Bryson, marked its 75th anniversary in 2022.
The church was full of parishioners to hear a mass from the bishop of the Pembroke diocese.
The history of Catholic church in the area stretches back to folklore surrounding Jean Cadieux, a fur trader who is said to have died after a battle with the Iroquois near the the present day Bryson Power Plant, on L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet in 1709.
Scandiffio missing
The search continued for Michael Scandiffio. Scandiffio, 57 has been missing since October 1 after he left Ladysmith Oktoberfest. He was supposed to be going in the direction of Otter Lake, traveling in a black 2017 Ford Escape vehicle with Ontario licence plate number BNXP701, according to a press release from Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
The press release also detailed the actions undertaken by SQ officers in the MRC Pontiac which include: ground searches, door-to-door canvassing, an air search conducted by a helicopter and the verification of surveillance videos.
He remains missing.
Maurice Beauregard, the mayor of Campbell’s Bay, passes away
Maurice Beauregard, the mayor of Campbell’s Bay passed away on Oct. 15 after a battle with cancer.
Beauregard was the mayor of Campbell’s Bay since 2017 and prior to that served as councillor since 2013.
Beauregard also served as a Lieutenant firefighter for the Campbell’s Bay and Litchfield Fire Department for over 15 years.
MRCs come together to protect white-tailed deer
The MRCs Pontiac, Vallée de la Gatineau and Antoine-Labelle are working together in order to protect white-tailed deer populations across the three regions.
The joint initiative was announced in a press conference in Gracefield on Oct. 18.
The goal of the three regions is to: “promote and defend sound management of wildlife activities in order to ensure the future of hunting activities in Quebec,” according to the press release accompanying the announcement.
The efforts of the three MRCs centre on encouraging hunters to avoid the hunting of young male white-tailed deer through both an educational campaign and proposed legal restrictions.
10,000 trees planted in former hay field
A major reforestation effort wrapped up on Oct. 22. Volunteers converged on a former organic farm in Luskville to plant 10,000 trees as part of a reforestation effort.
The land, which is located on the Eardley Escarpment in the Pontiac, was donated to the ACRE (Action Chelsea for the Respect of the Environment) Land Trust by Debbie and Ken Rubin and therefore will be named Place Eco Rubin.
ACRE is a land trust working to conserve important lands external to Gatineau Park so that the park can remain ecologically connected with the surrounding area.
The main purpose of the nature reserve is to provide a habitat for Golden-winged warblers, which is a species of bird that is native to the region.
November
Annual police report shines light on local crime in the region
Every year the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) police report gives a comprehensive view of police activity in the region.
Some of the highlights in the report include the increased number of car accidents, drinking and driving charges and the number of calls overall that ended up at the police station.
“We did notice that there’s obviously more activity following a year where in the previous report, the average number of activities or fines that were given out were quite low, just based on the fact that covid had a big impact on that. So what we saw in this report was sort of an uptick from 2020 that increased back to either normal or average rates, with some of them going over the average rates,” said Julien Gagnon, fire and public safety coordinator at the MRC.
Bristol Dryland Championship returns to Pontiac
The 12th edition of the Bristol Dryland Championship was held at Timberland Farms on the last weekend of October. The dog race competition drew over 200 teams from across Canada, the US and from as far away as France.
The race was to determine who would be the Canadian champion and qualify contestants for the world dryland championships in 2023, according to Denis Rozon, the organizer of the race.
The races held over two days were broken down into various categories ranging from someone with running a dog, called canicross, to competitors being pulled by one dog on either a bike or a scooter, to competitors being pulled on cart by either four or six dogs, all on a trail that reaches up to 6.4 km.
“Bristol Dryland is the biggest in the world. That’s where the professionals are,” said Rozon about the quality of the athletes at the event.
Xavier Lusignan wins gold at Pan-Am Junior weightlifting competition
Competing in his third international competition, 19-year-old Mansfield-et-Pontefract resident Xavier Lusignan took home the gold at the Pan-Am Junior weightlifting competition which took place in Peru on October 21.
“Once we got there, I mean, all the stars aligned perfectly. I had some good sleep and some good food, and on the day of the competition, I woke up and told myself that specific day I wasn’t accepting second place. So I started warming up in the back room, and we felt really good. And I managed to put on the best performance of my career so far,” said Lusignan.
Staff shake up at the MRC
The first week of November saw two major senior staff changes at the MRC Pontiac.
It was announced that Bernard Roy, director general (DG) of the MRC Pontiac, resigned from his position on November 4, 2022.
