July
Province’s new flood zone map to stop any construction
The Campbell’s Bay RA was standing room only on July 4 as more than 400 people crammed the sweltering hall to voice their concerns about the province’s new flood map.
In the new flood map, the province created Special Intervention Zones (ZIS), which put a freeze on any construction or re-construction on any structures within the zones.
The freeze came into effect when the map was released on June 17 and includes massive swaths of the Pontiac.
Fire tears through Escapade Eskimo
An early morning fire near Danford Lake ravaged a business and home on July 12.
Just before 5 a.m., the Otter Lake Fire Department was called to Escapade Eskimo, a dogsledding company, where they found the main building fully engulfed.
Owner Sylvain Drapeau said that he and his wife Caroline were on vacation in Baie-Comeau when he got the early morning call from friends who had been staying at the lodge.
Multiple charges laid after home invasion
A 45-year-old man was in custody and faced numerous charges following a violent home invasion in Sand Bay on July 12.
Daniel Chartrand, of Gatineau, was accused of breaking into a home on chemin Hobbs in Clarendon in the early hours of the day and assaulting the homeowner, Darlene Allen, as well as his former partner and the mother of his child, Sacha Issajenko, with at least one weapon.
Chartrand faced seven charges, according to Crown Prosecutor Simon Pelletier: break and enter, two counts each of assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm, forcible confinement and mischief.
Health care workers speak out
Local health care workers spoke out about their work conditions, and called on officials to step up their staffing efforts.
In the July 17 issue, several personal support workers (PAB) employed at the long-term care facilities in the region spoke to The Equity under the condition that their names wouldn’t be published, due to fear of repercussions from their employer, CISSSO. For the same reason, many PABs contacted by The Equity either didn’t respond or declined to speak.
Those that did, spoke of chronic short-staffing, which has increasingly caused burnouts among those pulling double duty.
Community leaders speak out on ZIS map
On July 16, the Quebec government unveiled its revised map for the special intervention zone (ZIS) along with a number of construction regulations to put a hold on projects in flood zones until further notice.
After releasing a map largely deemed as exaggerated and inaccurate by community leaders all over the region earlier this month, the newest version of the ZIS was modified to represent a more accurate depiction of the territory affected by the 2017 and 2019 floods.
With the new delimitations, the government has banned construction and renovation of buildings destroyed by a flood in the ZIS, unless they meet the criteria for exception.
Jamboree: Lions host 16th country fest
Between July 18-21, hundreds of people from the Pontiac and beyond gathered at Armstrong Heritage Farm in Shawville for the town’s 16th annual Country Jamboree. Put on by the Shawville Lions Club, the event served as an opportunity for country music fans from all over the region to enjoy classic tunes from their favorite artists in a friendly atmosphere while raising money for a new elevator at the Lions Hall.
With around 200 motorhomes scattered along the grounds surrounding the stage area, people either sat in their lawn chairs in front of the stage, relaxed by their RV’s or danced with their partners, while taking in the sweet sounds of country.
Motorcyclist dies after head-on crash
On July 20, a female motorcyclist died after colliding head-on with another vehicle in Thorne.
Emergency crews were called to the scene on Rte. 303 just outside Ladysmith at around 2:30 in the afternoon. Stephanie Gagnon, a 45-year-old woman from Gatineau, was alone on her motorcycle with a group of four riders headed northbound, when she was struck by a vehicle trying to pass in the opposite direction.
Month-long obstetrics shut-down at PCH
The Pontiac Community Hospital (PCH) faced a month-long interruption to obstetrics services, unless drastic action is taken by local authorities.
Interruptions to obstetrics have occurred earlier in the year, but this occasion will be different, according to the PCH’s manager of Short Term Care and General Care, Natalie Romain.
According to Romain, several factors led up to this breach in services, which, at the time of print, is scheduled to begin on Friday July 25 at 4 p.m. and last at least a month.
Annual truck and tractor pull takes over Quyon
On July 26, hundreds of people from the Pontiac and beyond crowded the grounds with RV’s and trucks and foot-traffic for the Quyon fourth annual Tractor and Truck Pull.
Organized by a small committee of residents with the help of around 100 hard-working volunteers and local sponsors, the event served as a community get together where folks could take in the sounds of loud engines as the best pullers in the region arrived in town to wow the local crowd.
