Already feeling nostalgic for last year? Well you’re in luck, as here begins THE EQUITY’s 2024 Year in Review. Over the next four issues, we’ll take some time to look back on some of last year’s most memorable Pontiac stories.
January
Litchfield native finalist in French dance competition
Litchfield native Marie-Josée Corriveau and her dance partner Jason Morel reached the final round of the French TV talent show, La France a un incroyable talent. Corriveau, whose family owns the Pontiac’s Corriveau School of Dance, has been dancing since the age of four and in 2022 won Canadian dance competition Révolution with Morel. In their audition for the French talent show, the judges awarded the pair a “golden buzzer” for their performance, meaning they qualified automatically for the show’s semi-finals. “It was really, really cool,” said Corriveau about the experience.
Mansfield library reopens
The Mansfield and Pontefract public library officially reopened its doors after relocating from the George Bryson Heritage House to the nearby Dagenais House. Although the library had never fully closed, its books were temporarily packed away to make room for the Bryson House Museum, with materials available upon request.
Campbell’s Bay-Litchfield fire department completes Jaws of Life
The Campbell’s Bay/Litchfield Fire Department was fully equipped with a complete set of hydraulic rescue tools, thanks to a fundraising effort led by local resident Charleen Moore. The department had been missing one component, the Ram, from their four-piece set, but Moore’s online auction fundraiser in Dec. 2023 raised the necessary funds to purchase it.
Feds approve nuclear waste disposal facility
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission approved the construction of a disposal facility for radioactive waste at the site of the nuclear research station in Deep River, Ont. Canadian Nuclear Laboratories said the facility will be used to dispose of radioactive waste created by decades of nuclear research at the site. The approval came after several public hearings where dozens of groups, including municipalities, First Nations and environmental groups expressed significant concerns regarding the proximity of the site to the Ottawa River.
Province-wide cellphone ban hits PHS
A new law banning cellphones from the province’s elementary and secondary school classrooms came into effect, following a United Nations report released the previous July which found that cellphones can have negative impacts on students’ focus, socialization and overall mental health. Every classroom at PHS introduced a “pocket holder” capable of storing 35 cellphones, located either behind or near the teacher’s desk.
One arrest, drugs and guns seized in Mansfield
Sûreté du Québec officers carried out an arrest and two searches in connection with drug trafficking at a Mansfield residence on Grand-Marais Street. Officers seized more than 130 methamphetamine tablets, close to 55 grams of cocaine, more than $1,650 in cash, as well as multiple firearms.
MDJ sees post-pandemic bounce-back
Maisons des jeunes du Pontiac’s activity nights for the region’s youth returned after a four-year hiatus caused by restrictions implemented as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program, which provides youth with after-school activities such as sports and nutrition activities, serves ages seven to 17 and changes up its activities every week.
Puzzlers compete in Bristol
Keen puzzlers competed against each other and the clock to complete different jigsaw puzzles at the Pieces of Bristol event hosted at the Jack Graham Community Centre. Each puzzle was a mosaic of one of 12 different art pieces contributed by local artists. The Jigsaw Junkies team won the competition, a team made up of Wesley Mawer and his wife Libby, as well as Libby’s mom Marlene Daly, and brother, Joe Daly.
Former Shawville postmaster publishes book of spiritual reflections
Esther Colpitts, a former postmaster and longtime contributor to THE EQUITY, published The Apple Outside My Window, a collection of 200 stories that weave together her spiritual journey, her love for her small-town community, and her ability to find grace in the everyday.
Pontiac Ag Society elects new president
Clarendon farmer Ralph Lang was elected president of the Pontiac Agricultural Society for 2024 at the organization’s general meetinG. Lang took the reins from outgoing president Vaughan Bastien, who served in 2023. In addition to Lang, four new members joined the board, bringing its membership to a total of 29.
February
Community bonspiel hits the ice
The Shawville Curling Club’s 48th annual community bonspiel kicked off, featuring 48 teams vying for the toilet seat trophy. Club leaders celebrated increased participation, attributing it to post-COVID enthusiasm and the return of both new and familiar faces. The tournament wrapped up the following weekend, with the Aggies team (Maryse Vallières-Murray, Simon Pelletier, Basil Hodgins, Joe Morris and Christine Rieux) taking home the win.
