CALEB NICKERSON
CAMPBELL’S BAY Jan. 21, 2019
On Jan. 16, Pontiac’s council of mayors met for their monthly meeting at the MRC office in Campbell’s Bay.
After the TNO agenda was settled, the council welcomed guest presenters Martin Bertrand and Stéphane Bouchard, who were promoting a cross-country ski excursion for local high school students.
From Feb. 25-27, the group will be travelling from École secondaire Sieur de Coulonge to Parliament Hill, and they requested sponsorship and support from the MRC. Council voiced support for the project.

During the public question period, Mansfield resident Ronald Godin notified the mayors of his intention to host a town hall meeting at the Fort Coulonge Knights of Columbus Hall on Jan. 26 at 1 p.m., on protecting the forests and natural resources of the Pontiac. The meeting is an initiative by the “Pontiac Anishinaabek Fort de Coulonge Kichessipirini” community.
After a brief in-camera session, MRC accountant Annie Vaillancourt presented a treasurer’s report on expenses reimbursed from the 2017 election for warden. Vaillancourt noted in an email that candidates with more than 15 per cent of the vote are eligible for reimbursement of up to 70 per cent of their expenses, though some expenses might not be accepted by Elections Quebec.
Only Warden Jane Toller and former warden Raymond Durocher received more than 15 per cent of the vote, garnering 47 per cent and 17.85 respectively, and both received reimbursements in September 2018. Toller was reimbursed $3,393.03 of the $7,464.20 she spent, while Durocher was reimbursed $610.86 of the $958.89 he expensed.
It was announced that the new MRC strategic communications advisor would be former tourism coordinator Jérémi Vaillancourt. Toller explained the reasoning for the shuffle following the meeting.
“He’d been in tourism, but Chantal Lair is now back from her maternity leave, so she’s back in her tourism seat,” she said, noting that there had three candidates for the position. “I think he’s going to be an asset with the social media.”
MRC engineer Kim Lesage gave a brief activity report on the PPJ trail throughout 2018. The total spent in 2018 was $236,204.50, divided evenly between the MRC and provincial Route Vert funding.
Later in the evening, Campbell’s Bay Mayor Maurice Beauregard put forth a motion to look into a formal study on the usage of the PPJ, specifically in the summer months. Shawville Mayor Sandra Murray pointed out that funding for the trail is contingent on it being reserved for non-motorized vehicles. It was suggested that the time frame be extended to the whole year.
Following the meeting, Beauregard noted that there hasn’t been a formal study commissioned on the usage of the trail.
“I’m not saying it’s just ATVs but I think we do need to find more ways to use it, to get a return on our investment,” he said.
Newly hired Economic Development Coordinator Danielle Newman told council that the MRC would be re-evaluating the criteria around donations and sponsorships, dropping the max amount available from $1,000 to $500 as well as distributing the money more evenly throughout the year.
Mansfield Mayor Gilles Dionne put forward a motion calling for a moratorium on forestry activity in the area and requesting that the provincial government provide Pontiac with a special status to protect local natural resources.
“We’re working on a forestry strategy and that strategy could include many things,” said Toller after the meeting, noting that they are looking to improve local training and equipment for forestry operations. “Mansfield asked for a moratorium, everyone is frustrated and tired of seeing logging trucks going out of the Pontiac, however having some logging activity here is better than having nothing.”
Mayor Beauregard put forth another motion near the end of the meeting, voicing opposition to the new Quebec firearms registry, set to come into effect on Jan. 29.
The motion, which was originally written by a councillor from Potton Que., compares the provincial registry to the ill-fated federal registry, and says that the money would be better spent addressing mental health issues and border security. The resolution also calls for education programs to “stop the stigmatization of firearms and the demonization of their owners.”
Allumette Island Mayor Winston Sunstrum was the lone dissenting voice at the meeting.
“I just want to state that I’m going to vote against the resolution,” he said. “I’m not convinced that I’m against the Quebec registry and there may be some good involved there.”
After the meeting, Toller noted that there hadn’t been any updates regarding LiveWell’s proposed cannabis research facility in Litchfield. She said that the council was hoping for more information from the company regarding the status of the project, but directed any questions to LiveWell themselves.