Local health officials have announced the latest recipients of the MacLachlan Family Bursaries, which go to young people studying to work in Pontiac’s health care facilities.
The bursary was created in April 2024 through the Pontiac Community Hospital Foundation (PCHF), the charitable arm that supports the local hospital. The MacLachlan family donated $100,000 to fund local students pursuing nursing studies (up to $5,000 per year for full-time students), with the stipulation that the student work in the Pontiac for as many years as they received the bursary.
On Oct. 29, the three newest bursaries were announced by PCHF president Allan Dean and regional health authority CISSSO’s Pontiac director Nicole Boucher-Larivière.
“The purpose of this scholarship is to promote the nursing profession and to help recruit qualified personnel in our region, as the need for nurses at the Pontiac Hospital has never been greater,” Boucher-Larivière wrote in a statement.
This round’s recipients were Brandon Ladouceur, Léa LaSalle and Sarah Bouchard. Also of note, CISSSO announced that Annie-Claude Durocher, a bursary recipient earlier this year, had completed her nursing studies and started working full time at the Pontiac Hospital. She is the first MacLachlan bursary recipient to complete her studies and begin work.
Ladouceur is in his final year of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the Université du Québec en Outaouais. He said that he’s been working in health care for the past five years, with the past two in the emergency and intensive care departments at the Pontiac Hospital.
“Nursing has always felt like more than just a career choice for me,” he wrote in an email to THE EQUITY. “I’ve been drawn to helping others for as long as I can remember, and working in critical care has shown me the true impact of being there for people in their most vulnerable moments. There’s something powerful about combining science, skill, and compassion — that blend is what keeps me inspired every day.”
He said that upon graduation, ideally he would like to continue working in the ER.
“This community shaped who I am, and I’m proud to be able to give back through my work,” he wrote. “Even amidst the rising political tension within Québec’s healthcare system, my focus remains on the people here — my patients, colleagues, and neighbours.”
LaSalle is from Litchfield and just graduated from École secondaire Sieur-de-Coulonge in June. She is in the first year of a nursing degree at the University of Ottawa with the goal of becoming a registered nurse or even nurse practitioner. She said that she was interested in helping the people around her and working in the community in which she was raised.
Bouchard is from Shawville and graduated from École secondaire Sieur-de-Coulonge. She is in the first year of the nursing program at the Cégep de l’Outaouais with the goal of becoming a registered nurse.
“I chose nursing because I’ve always been interested in everything related to health,” she wrote. “I also like that nursing offers many different job opportunities and career paths to grow and specialize in.”
She said she really liked the area and wanted to give back by helping the people who live here.
“It’s a great source of pride to see a MacLachlan scholar return to work in our region. This program clearly makes a difference and contributes directly to strengthening our local nursing workforce,” Dean said in a statement.
Seven students have received financial support since its creation. Eligible recipients can receive up to $20,000 over the course of their studies.