Pontiac Pride hosts square dance
Over 60 dancers of all ages attended Pontiac Pride’s first square dance event, hosted at the Shawville Lions Club. Organizers emphasized the importance of creating an inclusive space for all participants, blending the traditions of square dancing with a welcoming community atmosphere. “This was a perfect mix for me of something that is super traditionally straight couples dancing, but it’s also become such a non-gendered dance as well,” said event mastermind Emma Judd.
Upper Pontiac frustrated over language barriers
Connexions Resource Centre hosted a community focus group on Allumette Island to gather input from Upper Pontiac residents on their community’s needs, challenges, and strengths. Attendees highlighted issues such as language barriers, limited access to healthcare, and a lack of services like childcare and retirement residences. This was the final of five such meetings Connexions organized across the Pontiac over the course of January and February. Connexions said the information collected at the focus groups will be used to better target services and advocate for funding.
Toller presents incinerator project to Renfrew County
MRC Pontiac warden Jane Toller presented the Pontiac garbage incinerator project to the Renfrew County Council on Jan. 31, inviting the county’s mayors to consider becoming partners in the project. Toller emphasized that Pontiac has supported energy-from-waste since 2011 and provided new details on the project, including the potential to generate electricity and steam from 400,000 tons of waste. She also shared that MRC Pontiac had completed an initial business plan for the venture, involving expert evaluations on technologies, funding, and business models.
New EV charging stations come to the Pontiac
Three new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations were installed in the Pontiac with the help of a federal grant provided by environmental organization CREDDO. The stations were set up in the municipalities of Campbell’s Bay, Waltham and Mansfield and Pontefract. The initiative aimed to improve tourism access in rural areas, with the goal of making it easier for electric vehicle users to visit and support local businesses in these communities.
Youth council hosts mental health forum
The MRC Pontiac youth council hosted a two-day forum to address the growing mental health challenges facing local youth. “I feel like everybody, especially after covid, has faced some sort of mental struggle,” said youth council president Léa Gagnon.
“So we really put importance on that and we made the forum happen.” The two forums, which featured presentations from motivational speaker David Houle, were attended by hundreds of students from ESSC, PHS and visiting school Dr. Wilbert Keon.
Farmers social talks mental health
Social service organization AutonHomme Pontiac hosted a farmers’ social at the Little Red Wagon Winery to raise awareness about farmers’ mental health challenges and create a space where those working in the agricultural community could openly share about their experience of these challenges. In this spirit, Clarendon beef farmer Cyndia Labine spoke to the packed room about her own struggles with postpartum depression while raising kids on a farm, and how she recovered from it, twice.
Mayors to consider opening plenary
At February’s MRC council of mayors meeting, all 18 mayors supported a motion to discuss opening their monthly plenary sessions to the public. Shawville Mayor Bill McCleary introduced the motion, citing an informal survey conducted by THE EQUITY in Nov. 2023 which found five mayors supportive, five opposed, and six undecided on the question of whether to open plenary meetings to the public. The council meeting also saw discussions of the proposed garbage incinerator and the need for more transparency about the waste disposal business plan.
Renovations at Quyon’s Egan Mill
THE EQUITY checked in with Isabelle Lajoie and Marc Bergeron of Bristol’s La Paysannerie Farm about their work transforming the old Egan mill in Quyon into a flour mill. “It was abandoned for 10 years, so a lot of things were rusted and past due,” Lajoie told THE EQUITY, explaining that old equipment needed to be disposed of before they could even begin renovations. She said that once up and running, the new Egan mill will be able to produce up to 800 kilograms of flour an hour.
March
Concern over incinerator fills Campbell’s Bay rec centre
Over a hundred people attended a public information session hosted by Citizens of the Pontiac to hear concerns about MRC Pontiac’s proposal to build a garbage incinerator in the Municipality of Litchfield. The keynote speaker was Dr. Paul Connett, a graduate of Cambridge University with a PhD in chemistry from Dartmouth University and author of the book The Zero Waste Solution.“This is really an absurd solution for Pontiac,” Connett said. “You will be producing 20 times more toxic ash than the trash you currently have.”