As the contestants’ eyes locked onto the shiny Donnie Campbell Memorial Trophy, heavy pick-up truck and tractor drivers made their way onto a 200-foot dirt track where they were tasked with towing a large, green metal float weighing anywhere between 28,000 and 60,000 pounds, as far as they could.
More than 20 power outages in a month for Allumettes
July was a hectic month for power outages on Allumettes Island and 2019 was shaping up to be one of the worst on record.
Going at a record-breaking pace, the municipality had reached a whopping 50 outages in 2019 and the number continued to soar. With 22 in July alone, it matched the single month record from June 2016.
The single year record for outages stood at 75 as of November.
August
Down and dirty: 20th annual Mud Run
On Aug. 3, the Danford Lake RA grounds were filled with the roar of engines as hundreds of people gathered for the 20th annual Mud Run. Gearheads put their trucks, quads and even snowmobiles up against one another and the pits of soupy mud to claim bragging rights and hundreds in prize money.
The event is the primary fundraiser for the RA, explained Alleyn et Cawood Mayor Carl Mayer, who was posted up at the entrance selling tickets with his daughter Erika.
Woman injured after boat strikes Quyon Ferry
A pontoon boat traveling on the Ottawa River collided with the Quyon Ferry sending a woman in her 60s to the hospital with serious but non life-threatening injuries on Aug. 5.
MRC des Collines Police spokesman Martin Fournel said that the cause of the collision was still under investigation, but there were three people on board the pleasure craft at the time, a man, a woman and their grandchild.
The woman, a 62-year-old from Guelph, Ont., was thrown off her feet by the impact, and was taken to hospital in Ontario with a broken pelvis and a laceration to her head, Fournel reported.
Remebering Fred Meilleur in the Upper Pontiac
On Aug. 10, over 550 people gathered inside the Upper Pontiac Sports Complex in Chapeau to take in a special theatrical production in honour of an iconic figure in the community.
The event served as an opportunity to celebrate the legacy of the late Fred Meilleur by putting on a play about him and the shenanigans that went on at his hotel, according to organizing committee member Belle Harrington.
Produced by Ottawa Valley-based Ish Theilheimer and directed by Chantal Elie-Sernoskie, it told the story of Fred Meilleur, the Chapeau Hotel and the cast of characters who came in over the years.
Lu skville Dragway celebrates 50 years
In late August of 1969, the Summer of Love was in full swing as Woodstock became a cultural phenomenon, Neil Armstrong had recently set foot on the moon, and the sound of revving engines pierced the air at the Luskville Dragway for the first time.
On Aug. 17, 2019 several original racers from that August day were in attendance to see the horsepower on display as racers laid down some rubber and tore down the track. Ed Decooman was joined trackside by several originals including Rolly Doucette, Denis Gagnon, Janneot Tessier, George Petric and Roger Laroche – the track’s original manager.
The end of the ridge
Joanne Labadie and her husband Doug Briden officially announced on Aug. 21, that after nearly 15 years of growing and selling wine and lavender products to people from all over the world, their family business – Lavender Ridge Farm – would be closing for good.
Over its decade-plus of operations, the farm specialized in selling high-quality wine and lavender based products using the crops grown on their property.
Through the years, the farm hosted countless weddings, catered luncheons for various organizations and attracted people from far and near.
4h Club hosts annual judging competition
Around 50 members of Shawville’s 4-H Club gathered at the Shawville Fairgrounds to take part in the club’s annual judging competition on Aug. 21.
As the first part of a two-legged event, the competition served as an opportunity for the club’s members to prepare work on their public speaking abilities ahead of their showing at the Shawville Fair.
According to the Shawville 4-H Club’s President, Bradley Dubeau, the judging competition served as a prerequisite for members wanting to partake in the showing.
163rd Shawville Fair opens
On Aug. 29, the 163rd edition of the Shawville Fair finally opened to the public, drawing thousands of people to kick off the festivities.
The gates opened at 4 p.m. and the midway started up an hour after, the sight of carnies setting up their attractions mixed with the strong odors of food trucks and diesel, made it apparent that the biggest celebration in the Pontiac was about to get underway.
When things initially began, the foot-traffic was minimal, but the fairgrounds got significantly more lively as the night went on.
September
Sunday at the Fair
On Sept. 1, the action began inside the arena with the Light Horse Show, which featured over 50 riders competing in 48 different classes. Over at the outdoor ring, hundreds of people packed the stands while many others stood alongside the railing hoping to get the best view of the horse pull. Capping off the night in grand fashion, Canadian country music superstar Brett Kissel rocked the crowd under the bright lights in front of a sea of thousands of exuberant fans.
