October 18, 2000

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Mayors address amalgamation at annual conference: Municipal Affairs Minister Louise Harel opened this year’s Federation of Quebec Municipalities (FQM) conference by stating her determination to move forward with amalgamation.

“It’s going to happen,” said Shawville Mayor Albert Armstrong. “She is going to make it happen. It’s up to the municipalities to get on with it and decide who they are going to amalgamate with.”

Although the minister did not express a time limit, rural municipalities can expect not to be pushed into amalgamation right away.

“We understand that the big urban areas are what she is going to put her time into right off the bat,” Armstrong said.

Mayors from the province of Quebec’s 1,355 municipalities attended the conference in Quebec City Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, along with some members of council.

Fort Coulonge Mayor Raymond Durocher attended the conference for the first time and enjoyed it.

“I think it is an asset to each municipality,” Durocher said. “You hear it all right from the horse’s mouth.”

Report recommends union of Quyon, Bristol: If Municipal Affairs Minister Louise Harel adopts the recommendations in the Gregoire Report submitted last week, then Pontiac Municipality will be split up, with Quyon joining Bristol.

“I would be very much surprised (if she doesn’t accept the report),” says James Simpson, the ministry’s regional director for the Outaouais.

The Gregoire Report was mandated by MA to examine amalgamation within the Communauté Urbaine de l’Outaouais (CUO) and the MRC des Collines.

In the report, Antoine Gregoire recommends that Pontiac Municipality be split, with the three sections going to, respectively, La Pêche, Chelsea and Bristol. Gregoire cited the “incompatibilities of belonging and of functioning” that have plagued the municipality.

“At the extreme southwest of the Municipality of Pontiac, you find Quyon,” he writes.

“Her neighbour, Bristol, adopted a resolution by virtue of which she would annex Quyon . . . In my opinion, it will be natural for thus speaking of giving consequence to her request and join Bristol and Quyon …”