Current warden Jane Toller and former warden Mike McCrank have announced their plans to run for the position of warden for the MRC Pontiac in the upcoming election.

Jane Toller was a municipal councillor in Toronto from 1998 until 2006 when she ran for mayor and was defeated by David Miller. In 2012, she purchased her ancestral home in Fort Coulonge and developed the site as an inn, a restaurant and conference centre. In 2017, she ran in the first election for warden decided by general population (universal suffrage), and won.

Ms. Toller announced her plan to run for a second term as warden in a press conference convened at her conference centre in Fort Coulonge on Monday afternoon. Nine Pontiac leaders in tourism, agriculture, forestry, health, business, municipal politics and the Indigenous community spoke in support of her candidacy.

Forestry was one of the 11 issues addressed by Ms. Toller in her presentation to media and other guests.

“I am the one four years ago who said that forestry is not dead,” she said, adding that business plans have now been developed for the Rapides des Joachims, Davidson and Jovalco mills.

Another of the items she raised was compost and recycling.

“We have made a claim for ourselves as the only willing host in the Outaouais to take municipal waste from the Outaouais, and Ontario, when it is permitted. This will mean 50 jobs and save us over a million dollars a year,” she said, recalling her happiness at seeing the Le Droit headline ‘Pontiac wants our garbage.’

Mike McCrank served as a municipal councillor in Litchfield for eight years and then as mayor for another 20. As mayor, he was elected warden by his peers, the other mayors within MRC Pontiac, and served for almost 14 years from 2000 to 2013. In 1985, he took over the store in Vinton and ran it until it closed in 2000, and has been a commissioner on the Western Quebec School Board for the past 14 years.

In a conversation with The Equity last week, Mr. McCrank said his intention as warden would be to work with all mayors in the service of all the people of the MRC.

“It will be a collective effort,” he said, “because valuable input is needed and appreciated from everyone around the table.”

He recalled that, as warden, he was behind an effort that led to growing test plots of hops, rice and other agricultural products to give producers options to diversify.

“We were able to start some organic vegetable operations in the county and secure funds for them as a startup,” he said.

Mr. McCrank also spoke about forestry, among the many issues he would like to address if re-elected as warden.

“I believe there is still great wealth in the forest and we need to work toward innovation as the region still has a huge problem with pulp quality wood,” he said.

THE EQUITY will provide further coverage of the candidates’ platforms in the run-up to the election of warden, which will take place in conjunction with municipal elections on November 7.

Anyone wishing to join the race may submit their candidacy to the MRC between September 17 and October 1.

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