National Park committee offers site visit
Members of the MRC’s national park committee gave local officials and the press a tour of the property they hope to augment with suspension bridges and ATV trails on Sept. 5.
Led by Wilderness Tours owner Joe Kowalski, the tour first took the participants down to Garvin’s Chute, a set of rapids on the middle channel (between French Island and Calumet Island). The group of islands that sit on the west coast of Grand Calumet Island (French, Lafontaine and Green) are collectively known as the Lafontaine Islands.
Pontiac MP Will Amos, Warden Jane Toller and Vern Barr of the Kitchissippi Indigenous Association were some of those invited on the tour, along with Alastair Baird of the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association and MRC Tourism Marketing officer Chantal Lair.
“It’s a nightmare”: Flood victims weary of delays with winter fast approaching
THE EQUITY toured the municipality of Waltham in September which was hit hard by the flooding this spring, to put a human face on the tragedy that struck the region and see how residents are coping with the circumstances.
Suzanne Lauzon Marchand sat in what remained of the living room in her bungalow on chemin du Traversier, where she’s lived for the past 30 years, surrounded by boxes of her belongings. She dabbed at her eyes with a ball of Kleenex as she detailed the miserable experience she’s had over the past few years.
“It’s been brutal,” she said, adding that she can’t seem to get a hold of anyone at the provincial ministry of Public Security (MSP) for details on her file. “I call every day … They’re not answering the phone.”
Celebrating the life of Eli Boucher in Chapeau
Around 500 people from the Pontiac and beyond convened at the Upper Pontiac Sports Complex in Chapeau on Sept.17 for a special night of music and socializing in commemoration of a local musical icon.
Featuring around 15 musical acts from the Ottawa Valley, the event consisted of a charity concert in memory of Allumettes Island’s very own Eli Boucher all while raising funds for Residence Meilleur. Organized by Boucher’s wife Joan and his son Eli Jr., the event was put together in an effort to fulfill a promise they made to Boucher before he passed away last December.
Hitting the links to knock out Cystinosis
Over 60 golf enthusiasts from the region hit the links at Pontefract Golf Club for a good cause, during the Cystinosis Research Foundation’s fourth annual charity golf tournament.
Organized by Gislaine Drolet and her daughter Marthe, the tournament served as a fundraiser in support of Marthe’s 11-year-old daughter Marylynn, a victim of the extremely rare and life-threatening illness.
Featuring 15 teams of four golfers apiece, the tournament consisted of a best ball game played over nine holes.
Leading the way
On Sept. 15, the Pontiac High School parking lot swelled with all manner of cyclists and pedestrians for the 38th annual Pontiac Terry Fox Run. There was music pumping out of the school’s gymnasium and the Shawville Lions had their barbeque firing on all cylinders, passing out burgers and hot dogs to people left and right.
The fundraiser was founded in 1981, as a commemoration of Fox’s iconic Marathon of Hope and has raised nearly a billion dollars for cancer research since that time.
Walking together for Muscular Dystrophy research
Around 125 people gathered at the Père Arthur-Guertin Community Centre in Gatineau to walk in support of a good cause, during the 12th annual Outaouais Walk for Muscular Dystrophy (MD). Organized by Muscular Dystrophy Canada, the goal of the walk was to raise funds for Muscular Dystrophy research in order to support families affected by the illness and the researchers working hard to find a cure and to raise awareness for those who aren’t familiar with what’s all about. Prior to hitting the road, the large crowd of participants gathered in front of the starting line just outside the community centre, as some of the event’s coordinators Brigitte Fleury, André Soucie and Bristol MD advocate Jenna Keindel delivered brief speeches, thanking everyone for contributing to the cause.
Another obstetrics interruption at PCH
There was yet another interruption in the obstetrics services at the Pontiac Community Hospital, lasting from Sept. 27 at 4 p.m. to Sept. 30 at 8 a.m.
According to a press release from the Le Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO), the service break was caused by a lack of nursing staff.
Comets announce new captain
Having just kicked off their second regular season in franchise history, the Pontiac Senior AA Comets have officially unveiled their leadership core.
On Sept. 30, the team announced on its Facebook page that one of its new additions, Darcy Findlay, would be its captain for the 2019-20 campaign.
