Citizens snuff Danford Lake fire: Danford Lake was hit by its first blaze since it lost its fire services contract with neighbouring Kazabazua last month. However, about 15 men, some from Otter Lake and Kazabazua, were able to use the recently-acquired fire truck to snuff a fire at Allan Peck’s house Feb. 14 before it caused too much damage.

“My heart swelled seeing the guys work together as though they always worked together,” said Alleyn and Cawood Mayor Joe Squitti.

Squitti received a call about 8 p.m that there was a fire at Peck’s house. Shortly after calling recently-appointed fire chief Tony Peck, the volunteers were on the scene with the fire truck, purchased from the Otter Lake Volunteer Firemen’s Association.  The fire started in the chimney and worked its way into an upstairs wall before the firefighters brought it under control.

Rodney Vadneau, chief of the Otter Lake fire Department, responded to the call and gathered four other firefighters to work the Danford Lake fire. One firefighter was assigned to the dispatcher’s office in Otter Lake, while the other four headed to Danford Lake.

“One was left as dispatcher to make sure if there was a problem in Otter Lake it would be taken care of,” he said. “We made sure there was coverage in Otter Lake before we left.” (Otter Lake has 22 firefighters.)

Vadneau said there was constant communication with the dispatcher while they were in Danford Lake (about three hours) to make sure that village was covered for fire protection. As well, the Otter Lake men didn’t bring any equipment with them.

When the Otter Lake Volunteer Firemen’s Association offered its services to Alleyn and Cawood in January, there was some concern Otter Lake could be left short if its firefighters were in Danford Lake. Vadneau said his department will take all steps necessary to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Local pharmacists to boycott drug plan: Pharmacists in Pontiac MRC will be joining pharmacists province-wide Friday to boycott the Quebec public drug insurance plan.

“We [pharmacists] have to boycott the plan so we can better provide our services to our communities,” said Richard Filion, of Filion and Laflamme Pharmacy in Shawville.

Pharmacists want a higher reimbursement fee, which covers operating costs for pharmacies. Part of this fee is also what pharmacists have to pay to their supplier for drugs.

The reimbursement fee has not been revised since 1993 and expired on March 31, 1998.

The Regie de l’assurance maladie du Quebec (RAMQ) is offering $7.47 per prescription, but pharmacists don’t think that is enough to cover costs and want $8.15 per prescription. The current fee is $7 per prescription.

Pharmacists will be withdrawing from the plan on Friday, which under the Health Act is legal. This will put low income patients in a tight spot because they will have to pay the full price for their prescription.

About 3.1 million Quebecers are part of the drug insurance plan, most of them welfare recipients and the elderly.