After a unanimous vote during a special sitting of the MRC Pontiac Council of Mayors on Nov. 10, Kim Lesage was appointed to be the interim DG.
Lesage, a trained civil engineer, who currently holds the position as director of engineering and infrastructure at the MRC, will now also fulfill the duties of DG until a permanent replacement is hired to replace Bernard Roy
The MRC also announced the hiring of a new director of economic development for the MRC Pontiac, which was announced at an extraordinary sitting of the Council of Mayors on November 7.
The Council of Mayors voted unanimously to hire Guillaume Boudreau, who previously served as the assistant-director of the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario.
According to a press release announcing Boudreau hiring, he has “more than 14 years of experience in human resources management, finance and project development as well as a background of work experience in the environment, entrepreneurship and school management.”
PHS graduation
Walking into the gym to the classic graduation song Pomp and Circumstance, the 42 graduating students of Pontiac High School’s (PHS) class of 2022 celebrated their graduation ceremony on the night of Nov. 5 in the high school’s gym.
The young adults received their diplomas, heard speeches, received various awards and bursaries, as all their friends and families looked on.
Man shot in Luskville
A shooting in Luskville left one man injured and another arrested. After receiving a call on Nov. 8 around 12:43 p.m. MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais police were called to go to a residence on chemin Smith-Leonard after reports of a shooting.
The man who got shot was then taken to the hospital with no life-threatening injuries, according to the police report.
MRC strike
Members of the Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ) at the MRC Pontiac went on strike on November 23. The move came after the two parties failed to agree to a new contract during negotiations after the previous collective agreement expired at the end of December 2021.
MRC Pontiac union voted for the implementation of heavy pressure tactics on October 27.
“What the employer is proposing is completely disconnected from the reality of the labour market, rising inflation and labour shortages. After almost a year of negotiation, this first day of strike will be an opportunity for the employer to realize that the patience of our members has reached limits. The workers of the MRC Pontiac are simply demanding fair working conditions. Our members are ready to go all the way to get a decent salary,” said Michel Girard, Regional President of the SFPQ.
SQ launch drug raid on Allumette Island
The Campbell’s Bay office of the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) announced that they arrested a 48-year-old man on Nov. 23 in relation to a narcotics search on L’Isle-Aux-Allumettes.
The man was released and is due at the Campbell’s Bay courthouse, where he could face charges of drug trafficking, firman offences, obstruction and charges under the Tobacco Tax Act, according to the press release.
The SQ claims that during a search of a residence on Hwy 148 on Allumettes Island they seized 300 oxycontin tablets, methamphetamine tablets, two prohibited weapons and 600 contraband cigarettes.
Sieur-de-Coulonge High School Graduation
A special gala was organized on the afternoon of Nov. 26 at the École secondaire Sieur-de-Coulonge in Mansfield-et-Pontefract for the graduation of a total of 40 students. The host of the event, Jean Ouellet, recognized all of the students’ efforts since kindergarten, though especially in the last two years with the interruption caused by COVID-19 restrictions. Ouellet also took the time to recognize all the good work from the teachers and school personnel that helped this group to graduate.
Former Shawville Mayor has passed away
Former Shawville Mayor, Sandra Murray, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022.
Murray served as Shawville’s first female mayor for two terms before retiring in 2021 due to health reasons.
Prior to her time as mayor she served several years on Shawville’s council.
Murray had worked many years at the Pontiac Community Hospital but also volunteered her time in many local organizations including the Shawville Lionettes and Shawville United Church Women Unit 6, among others.
Controversial Quad Club AGM
The Pontiac Quad Club held its annual general meeting (AGM) on Nov. 21 The AGM was attended by about 40 people and saw a controversial revision to the club’s bylaws and a contested leadership election, which saw 11 people run for four open seats on the executive.
The controversy in the club, whose purpose is to maintain and expand trails accessible to four wheelers in both the MRC Pontiac and Municipality of Pontiac, revolved around accusations of trails disappearing, the mismanagement of the club and the rules governing the club’s executive.
December
Vinton dancer wins season 4 of Révolution
Local dancer, Marie-Josée Corriveau, of Vinton, along with her dance partner, Jason Morel, competed in the finale of the hit TV show Révolution on Dec. 4, and were crowned the winners, bringing home $100,000.
Fish Findlay Classic back in Shawville
The Fish Findlay Classic, an annual three on three hockey tournament held at the Shawville Arena returned after a two year covid hiatus. The tournament ran from Friday to Sunday, with all the money raised going towards Shawville Minor Hockey.
Sixteen teams from the Pontiac and beyond competed in the two divisions, with six in the A division and 10 in the B division.
