CALEB NICKERSON
CAMPBELL’S BAY Dec. 19, 2018
Pontiac’s council of mayors met for their last meeting of 2018 on Dec. 19, at the MRC offices in Campbell’s Bay.
Warden Jane Toller opened with a recap of her activities over the past month. She met with the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) government’s Transport Minister, François Bonnardel, as well as Gatineau MNA Robert Bussière, and Minister of Family and MNA for Papineau Mathieu Lacombe. Also present at the meeting were MRC des Collines Warden Caryl Green and MRC Vallée de la Gatineau Pro-Warden.

Toller said that she discussed transportation improvements for the region, including highlighting sections of Hwy. 148 that need resurfacing, as well as portions of Rte. 366 that need dire attention. She also brought up Clarendon Mayor John Armstrong’s proposal to add rumble strips to the edges and median of Hwy. 148.
Another aspect of transportation that was mentioned was the type of signage that the province allows next to its highways.
“We’re only permitted to put a few words and when you look at what Ontario can do,” she said. “And we are in competition for tourism and business with Ontario, there’s a big difference. They were very interested in that comment.”
Toller also paid Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) in Chalk River a visit over the past month on what she called a fact-finding mission.
“I just wanted to meet them [CNL], I met the president [Mark Lesinski]. I was amazed that they gave me an hour and a half,” she said. “I thought it would be a half hour meeting. They gave me a tour of the place, I’ve never been there.”
She added that they gave her the low down on the Near Surface Disposal Facility project, which received quite a bit of attention from local activists in the past year.
“They explained to me where the storage of radioactive material is right now, which is actually right beside the river and they described the plan to move it a kilometre away,” she said. “We talked a lot about just the time and energy that they’re putting into, I guess, just explaining to people and ensuring that all the concerns are being addressed. They’re also very much aware of the number of municipalities all the way down to Montreal that are, sort of, registered opposed.”
After the meeting, the CNL representatives invited all 18 mayors for a visit to their location, which will take place in February.
The newly hired Economic Development Director, Danielle Newman was introduced to the council. Her first days on the job (Dec. 13 and 14) were spent on a tour of the MRC’s industrial sites with representatives from CAI Capital Partners. CAI was hired to market the area to their network of investors at a cost of $49,000, $40,000 of which was paid for through a program with the Caisse Dejardins.
“There’s a committee that speaks to them pretty much once a week for updates,” Toller explained.
Toller also spoke at length after the meeting about the formation of the MRC’s youth council, which will gather for the first time on Jan. 21 at the MRC offices in Campbell’s Bay.
“If the MRC Pontiac is really serious about keeping youth here, and giving youth a voice, the only way to do that is to act as a council,” she said.
Toller pitched the idea to local students and asked that the mayors choose the representative from their respective communities. Those not selected will sit on a committee for the municipality.
“I see the two councils working closely together,” Toller said. “What I’m excited for on the 21st is for the 18 students will sit where the 18 mayors sit. I’m going to be the resource person, but after I’ve laid the ground rules and given them a bit of encouragement, I’ll attend the meetings and [only] be there as a resource.”
Toller closed her interview with the media by discussing the uncertainty around the operations of LiveWell Foods and their proposed research facility at the Litchfield industrial park. After seeking a meeting with LiveWell’s CAO Michel Lemieux, Toller and Litchfield Mayor Colleen Larivière instead spoke to him over the phone in a conference call.
“I would say things are going in a different direction but they’re still committed to business here in the Ponitac,” she said. “When I know more, I’ll be very happy to share it with you.
“I’ll just say this, I think it is very important and they need to make it a priority to update us because there’s been so much out there, in the papers, on the radio, people talking …” she continued. “I think that we need some reassurance. We need to know what the plan is.”