On Friday evening SADC Pontiac hosted its partners and clients for a dinner on the Félix-Gabriel-Marchand covered bridge in Mansfield, to celebrate the non-profit’s’s 40th anniversary. The SADC is a federally-funded organization with a mission to promote economic development in rural regions.
Dozens of invitees attended the supper, including various elected officials, representatives of community organizations and local entrepreneurs, taking in a meal with locally sourced food and drink, all while listening to local musicians.
“Tonight we come together to celebrate 40 years of SADC Pontiac, it’s a milestone that reflects our history and our vision for the future,” Director Rhonda Perry said to the crowd in her introduction. “Since 1985, SADC has supported local development, fostered entrepreneurship and strengthened the vitality of our region.”
Perry highlighted the fact that when the organization started (then known by the acronym LEAD) the board was entirely men, and now they have near gender parity (four women, five men). She also credited Dennis Blaedow of the Pontiac Tourism Association with the idea of hosting an event on the bridge itself.
Pontiac MNA André Fortin called the venue a “once-in-a-lifetime setting” and noted that it’s no small feat to get the MTQ to close the bridge temporarily.
Mansfield-et-Pontefract mayor Sandra Armstrong highlighted the unique use of her town’s best-known landmark and applauded the SADC’s work in the community.
“Welcome to Mansfield and this beautiful jewel of the pont Félix-Gabriel-Marchand,” she said. “It is with immense pride and deep gratitude that I take the floor today to mark a remarkable milestone, the 40th anniversary of the Pontiac SADC [ . . . ] Pontiac is a land of resilience, solidarity, and boldness, and the SADC embodies these values with flying colours.”
Perry, who has been with the SADC in various roles for the last 27 years, said that she’s proud of the team that’s been built over the years.
“I’m so blessed and fortunate [ . . . ] with my years of experience that I’ve been there I’ve got to see a little bit of everything, operations on the ground as well as more management side of things,” she said. “What I’m proud of is that we have good retention in our team. A lot of the staff have been there for over 10 years, so I think that speaks volumes.”
She said that the dinner was a part of the organization’s broader 40th anniversary celebrations, as the team has spent the past few months touring all of the municipalities that it serves.
