Dear Editor,
It was announced a few weeks ago that by the end of the year, a multi-species slaughterhouse including a cutting and vacuum packaging plant, is expected to open in Shawville. Les viandes du Pontiac and the company’s promoter, Alain Lauzon, are leading the way for the project.
This is a great project for our region. For several years, producers in the region have waited impatiently for this kind of initiative. The slaughterhouse project offers numerous advantages for the Pontiac: the creation of a dozen jobs, the availability of fresh and local products for consumers, and access to a local slaughtering service for the region’s producers and hunters. All these elements will boost the region’s economy.
Currently, only two slaughterhouses that are under provincial jurisdiction serve the Outaouais region. You have to drive for about two hours to get to Thurso, which is the one that is the closest to the Pontiac. A nearby slaughter service would reduce the costs and animal stress associated with long-distance transportation.
All required permits have been granted for this project, which will have to respect the multiple laws and regulations concerning food safety, meat inspection, animal welfare and the environment. The slaughterhouse will meet halal standards, which is an added value and will give producers access to a larger market. In this regard, the slaughterhouse will be subject to Canadian Food Inspection Agency regulations for ritual slaughter, in effect since 2015, which require that stress experienced by the animal be reduced to a minimum.
It is important to be well informed and to distinguish between prejudices and facts. For this reason, I would invite anybody with questions about the slaughterhouse to attend the information session organized by Les viandes du Pontiac.

Philippe Lamontagne
President, Pontiac UPA

P.S. The meeting will be held on April 30 at 7:00 pm at the Shawville Recreation Centre.