Students tap first trees for their new maple syrup business
École secondaire Sieur-de-Coulonge (ESSC) teacher Martin Bertrand launched a new initiative at the school that saw a group of 24 students tap 10 trees behind their school to start a small maple syrup business with plans to sell products back to the school. The school partnered with a local sugar shack, Pourvoirie du Lac Bryson, to boil their sap for the first year. “The real entrepreneurial mindset will be taught, encouraging perseverance and leadership of different kids,” Bertrand said.
Bristol council votes to close pier for 2024
Bristol council voted to keep the Norway Bay pier closed for the entirety of the 2024 season following a report from an engineering firm that found the structural integrity of the pier had deteriorated to the point it was no longer safe for use. Mayor Brent Orr said the municipality would be repairing the pier, but that it was “just a matter of how, and when.”
Pontiacer organizes first-of-its-kind bull sale
Ron Hodgins of R & R Farms organized a first-of-its-kind bull sale at Renfrew Pontiac Livestock auction house whereby year-old bull-calves from four local farmers were up for grabs as an adjunct to the regular auction. Joining Hodgins on the docket are producers Donna Courchesne and Andrew Simms of Bristol, Brian and Janet Rogers of Shawville, and Allan and Courtney Wallace of Foresters Falls.
Citizens’ groups launch anti-incinerator campaigns
Two separate groups concerned with MRC Pontiac’s plans to build an energy-from-waste garbage incinerator launched campaigns to convince Pontiac County mayors to oppose any further development of the project. The Friends of the Pontiac group sent a fact-sheet outlining four major concerns: risk of surpassing the proposed budget, the produced energy not being considered “clean,” toxins in the soil and water, and that the proposal only included 50 permanent jobs. Citizens of the Pontiac launched a campaign called “Face to Face” encouraging citizens to speak their mind at meetings.
MRC Pontiac supports bid for abattoir
The MRC Pontiac offered financial support to a bid that was placed for the purchase of the abattoir in Shawville, after its owners filed for bankruptcy protection in February. The money used to support the bid was taken from a pot of funding originally intended for the AgriSaveur food transformation project. The MRC said it saw investing in keeping the abattoir operating as complementary to the original intention of the AgriSaveur project of supporting local farmers in transforming their agricultural products so they can sell them directly to consumers.
Zhang gives tour of new Bryson greenhouse
Bryson Ultramar owner Jian Zhang gave the public a first look at the greenhouse he was building behind his gas station. Zhang explained the greenhouse was the first of its kind in the region, and would be powered entirely by renewable energy sources, namely passive solar energy and energy generated from composting organic matter. Zhang said these energy sources would make it possible for the greenhouse to be sustainably heated year-round and grow produce through the winter months.
Three municipalities call for stop to incinerator project
Otter Lake, Thorne and Waltham councils passed resolutions calling for a halt to any further development of the project to build a garbage incinerator in the Pontiac. Otter Lake hadn’t supported the project initially and Thorne and Waltham rescinded their previous motions of support.
Flying Elbows tournament celebrates 25 years
The Flying Elbows Hockey Tournament celebrated its 25th year of bringing together hockey players from across the greater Pontiac community. What started as a small memorial for the beloved coach James A. Smith in 1999 grew into a three-day, 18-team tournament. Last year, the Danford Lakers team beat the O’Brien team to take home the James A. Smith memorial trophy.
Motion to open plenary rejected
Fifteen of Pontiac’s 18 mayors voted against a proposal to allow the public to attnd the monthly plenary meetings of MRC Pontiac. The proposal to hold part of the plenary meetings in public was brought forward in February by Shawville mayor Bill McCleary with a view to holding a vote on the matter at the March meeting of mayors.
Mayor Spence launches incinerator town halls
Almost 100 people attended a town hall information session on Allumette Island about the MRC’s proposed garbage incinerator. This was the first of five such sessions that were convened across the Pontiac following a tide of public concern over the proposed project. Allumette Island mayor Corey Spence made the presentation on behalf of MRC Pontiac.
