Ok, we made it. Another year in the history books and we can set our sights on the upcoming one.
But first, we should take a look back.
There was no shortage of newsworthy events in the Pontiac this year.
Last winter saw a massive dumping of snow throughout the region.
When it came time for the snow to melt, it kicked off one of the worst spring floods the Pontiac has ever seen.
Dozens of homes were destroyed, roads were washed out and families were left searching for new beginnings.
Many of those who were impacted by the floods got a second punch in the gut when the province told them they wouldn’t be able to rebuild their homes.
This left people making the tough decision of whether to stay in the region and try to make it work, or start a new beginning elsewhere.
The summer months saw a number of celebrations for our country’s 150th birthday. Many communities put in extra effort to make sure Canada 150 is remembered as one of the nation’s biggest parties in history.
In terms of sports, teams in the Ottawa area had a pretty impressive season. The Ottawa Redblacks, fresh off their first Grey Cup championship in 40 years, made the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
The Ottawa Senators had us all on the edge of our seats as they went on a thrilling run that saw them come within one goal of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals.
Locally, it was a big year for Pontiac politics.
This was the first time that the MRC Pontiac warden position was chosen by residents. In the past, the council of mayors would pick one of their counterparts to serve as the warden.
This year, Pontiac residents chose Jane Toller as their Warden. With this new position comes high expectations, something Toller is acutely aware of.
On another political note, Pontiac MNA André Fortin was appointed as the minister of transportation in November.
On a somewhat positive note, the oft-repeated refrain that the Pontiac is the second-poorest MRC in Quebec is no longer true – we are now the fourth poorest.
But we’ve been told the economic SWAT team has been working hard to bring investment funds into the Pontiac, and we’ll have to wait and see.
The end of a calendar year and the start of a new year gives us a chance for reflection.
Some of us may have had a tough year personally in 2017. The best we can do is commit to making 2018 better than this year by setting measurable goals.
For those who had a great 2017, here’s to knocking it out of the park in 2018.
To all of our readers and your families, thanks for reading and have a happy 2018.
Chris Lowrey
