CALEB NICKERSON
SHAWVILLE June 6, 2018
On June 6, seniors in the Shawville area gathered at the Shawville Community Lodge for a morning of snacks and pertinent information.
Organized by the Pontiac Organization of Seniors and Retirees, this was the first of four seniors’ cafés to be hosted across the region. The events feature representatives from local organizations that might have services that interest seniors.
The Connexions Resource Centre had a presentation about the services they offer, including their beacon program for caregivers. The project looks to train “beacons”, to spot and refer vulnerable caregivers in the community to whichever social service they might need.

TransporAction Director Sylvie Bertrand spoke to attendees about the volume and location of the trips the organization made over the past year, explaining that they do more than just shuttles to the local clinic. They also offer transportation for things like driver’s licenses, and even go as far as the hospital in Montreal.
Mike Lacasse, a community worker with local mens’ crisis centre, Autonhomme Pontiac, spoke about what they bring to the local community.
“It’s a service that’s needed,” he said. “Usually men, myself included, have trouble asking for help. When they come to us they’ve usually hit rock bottom.”
Lacasse said that in addition to their temporary housing in Campbell’s Bay, they help men and their families with things like getting access to healthcare and doing their tax returns.
To wrap things up, Michel Vallières from the Corporation de Développement Communautaire (CDC) Pontiac spoke about the forum on social and community development that he is planning for November. He was looking to form a panel of seniors from around the Pontiac to participate, and took down several names.
He said further details will be made available when he officially announces the forum on June 18.