According to the team’s head coach Jean-Francois Lavergne, the decision layed on the notion that he wanted to pick a local player, with loads of hockey experience who carried himself with confidence and leadership.
October
Community in mourning
On Oct. 1, the community of Fort Coulonge and Mansfield was struck by tragedy, as a local teenager died in a single-vehicle accident.
Véronique Bourque, 17, was reported missing on Tuesday morning and a description of her and her vehicle travelled quickly on social media. She had been last seen in the Pembroke area on Monday evening and was headed towards Fort Coulonge.
Around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, her car was discovered in a ditch next to Hwy. 148 on Allumettes Island. She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead. On Wednesday evening hundreds of people sporting red, Bourque’s favourite colour, and holding candles gathered at the park in Fort Coulonge for a vigil in her memory.
35 years of Oktoberfest
Between Oct. 4-6, thousands of people from the region and beyond gathered at the T.C.R.A. in Ladysmith to participate in the town’s 35th annual Oktoberfest.
Celebrating the area’s German heritage, the event was also a fundraiser for a number of community organizations, according to the festival’s President Lorraine Bretzlaff. With German flags lined up along the streets of Ladysmith and hundreds of campers stationed across the street from the T.C.R.A., it was evident that the town was gearing up for its biggest party of the year.
CISSSO holds public forum
A cohort of representatives from the the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO), held a public forum at the CAP in Shawville on Oct. 7. Attendees from the public were significantly outnumbered by staff and officials from the health care authority, who counted more than a dozen.
The public meeting took place almost entirely in French, and was led by CISSSO’s new Director General Josée Filion. The meeting in Shawville was just one of several that the group would be conducting throughout the enormous territory, which stretches from Maniwaki to Gatineau.
Amos re-elected in landslide victory
Liberal Party incumbent Will Amos was re-elected as member of parliament on Oct. 21 after amassing nearly half of the votes (29,759 – 48.85 per cent) in the Pontiac riding.
Conservative candidate Dave Blackburn finished second (10,298 – 16.91 per cent), Jonathan Carreiro-Benoit of the Bloc Québecois came third (9,851 – 16.17 per cent), followed by the New Democratic Party’s (NDP) Denise Giroux in fourth (6,364 – 10.45 per cent), the Green Party’s Claude Bertrand finished in fifth (3,631 – 5.96 per cent), the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) represented by Mario Belec ended up in sixth (764 – 1.25 per cent), Shawn Stewart of the Veterans Coalition Party finished seventh (197 – 0.32 per cent) and Marxist-Leninist candidate Louis Lang took the eighth and final spot (51 – 0.08 per cent).
As polls came to a close Monday night, around 50 Liberal Party volunteers and supporters gathered at the Cage aux Sports in the Plateau sector of Gatineau to join Amos and his team at his election party.
Bryson RA celebrates 50 years, fetes local chef
The Lions Hall in Bryson was filled to capacity on Oct. 25 for a special evening honouring a huge milestone for the local community, and also celebrating a local boy who has found incredible success in his career.
The evening was put on by the Bryson Recreation Association (RA) to celebrate 50 years of organizing activities throughout the community. In addition, Bryson native and accomplished chef, Yannick LaSalle, along with a team from Les Fougères restaurant in Chelsea served up a barrage of high quality hors d’oeuvres throughout the night.
Dryland draws drivers from all over
From Oct. 25-27, thousands of people from different parts of North America gathered at Timberland Tours in Bristol for the 10th annual Bristol Dryland dog race.
From the sounds of ATV engines roaring to loud Euro hounds howling like wolves, Timberland Tours was the place to be for sled dog racers and enthusiasts from the region.
Featuring around 300 teams, the large crowds on hand were a testament to the event’s consistent growth over the last decade, according to its founding coordinator Denis Rozon.
Another breach in obstetrics at PCH
There was yet another breach in services at Pontiac Community Hospital (PCH)’s obstetrics unit, the fourth interruption since September.
The most recent interruption took place from 8 a.m. Oct. 18 to 8 a.m. Oct. 21. While imminent births would still be taken care of by hospital staff, a press release from the health authority CISSSO states that mothers would be directed to either Pembroke or Gatineau Hospitals.
This string of interruptions has been blamed on a shortage of staff in the unit, and throughout CISSSO as a whole. The situation has also been festering for some time, as there was nearly a month-long interruption in August that was narrowly averted the deployment of a team of mid-wives to bolster staff.
