A pair of researchers with the Observatoire du Développement de l’Outaouais (ODO) were in Shawville on Wednesday night to consult the public on their community.
Coordinator Yves McNicoll and research assistant Caroline Rousseau led the discussion, which took place at the Shawville CLSC and was attended by around a dozen people.
Rousseau explained that they were creating community portraits by dividing the whole Outaouais into sub-divisions of roughly 3,000-5,000 people, and then assessing the population’s level of health, education and other demographic factors. They displayed a map of the region which was colour-coded based on the socio-economic status of the area.
“Statistics are good for maps, for [plans], but we have to hear from you what’s happening on the ground. This is the reason we want to come here, take notes and share the experience,” McNicoll said.
The ODO publishes regular snapshots on various demographic data that is published to their website and can be used by public officials to help shape policy.
The evening’s data focused on the municipalities of Shawville, Bristol, Clarendon and Portage-du-Fort.
The MRC has a much lower education level than the regional average, with only nine per cent of residents having a university degree, compared to 34 per cent in the Outaouais. The MRC has a larger proportion of seniors than the rest of the region (27 per cent compared to 17 per cent in the Outaouais).
One striking statistic is that between 2013 and 2020 men in the region had a life expectancy of 75 years (76 across MRC Pontiac), compared to the Outaouais average of 81, though life expectancy of women in the area is only a single year shorter than the regional average (81 compared to 82 in the Outaouais).
CISSSO’s Pontiac network director Nicole Boucher-Larivière gave some insight on these troubling numbers.
“We know we have one of the highest rates of cardiovascular disease in Quebec,” she said “We have a really high rate of smokers, extreme alcohol consumption, more than the rest of the area, with a low education level so it’s a perfect [storm] for cardiovascular disease.”
Attendees were invited to take part in a survey on their views of the area where they live, and were posed a series of open-ended questions, such as why they chose to live there, how they feel their community is viewed, and what they would like to see in the next 10 years.
Residents spoke about the difficulty accessing services in the community and the lack of opportunity for local youth and employment.
The ODO hosted an event in Campbell’s Bay the following evening, and will be hosting additional public consultations in Pontiac on Feb. 11 at the Otter Lake RA Hall, and at the Luskville Community Centre on Mar. 17 at 6 p.m..
