Caleb Nickerson
CAMPBELL’S BAY
Sept. 19, 2017
Come 2018, a new company will be handling the dispatching of local first responders in the MRC Pontiac.
Currently, local emergency calls are routed to Groupe CLR, the largest private 911 call centre in Quebec, based in Shawinigan. Danielle Belec, head of strategic communications at the MRC, explained that the council had originally signed a five-year contract with a dispatcher in Maniwaki, but the company was sold to CLR a year in.
The new contract with the MRC des Collines dispatchers would also be for five years.

Warden Raymond Durocher explained that there had been ongoing issues with technical glitches and CLR’s level of service. He said that by signing with a company that is closer, officials will be able to ensure problems get nipped in the bud.
“When we have a glitch or we have problems, I don’t have to drive five hours,” he said. “I know myself or my staff here can call someone at MRC des Collines and have an answer within 15 minutes, not 15 days.”
“I’d rather have someone call from Fort Coulonge and say ‘I’m broke down on the 301 in Portage du Fort’ and the guy in MRC des Collines actually knows where the 301, or the 303 and Portage du Fort is,” he continued. “You can do customer service in India, Japan, China, [but you’ll] only get people frustrated. With emergency services, you bring it close to the people because time is a factor. You’re playing with lives.”
Durocher also said that the close proximity to the region means that the dispatching service could employ Pontiac residents.