At the Jan. 29 MRC Pontiac council of mayors meeting, council approved a $75,515.31 for a MRC territorial marketing strategy for 2026, with 80 per cent of the funding ($60,531.73) coming from FRR component two with the remainder ($14,983.58) covered by the MRC.
MRC economic development officer for tourism Stéphanie Hébert-Potter explained that this budget is strictly for marketing the MRC Pontiac territory.
“This isn’t the only tourism initiative for 2026, it’s strictly territorial marketing,” she said.
She said that the budget was slightly lower than in years past, with roughly 44 per cent going towards marketing materials, such as printed brochures, signage as well as branded clothing. Another 40 per cent is for “media outreach” such as paying for television placements, or influencer campaigns.
“These initiatives are often carried out in partnership with organizations such as Tourisme Outaouais and other partners, including Ottawa Valley Tourism Association, in order to maximize reach and impact,” she wrote in an email. “In some cases, our contribution is primarily in coordination, time, and resources, while in others it includes a modest financial contribution. By way of example, last year we hosted six media tours and in collaboration with our partners, our $10,000 contribution generated approximately $22,000 in media placement exposure.”
The final 16 per cent is for staff to attend various trade shows, to highlight what the Pontiac has to offer to outside audiences. She said that they typically attend around five in both Montreal and Toronto, and were planning on attending one in the Ottawa Valley as well.
“The majority of trade shows take place in late winter and early spring, and we also aim to participate in at least one trade show within the Ottawa Valley region. In addition to these initiatives, we maintain a presence at various local and regional events, such as the Shawville Fair, the Salon de l’entreprise de Fort-Coulonge, and other community-based events.”
TNO budget
At the same January meeting, council also approved the 2026 budget for the non-organized territories (TNO) of Lac Nilgaut, which is the unincorporated territory that makes up most of the MRC’s land mass. Overall revenue this year is up to $1,008,629, with $908,629 in expenses, plus $100,000 in capital expenditures earmarked to purchase a new truck for their TNO employees. MRC Director of Finance Andrea Lafleur said that the old truck would be sold to be used by PPJ maintenance staff, reflected in the extra $20,000 in the other revenues category.
Lafleur explained during the meeting that the property tax had increased slightly from 65 cents per $100 assessed value to 67 cents.
She added that the MRC has allocated some money in the budget under general administration to hire a part-time employee to work with the regional inspector for land use planning, who she said was planning to retire within a couple years.
“We’re hoping to hire a part-time person to work with Richard Marenger, to obtain a lot of his knowledge in 2026,” she said.
The budget passed unanimously, 17-0, as there was no representative from the Municipality of Waltham present at the meeting.
