Residents of Fort-Coulonge will now have better access to books and activities thanks to a new library partnership between Fort-Coulonge and Mansfield-et-Pontefract municipalities.
Municipal officials gathered on Thursday afternoon to offer a tour of the Mansfield library and to announce the new partnership, which will come into effect Apr. 1. As of that date, residents of Fort-Coulonge will have full access to books and services offered by the library.
“This project will make it possible to expand the offer of locally accessible cultural and community service while optimizing the use of our municipal resources,” said Fort-Coulonge mayor Pierre Cyr on Thursday.
Since the Fort-Coulonge library was closed in Dec. 2022, residents of Fort-Coulonge have had no access to library services. But Cyr said library access was a priority for many residents when he ran in the Nov. 2025 elections.
“Everybody recognized that there was a need to re-establish some kind of library, and to join with Mansfield is really the best option. We can share the costs and the resources, and it’s good for the kids and anyone else who would like to use the library,” he said.
According to Cyr, this agreement will cost Fort-Coulonge $11,600 for the one-year pilot project, set to conclude at the end of 2026. At that point, both municipalities will evaluate whether they want to continue with the project.
Mansfield-et-Pontefract mayor Sandra Armstrong said the partnership will allow the library to benefit from pooled resources to expand its offering, as well as hopefully draw bigger crowds for activities and events.
“We can add a few more books [ . . . ] And in activities, there will be more people present for the activities. If we don’t have enough room here, we have the room in the Maison George Bryson,” she said.
Librarian France Lavoie was pleased to hear the news of the agreement. As she offered a tour of the library, she explained that users can benefit from many different programs through the Réseau BIBLIO de l’Outaouais.
Books are available for all ages in both English and French, and members can even borrow museum passes for various Outaouais museums, as well as national museums such as the National Gallery of Canada.
Lavoie said free activities are also organized at the library on a regular basis for people of all ages. She said now with the new partnership, she is looking forward to hosting different kinds of events at the library including board game nights, bingo nights for children, robotics nights and interactive reading activities on the library’s digital screen.
Cyr said he hopes this agreement will open the door to more partnerships in the future between the two municipalities.
“This pilot project is an inspiring example of what we can accomplish when we choose to work together [and] share our strengths,” said Cyr.