November
Strong winds wreak havoc on ferry
Strong winds snapped the cable on the Quyon Ferry on Nov. 1, causing it to drift off of its regular path and the business to shut down its operations for a couple of days.
According to one of the ferry’s owners Ralph McColgan, the vessel had just taken off from the Ontario side of the river, at around 8:30 a.m., when operators noticed something wrong with the cable.
Upon inspection, McColgan noticed that the cable was visibly damaged, so he attempted to return it to Ontario.
However, the boat started to drift around 300 feet down the river from the Ontario side, which prompted ferry workers to drop an anchor and let the ship sit in the water until the winds died down.
Fortin proposes presumed consent bill
Pontiac MNA André Fortin proposed to establish a law that would presume consent for organ or tissue donations across the province, at the National Assembly in Quebec City on Nov. 5.
Titled as Bill-399, the main goal of the law is to save as many lives as possible, according to Fortin, by simplifying the process of donating organs after death.
Services for “Historic Anglos” only
On Nov. 5, the Coalition Avenir du Quebec (CAQ) proposed that only “historic Anglophones” in the province should have access to government services in English.
In an article published in the Globe and Mail, Premier François Legault tried to clarify the definition of the term.
“As per Bill 101… [if] your parents went to the English school, you have rights in Quebec and we respect those rights. If you’re a new migrant, we have to talk to them in French, that’s the difference.”
In the same story, Quebec Immigration Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette stated that the government would continue to provide its services in English to “historic Anglophones”, while newly arrived residents would only be assisted in French.
More trouble for obstetrics unit
The Pontiac region was hit with more bad news at the start of November, as it was announced that two of the five doctors in the obstetrics unit at the Pontiac Community Hospital (PCH) would be leaving by year’s end, in addition to another breach in surgical and obstetrics services.
The news of the two physicians leaving was broken by Radio-Canada the previous week, and CISSSO spokesperson Marie-Pier Després confirmed in an email to THE EQUITY that the doctors would be departing in December.
She added that CISSSO had known about the departures since mid-October, and said that they would be reorganizing the schedule to guarantee services until the end of January.
Record year for outages in Allumettes
The upper Pontiac had the misfortune of setting a record at the end of October, for the most power outages in recorded history. At 75 as of Oct. 31, they are tied with the previous record set in 2016, when the outages prompted outrage from the community and local officials established a committee to look into the causes of the numerous service interruptions.
Allumettes Island farmer David Gillespie has been keeping a log of the outages and their length since 2009 and said that while there were some improvements made by Hydro Quebec since 2016, they still have a long way to go.
Shawville Lions celebrate 70 years
On Nov. 16, the Lions Hall in Shawville was packed as members of the service club and their families celebrated 70 years of building community.
Following a dinner prepared by Bob Smith and family, the evening’s festivities got underway with a brief introduction by Lion Terry Campbell. He welcomed the local members, as well as their guests from other clubs, such as the Pontiac Lions from Campbell’s Bay, who sponsored the creation of the Shawville Club all the way back in 1949.
Report: CAQ should think twice about bill 40
The Institut de Recherche et d’Informations Socio-economiques (IRIS) unveiled a report stating that the Coalition Avenir du Québec should revise Bill 40 – its plan to replace the province’s schoolboards with so-called “service centres.”
Issued on Nov. 21, the report indicated that, while only saving the government around $13 million per year, the proposed legislation would prevent parents from holding positions with school board administrations.
It stated that eliminating elected board commissioners would save around 0.1 per cent of school board’s annual budgets.
Contradictory to the province’s Minister of Education and Higher Learning Jean-Francois Roberge’s insinuations, the bill would remove power from the hands of parents and double their workload, while centralizing their power to the government.
Flood victims frustrated by long waits for compensation, poor communication
The record-breaking flooding this spring might seem like a distant memory, but for homeowners in Pontiac’s waterfront communities, it’s an ongoing nightmare.
In the Nov. 27 issue, The Equity spoke with several homeowners in Waltham and Mansfield about their ongoing efforts to receive compensation and return their homes to a liveable condition.
Matechuk retirement party
Gavan’s Hotel in Quyon was packed to capacity on Nov. 30, as hundreds of people from both sides of the Ottawa River rolled into town to wish the hotel’s owner, Nick Matechuk, a happy retirement.
