CHRIS LOWREY
PONTIAC July 22, 2018
Former Calumet Island Mayor Pierre Fréchette has been named as one of the newest representatives on the board of directors for the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO).
Fréchette is one of four new appointees to the board. There are 17 people who sit on the board.
There has been mounting pressure on CISSSO to appoint a resident of the Pontiac to the board of directors.
In December of last year, advocacy group Santé Outaouais 2020 tabled a report about the healthcare sector in the Pontiac.
It concluded that the services offered to Pontiac residents have decreased after the province’s healthcare amalgamation in the wake of the passage of Bill 10 in 2015.
The report also advocated for more local representation on the board.

However, Benoit Gauthier, assistant to CISSSO CEO Jean Hébert, said at the time that it wasn’t likely.
“Geography is not a criterion,” Gauthier said about a Pontiac appointee to the board.
But section 17 of the Act to modify the organization and governance of the health and social services network says that “the Minister must ensure adequate representation of the various parts of the territory served by the institution.”
Fréchette is one of nine independent people appointed to the board.
For his part, Fréchette is excited about the new opportunity.
“I’m very happy to be able to contribute,” Fréchette said.
Although Fréchette can’t yet say exactly what his duties are going to be on the board, he says he’ll bring a unique perspective to the table.
“I’ll bring the rural element to the committee,” he said.
Although he plans to bring a rural perspective to the board, he also emphasized the importance of representing the Outaouais as a whole.
He’ll be briefed on his role and responsibilities before he officially assumes the position in September.
He admits that there will be a learning curve but said that the experience he’s gained in his past professions will help immensely.
Fréchette comes with years of experience as a director of labour relations with the federal government.
He also ran in the 2017 MRC Pontiac Warden race, finishing in fifth place with 11 per cent of the votes cast.
At the time, Fréchette highlighted his experience in planning, budget management and project identification for the Warden’s job.
Fréchette says, like other members of the board, he will be an independent voice and won’t be swayed by political maneuvering.
“I’m a pragmatic guy,” he said. “I work with facts.”