Julien St-Jean
Shawville July 16, 2021
The new Shawville-born business Bait Bin held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday to mark their official launch.
In place of a ribbon, a corn stalk was cut by Clarendon Mayor John Armstrong, alongside business owners Scott Lemay and Ralph Lang, as well as Shawville Mayor Sandra Murray, Pontiac MNA André Fortin and Amy Taylor of SADC Pontiac.
Lemay and Lang say they’ve been toying with the idea of Bait Bin for a while, but they only got serious about it in the last year-and-a-half.
“One night we started throwing things on a piece of paper and it stuck,” said Lemay. “What started as a COVID dream became a reality.”
Their first bin is located in the Giant Tiger parking lot off of Hwy 148 near Shawville. The feed dispenser takes credit, Interac and Apple Pay as payment for the bin’s corn, which is dispensed in five gallon increments. The business aims to appeal not only to hunters but also anyone who wants to feed and attract wildlife.
“We’re working on feeds for large game animals and bird feeds,” said Lemay. He added that they’re looking at mixtures of corn, grains, soy, oils, sweet apples and more to help make this a reality. “That’s something we’re going to experiment with.”
MNA André Fortin said he was happy to see a local business popping up despite the pandemic. “It’s nice to see the entrepreneurial spirit alive in the Pontiac,” said Fortin. “To see a business plan come to fruition, I think it’s a source of pride for a lot of people.”
Scott and Ralph’s families have been hard at work helping to start the business. Ronda Lemay said that they’ve spent many nights working on the logo, slogan and other miscellaneous parts of the business. “It’s been a family project,” she said.
Mayor Armstrong voiced support for the business, saying that he’s confident they’ll do well. “I’ve known these guys since they were [knee] high,” said Armstrong. “They’re smart guys and it will go ahead. They’re not the type of guys to do it for a month and give in.”
The business seems to be generating some international chatter. According to Lemay and Lang, they’ve received offers not only around Canada but also in the United States. But the two don’t want to get ahead of themselves. Their goal is to have around 10 bait bins set up in the area by the end of the year.
“Who knows where it’s going to take us, but we’re excited for it,” said Lemay.
