CALEB NICKERSON
CAMPBELL’S BAY April 17, 2019
On April 17, the elected officials of MRC Pontiac held their monthly council of mayors meeting in Campbell’s Bay.
The meeting opened with the council reflecting on the passing of Dr. Wilbert Keon, a highly decorated cardiac surgeon and founder of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, originally from the Upper Pontiac. Sheenboro Mayor Doris Ranger read a short eulogy and the mayors expressed their condolences for the loss of such a prominent Pontiac native.
There were several presentations scheduled for the beginning of the MRC meeting, which got underway following the meeting for the non-organized territories (TNO).
A resolution was passed for the purchase of two mobile boat washing stations to be kept in the TNO. MRC Territory Director Regent Dugas explained that the stations are meant to help curb the spread of invasive species to the different bodies of water in the region.
“We have a partnership for ZEC St. Patrice for most of the time but if there’s a special event like a fishing derby or something like that it could be [moved elsewhere],” Dugas said.
The first presentation was made by Randy Russell and his wife Francine Lyrette, about the upcoming walk in support of the Kidney Foundation of Canada, taking place at the Shawville Fairgrounds on May 26.
Russell gave details about the walk and spoke of his own journey, receiving a kidney transplant from Lyrette in 2017. The project is being organized by the Shawville Rotary Club, of which Russell is a member and the group is already well on their way towards their $10,000 goal. Russell distributed pledge forms and posters to all 18 mayors and the warden.
The second presentation was from Helen Routliffe of the Stark’s Corners Women’s Institute. She began with an overview of the non-profit group and the community advocacy they have been involved in for decades.
Routliffe explained that the reason for her visit was to encourage the MRC to put pressure on the provincial government to adopt and sign the Reciprocal Medical Billing agreement for physician services. Quebec is the only province that hasn’t signed on, meaning that the RAMQ does not fully reimburse the cost of healthcare received in other provinces.
“When you travel, you have to [use] your own insurance,” she said. “Quebec does not pay full shot, I will tell you that.”
The council supported the motion unanimously and agreed to send the motion to both the provincial government and other councils as well.
The final presentation of the evening was from École secondaire Sieur de Coulonge (ESSC) teacher Martin Bertrand, Ski at School ambassador Guillaume Harvey and six of the students that cross country skied from Fort Coulonge to Parliament in February.
Each of the students thanked the council for their support and both Bertrand and Harvey gave a rundown of the trek, which saw just about every type of brutal winter weather, from heavy rain to high winds and icy trails.
“It was the worst weather you could expect,” Harvey said, praising the student’s perseverance in the face of such immense challenges.
The group was also accompanied by a professional videographer, and they played a clip from a film about the trip that’s currently in the works. Bertrand explained that the focus of the film will also extend regionally, to the resilience exemplified by the region. He said they hope to have it ready for later this year.
Grand Calumet Island Mayor Serge Newberry was named as the new council representative on the board of the Chutes Coulonge Park, replacing Warden Jane Toller. “It was a really great year to serve on that committee, they’ve come a long way,” she said. “I find that as warden, it’s best if I take a back seat or not volunteer for committees because it allows me to keep a regional view of helping the whole Pontiac, and it’s time consuming for me to be on all these committees.”
The mayors approved a motion requesting a six month suspension of new mining claims in “areas inconsistent with mining activity”. The MRC is planning to meet with various stakeholders to come up with the final version of areas that fit this description.
The council also formed a committee to study the possibility of turning the PPJ into a multi-use trail, allowing access to motorized vehicles in addition to cyclists and foot traffic. Members are Mayors Maurice Beauregard (Campbell’s Bay), Sandra Murray (Shawville), David Rochon (Waltham), Gaston Allard (Fort Coulonge) and Gilles Dionne (Mansfield et Pontefract).
Speaking after the meeting, Warden Toller explained the reasoning for creating a new committee.
“The staff have done a good job reporting back to us on certain concerns or questions that we had as a council,” she said. “Now, rather than leaving it all in their hands we thought it was important to have some mayors meeting regularly to address different issues.”
“It comes down to economic development and tourism, and we see other parts of Ontario and Quebec benefiting so we’re taking a good look at how a multi use trail could work,” she continued.
The meeting closed with a farewell to long-time MRC clerk Nancy Dagenais, who retired after 12 years in the role. She spoke fondly of her colleagues at the office and urged the mayors to do more to promote the services offered by MRC staff.
“Please, the information you get at these meetings, take back to your councillors, take back to your DGs, take back to your citizens and promote it,” she said. “The services are there for the people and I’m not sure that it’s out there. I don’t know if all of you recognize all that is done for you here.”
She also alluded to some of the reasons for her departure.
“In closing, I must note that last year, certain things occurred that hurt my heart,” she said. “I saw a dramatic drop in morale of the employees. Because of this, at that particular time I decided that I had to retire. I wasn’t comfortable with things, but I have faith that this table will ensure that things like this don’t occur again.”
When contacted after the meeting by The Equity, Dagenais declined to elaborate on her statements.
