At the MRC Pontiac council of mayors meeting on Thursday (May 21), council recognized a local police officer with the county’s highest honour, the Pontiac Paddle of Accomplishment.
Yves Martineau first started policing in the area in June 1992 and worked his way up to sergeant. More recently he was filling in as interim director of the station and acting as the liaison between the MRC council and the local police.
Warden Jane Toller thanked him for his work and said that his impact on the community went further than his job.
“Yves has trained by example many officers. He has fully participated as a citizen of the Pontiac and we are thankful that he is a resident of Shawville,” she said.
Shawville mayor Bill McCleary said that Martineau’s passion for his work was apparent, recalling when Martineau first arrived in the Pontiac.
“You kind of had the reputation very shortly after being here of being a hardass. There was a joke going around that you would ticket your own mother for jaywalking,” he said, getting a laugh from the crowd. “But it’s just your passion showing in your job. You love your job, your interest is in protecting people’s safety, nothing’s changed.”
Martineau was shown a number of photos from his time in the area, including some from getting his head shaved for charity in the 1990s at the Shawville Fair.
He recalled some of his other efforts at community involvement and engagement, which he said was something he tries to impress upon new members of the local police force.
“If you want things to move on, or to go somewhere, you have to put your heart in it. That’s how I learned. I’m trying to pass it on to all the rookies we have, “ he said.
Martineau said following the meeting that he is planning to retire in March 2027.
Women’s Institute get their road signs
The Pontiac County Women’s Institute, which in 2023 advocated for road signs warning drivers to slow down for farm equipment, was finally granted that wish. At the May 21 meeting, council announced it had received notification from the Ministry of Transport (MTQ) confirming 13 road signs would be installed beside major highways throughout the region.
Women’s Institute president Helen Routliffe, speaking with several group members in attendance, thanked the council and MRC public safety coordinator Julien Gagnon for supporting the initiative.
Gagnon said that the MRC would be submitting comments to the MTQ regarding specifics of exact placement, but the project was in the final stages.
The signs, in French only, will be installed and maintained by the MTQ in 2026, though Gagnon said the MRC hasn’t been given a precise timeline for completion.
No telework changes following meeting with employee’s union
Toller spoke with THE EQUITY following the council meeting to discuss a meeting the previous day (May 20) with the president of the union representing the majority of MRC employees (SFPQ). Two leaders of the union had shown up at the MRC office the previous week prior to the council’s plenary meeting, seeking to discuss the mayors’ decision to abruptly end the employees’ work from home policy. A followup was scheduled for May 20 and was attended by Toller, HR committee member Sandra Armstrong as well as the MRC’s DG and assistant DG.
Toller said she listened to what the union had to say, but the council wouldn’t budge from its initial decision, announced at the March meeting, and implemented in April. She added that they had received messages from some employees impacted by the changes.
“I shared the 12 letters that I received from employees, and the mayors appreciated them, but we still stand with our decision,” she said. “I also said that I believe 90 per cent of the population of the Pontiac would support our decision to have people back at work.”
SFPQ regional president Nicolas Leduc-Lafantaisie wrote in a followup email that he questioned the logic of the move when he met with the MRC representatives but was given the same response by the representatives he met with.
“They reminded us that the council of mayors believes employees are more productive working in person and that this influenced their decision. In my opinion, the reasons given seem more political than factual,” he said. “I raised the moral aspect of the situation, emphasizing that it represents a decline in working conditions. The union wants to defend teleworking to ensure fairness and better distribute quality jobs from major urban centres to rural areas. Pontiac is a disadvantaged region that struggles to attract and retain quality employees.”
FRR funding
At the meeting on May 21 the mayors also approved funding for a slew of local development projects through the Regions and Rurality Fund (FRR), listed on the right. The fund is distributed by the provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and administered by the MRC. Component two deals with territory development, while component three deals with vitalization. More details on the fund’s criteria and reports from previous years can be found on the MRC’s website.
Component 2
Eliminating Barriers to Accessibility: Upgrading Washroom Facilities at the Centre de loisirs des Draveurs
Coopérative de solidarité du Centre de loisirs des Draveurs
Project cost: $103,685
Grant: $83,317
Reception Area Upgrade for a Safe and Healthy Environment
Bouffe Pontiac
Project cost: $13,960
Grant: $11,746
Development of Inclusive and Accessible Outdoor Spaces
Chutes Coulonge
Project cost: $54,709
Grant: $30,831
Upgrade of the Danford Lake Park Building for Four-Season Community Use
Municipality of Alleyn-et-Cawood
Project cost: $16,789
Grant: $13,500
Upgrade of the L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet Municipal Library Building for Accessibility and Safety
Municipality of L’Île-du- Grand-Calumet
Project cost: $41,171
Grant: $33,066
Interactive Digital Infrastructure Platform
Fête Oktoberfest Ladysmith
Project cost: $21,500
Grant: $18,090
Roadmap to Services – Accessibility edition
Centre Ressource Connexions
Project cost: $11,998
Grant: $9,450
Component 3
Integrated Project to Strengthen Digital Security, Enhance Community Equipment, and Support Athlete Development
Shawville District Minor Hockey Association
Project cost: $8,086
Grant: $6,855
Expansion of the Danford Lake Community Centre
Municipality of Alleyn-et-Cawood
Project cost: $23,256
Grant: $17,279
Revitalization and Enhancement of Murale and Memorial Parks
Municipality of Campbell’s Bay
Project cost: $45,425
Grant: $30,168
Chutes Coulonge Community Hub: Access, Youth and Pontiac Vitality
Chutes Coulonge
Project cost: $4,771
Grant: $3,811
Library Furniture and Equipment Modernization Project to Support Community Vitalization and Dynamism
Municipality of L’Île-du Grand- Calumet
Project cost: $25,172
Grant: $20,944
Community Centre Reconstruction Project
Maison des Jeunes du Pontiac
Project cost: $577,970
Grant: $250,000
Baseball Field Revitalization
Municipality of Fort-Coulonge
Project cost: $128,772
Grant: $99,214
Community Soapbox Derby Revitalization Project
Municipality of Clarendon
Project cost: $12,552
Grant: $10,316
Installation of a Digital Sign to Support Community Visibility and Outreach
Pontiac Agricultural Society
Project cost: $41,482
Grant: $32,992