Organized by the hotel staff, the event was promoted on social media as a surprise party for Matechuk and attendees were invited to bring friends along for the occasion, under the condition of keeping everything under wraps.
But at around 8:30 p.m., Matechuk noticed crowds being significantly larger than he expected, until someone walked up to him saying “Congratulations on your retirement”.
December
Overtime costs soar, hospital staffer speaks out
The obstetrics department at Pontiac Community Hospital (PCH) experienced a break-in service at the end of November, the ninth in the past two months.
The break lasted from Nov. 29 at 4 p.m. to Dec. 2at 8 a.m. and was caused by a lack of nursing staff.
According to data THE EQUITY obtained from CISSSO, the problem wasn’t limited to the obstetrics department, but is system-wide. Overtime hours and compensation for all workers at PCH have nearly quadrupled in five years, rising from 5,718.14 hours ($256,958.07) in 2014 to 21,917.32 ($969,074.18) in 2019.
Pontiac artists look back on successful year
On Dec. 4, a group of local artists gathered at the Stone School Gallery in Portage du Fort, as the Pontiac Artists Association (PAA) held its annual general meeting (AGM). ArtPontiac President Louise Guay opened the event with a word of welcome.
After a review of the minutes from last year’s AGM, Guay presented the association’s annual report in French and English, which she explained was a great success.
Among other things, the report highlighted the hard work the association’s members had put in over the past year, their achievements and their contributions to the Pontiac’s artistic identity.
Brewery celebrates one-year anniversary
Brauwerk Hoffman brewery in Campbell’s Bay celebrated their first anniversary on Dec. 8. Over the past 12 months, their location just outside of town on Hwy. 148 saw some considerable upgrades and changes.
Owner Todd Hoffman explained that customers had been asking for an area where they could sit and enjoy one of the many traditional brews on tap, along with some food.
Campbell’s Bay fire leaves half-dozen people homeless
A fire tore through a triplex in Campbell’s Bay in the early hours of Dec. 11, leaving a family and two other tenants homeless.
Fire crews were called to a structural fire, located at 5 rue Patterson at 12:28 a.m.. Five trucks and 17 firefighters responded from the Campbell’s Bay-Litchfield Department, with an additional truck and six firefighters dispatched from the Shawville-Clarendon Department.
Crews worked quickly to prevent the fire from doing damage to a neighbouring house, which was located just six feet from the burning building.
Obstetrics closed for holidays
Due to severe staffing shortages, the Centre Intégré de Santé et des Services Sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO) announced that obstetric services at the Pontiac Community Hospital (PCH) was closed for 21 days – Dec. 13 to Jan. 3. at 8 a.m.
With the last closure of the service taking place the previous weekend, the announcement marked the 10th time PCH was forced to shut down its obstetrics department since the beginning of September.
According to a press release issued on Dec. 12, CISSSO is determined to maintain the service. However, to ensure that hospital personnel don’t get overworked, CISSSO determined that there was no other choice but to take time off and give staff members a chance to catch their breath.
Sorting centre announces layoffs
A press conference was called at the offices of the Pontiac Sorting Centre on Dec. 13 to announce that they would be laying off 32 workers and closing their facility to the public. The conference was attended by Mayors John Armstrong (Clarendon), Lynne Cameron (Portage du Fort) and Colleen Larivière (Litchfield) as well as Warden Jane Toller.
The site’s director of operations Gerry Philippe explained that the layoffs were due to the company’s difficulties in dealing with the provincial Ministry of Environment.
Comets continue historic winning streak
On Dec. 14, the Pontiac Senior Comets won their eighth straight game and second on the road, after eviscerating the Mont-Tremblant Diables (3-8-1) by a score of 8-4 in their own barn on Saturday night.
With the result, the Comets were in first place in the Outaouais Senior AA Hockey League (OSAAHL) standings with a 9-4-0 record, six points ahead of the second-place Maniwaki Forestiers. Coming into the game against the last-ranked team in the league, the Comets knew that they had to come out strong and avoid complacency in order to come back home with the two points and extend its successful streak.
New DG at Le Patro
Le Patro in Mansfield et Pontefract announced, via its Facebook page on Dec. 9, the nomination of its newest Director General, Suzanne Dazé,
According to the press release, Dazé boasts 15 years of experience with the organization and her knowledge of the area along with her numerous accomplishments over her tenure made her the best candidate for the position.
Dazé replaced Father Marc Frappier who had served with Le Patro for over three decades and the organization wished him all the best.
