STEPHEN RICCIO
MRC PONTIAC
March 5, 2021
As this electoral term comes to a close, MRC Pontiac Warden Jane Toller provided a progress update on her 11 priorities since taking office during a virtual press conference on March 5.
The priorities, which she unveiled in 2018 following her election as warden of the county in late 2017, were the following:
1 – Internet and cellular coverage
2 – Increased forestry
3 – Increase agriculture operations
4 – Pontiac Pool
5 – Improve road infrastructure
6 – French CEGEP and trades program
7 – Increase composting and recycling
8 – ATV trails network
9 – Tourism marketing
10 – Regional industrial park
11 – Small business creation/Main Street revitalization
Toller spent the conference going through each priority and outlining her progress on each one, implying that each one had been improved in one way or another.
“Some of them are well on their way to being accomplished and some need some more time, perhaps by the end of this year,” she said. “I needed to make some important changes at the MRC and at the mayor’s council. I think it was an adjustment for them to have an elected person come in who is elected by people in 18 municipalities … What I felt was needed was more transparency, and better communication to the public.”
Referring to her priority of improving internet and cellular coverage, Toller focused on the two Connexion Fibre Picanoc projects that have been submitted to the CRTC and the federal government, with the former being a request for $57 million and the latter requesting $68 million. She emphasized that if either project is approved, it would greatly increase the number of households connected to high-speed internet service.
Following that, Toller spoke about the various mill sites that she has worked on as forestry development opportunities, including Commonwealth Plywood in Rapides des Joachims, Jovalco in Mansfield et Pontefract and Énergie Davidson in Davidson.
Notably, she did not mention the ongoing attempts within the MRC to build a biopark at the Pontiac Regional Industrial Site, instead saying that she was focused on using former mill sites to develop projects.
Toller said that the main accomplishment for developing agriculture was her work on agritourism, the support of the opening of the Abattoir les Viandes du Pontiac in Shawville and a request to the province for a special agricultural status.
Then moving onto the Pontiac Pool project that was listed as her fourth priority, she referenced how the project committee had downsized its development plans in order to make it a more feasible project.
Regarding road infrastructure, she cited the reopening of the red bridge in Mansfield, a request to the Ministry of Transport to improve the main highway and the paving and straightening of Hwy. 366.
Toller said that her biggest accomplishments for her priority to improve French Cégep and trades programs were the ongoing plan to implement local nursing and forestry schools, and the lowering of the Transcollines student bus rate.
While discussing her hope to increase composting and recycling, she said that the progress was centred around increasing awareness. She said that the closure of the Pontiac Sorting Centre due to Ministry of Environment violations hurt the ability to dispose of construction waste, but mentioned her push for an energy from waste facility as a possible solution to waste disposal.
She then spoke about her priority of expanding the ATV trail network. She said that many municipalities had added roads to their trail network, and she added she was hopeful about an upcoming meeting with the Pontiac Quad Club president to discuss an ATV network.
Referring to tourism marketing, Toller mentioned the microsite, Destination Pontiac, that had been created by the MRC staff in an attempt to present the region’s attractions to visitors.
Her tenth priority was development of the industrial park, and she mentioned that any full-on cleanup of the facility wouldn’t take place until a business invests in the space and does so. She said that she was hopeful that the sorting centre would be allowed to reopen, and again cited the potential for an energy from waste facility within the park.
Toller’s last priority was the creation of small businesses and revitalization of town main streets. She cited the MRC’s main street fund which contributed to things like welcome signs for municipalities to take advantage of. She also said that municipalities should work on making lists in order to catalogue the empty buildings that could then solicit future investment opportunities.
She also highlighted her top three moments as warden, mentioning Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks Pierre Dufour’s reference of her name at a recent forestry conference when mentioning potential projects as her best moment. She also cited a Le Droit front page that mentioned the Pontiac as a location for an energy from waste facility, as well as her initiative to create a youth council during the first half of her term as warden.
Toller said that her worst moment as warden was having the Council of Mayors divided on votes on the forestry project at the biopark, as she viewed it to be her job to keep the council united.
She closed the conference by encouraging people to get involved and run for office during this year’s municipal elections.