Residents concerned over zoning modification in Mansfield
During the Nov. 23 public MRC meeting, a group of residents of Mansfield-et-Pontefract, as well as members of the municipal council from Mansfield-et-Pontefract filled the usually empty public seating at the MRC’s public meeting over a vote to approve a modification of zoning for lots which will allow for the construction of multiple houses in a lot without subdividing it.
Concerned residents attended the meeting to ask questions to Mansfield’s Mayor Sandra Armstrong and Council of Mayors concerning its approval at both the municipality and MRC level, and saw some tense exchanges between the mayor and the residents. However ultimately the modification was approved unanimously by the council, affirming the unanimous support it received from Mansfield’s council.
Fire displaces three buinesses and one tenant in Shawville
A fire in the garage at Bristol Auto Performance in Shawville has closed down three businesses. The Shawville location of Bristol Auto Performance, Loft de Yoga and Peggy’s Shoppe de Barbier are all closed until the building can either be repaired or rebuilt.
The fire was discovered late at about 10:40 p.m. by a tenant in the building, who proceeded to call 911 and safely evacuate with his dog. No one was injured in the fire.
Over 20 firefighters from the Shawville and surrounding municipalities fire departments arrived on the scene to fight out the fire, according to Shawville-Clarendon Fire Chief Lee Laframboise.
Bristol man arrested in Shawville
On Dec. 7, police officers from the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), were advised that a person sought under several arrest warrants was traveling in a vehicle on Hwy 148, according to a press release from the SQ.
The police located the vehicle around 6:30 p.m., in the Shawville area.
After verifying his identity, the police arrested the passenger, a 41-year-old man from Bristol who was wanted on seven arrest warrants issued in Ontario.
Pontiac hospital being braced for more respiratory illnesses
The CISSSO said hospitals around the region received training to handle a growing number of cases of pediatric respiratory illness.
In response to rumours that the Pontiac Hospital was being prepared for an influx of pediatric patients coming from Gatineau and Ottawa as Gatineau hospitals hit capacity, THE EQUITY asked for comment from the CISSSO, the governing body of hospitals in the Outaouais.
“All emergency teams, both in the periphery and in the city, are receiving training to deal with pediatric patients in our emergency rooms. This upgrading is to respond to the increased traffic of this clientele who present respiratory symptoms. The peripheries are not targeted to receive pediatric cases in their care unit. Clients 16 years of age and older will be evaluated if they require hospitalization. It is mostly on a case by case basis,” wrote Patricia Rhéaume, communications person at the CISSSO.
This comes as hospitals dealt with a triple threat of a spike in COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Public library in Fort-Coulonge is closed
As of Dec. 3, the public library in Fort-Coulonge is closed after 55 years of service. The municipal council has been considering the option for the last five to six years.
Christine Francoeur, Fort-Coulonge mayor, told THE EQUITY that this was not an easy decision to take.
The cost of the public library, which was part of Réseau Biblio Outaouais, was around $38,000 annually, with service being used by roughly five per cent of the town’s population. The internet services were actually more popular than the library itself, according to Francouer.
Lise Romain, the councillor responsible for the library in council, voted against the proposal. Romain mentioned that COVID-19 restrictions didn’t help the situation and that the level of frequentation was low.
Six-year-old girl beats cancer after two-and-half year fight
Delilah Telford-Hodgins, a six-year-old girl from Otter Lake who over the past two and half years has been fighting leukemia, has the rung bell, signaling the end of her weekly chemotherapy treatments.
In June 2020 Delilah was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a type of cancer that affects the stem cells that become white blood cells, and has been in remission after the first month of treatment.
After two years and a half of commuting from Otter Lake to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in Ottawa for treatments, Delilah’s last day of chemotherapy was Oct. 15 then she rang the bell Nov. 10.
Deal reached between SFPQ and MRC Pontiac
Eighty nine per cent of the members of the MRC Pontiac branch of Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ) voted to accept an agreement in principle with the MRC’s management on December 5.
The agreement gives unionized MRC employees a salary increase of 14.75 per cent over five years, which is up from an offer that would have provided a 13.25 per cent increase over five years with 2 statutory holidays, according to Michel Girard, Regional President of the SFPQ.
The employees chose a higher pay increase over the two annual statutory holidays, which would have been family day and the employee’s birthday, according to Girard.
The pay increase will be regressively applied over the fives and breaks down as follows: 4 per cent in 2022, 3 per cent in 2023, 3 per cent in 2024, 2.5 per cent in 2025 and 2.25 per cent in 2026.
