by Guillaume Laflamme
Mansfield and Pontefract
May 3, 2024
Mansfield and Pontefract celebrated the official opening of the municipality’s outdoor stopover along Highway 148 across from the George Bryson House on Friday.
The new stopover features covered picnic tables, an illuminated path and even a self-cleaning bathroom.
The official opening of the rest stop was marked by a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by the team that brought the project to life as well as local politicians including MRC Pontiac warden Jane Toller, Mansfield and Pontefract mayor Sandra Armstrong and MNA André Fortin.
Louis Harvey is the development agent for the Municipality of Mansfield and Pontefract, and was the visionary behind the new stop-over project.
“A municipality is more than just fixing roads,” Harvey said. “It’s about creating a community, and this project plays a role in that.”
He said he is very proud of the final results and believes it is an important step in the efforts to revitalize the region.
“There’s a maintenance system that sanitizes the toilets, but it still requires monthly upkeep. The floor and bowls are cleaned by automatic jets, and the facilities are equipped with anti-vandalism measures, including graffiti-resistant surfaces,” Harvey explained.
“The luminous trail will guide visitors to the display, where they can find QR codes linking to the 18 municipalities’ websites. It’s a quick way to access tourist information for the entire region. We should always work together for the benefit of the whole region.”
Harvey noted the project was a “team effort” made possible through collaboration with the MRC Pontiac, Tourisme Outaouais, the Desjardins bank in Mansfield, as well as the municipality of Mansfield and Pontefract.
The construction of the stopover was made possible thanks to over $450,000 in funding from multiple sources, including $100,000 from the Quebec government, as well as $90,000 from Tourisme Outaouais.
Mansfield mayor Sandra Armstrong, explained Mansfield and Pontefract has had challenges when it comes to bringing new life to the municipality.
“Mansfield Pontefract was used to having mills and stuff, and we don’t have that anymore. It’s not working right now. It’s hard as a mayor and council [. . .] to try to find enterprises to come in here and develop in the Pontiac,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong said she believes the rest stop will help inspire tourists to explore the region, rather than simply pass through it.
