In honour of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Normandy landings, a ceremony will be held June 6 at 11:30 a.m. at the War Memorial on King Street. The event aims to commemorate the contributions of Canadian forces in World War II, particularly those from Sherbrooke.
Gilles Viger, vice president of the Comité des vétérans des Cantons de l’Est, who was involved in the ceremony’s planning, explained to The Record June 5 that Sherbrooke’s participation is significant given its historical contributions. The ceremony will feature the deposition of a wreath and a few words from a local Padre to honour the veterans.
The event holds personal significance for many in the community. Viger shared that his father, a Normandy veteran, survived the war but experienced post-traumatic stress.
“He lived through rough times and spoke of his post-traumatic experiences,” Viger said.
Viger emphasized the importance of recognizing the sacrifices made by veterans and the need for continued support.
“We need to be supporting our veterans more than ever,” he insisted, “these men and women have given us the world we have now.”
The ceremony is also a moment to reflect on the current global situation, said Viger, who referenced ongoing conflicts such as the war in Ukraine and the Hamas/Israel conflict. Viger highlighted the importance of public awareness and the need for solidarity in the face of these challenges.
“We live in a rather dangerous world,” he remarked, underlining the relevance of such commemorations.
Local officials and veterans will attend the ceremony, with police presence ensuring a secure environment. The public is encouraged to join and pay their respects to those who served during a pivotal moment in history. Viger expressed gratitude for the community’s support and hopes for a meaningful commemoration.
Lennoxville Youth Centre members, staff, and board members gathered June 4 for its annual general meeting. Photo by William Crooks
Lennoxville Youth Center holds annual general meeting
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
On June 4, the Lennoxville Youth Center (LYC) held its annual general meeting (AGM) at its headquarters on Queen Street. The meeting was a comprehensive review of the past year’s activities, financial health, and a presentation of the budget and action plan for the upcoming year. A jovial and light-hearted atmosphere pervaded the event; participants snacked on pizza and traded jokes as the meeting unfolded.
The meeting began with the appointment of the president and secretary of the assembly. Marie-Eve Mailhot, the president, and Ashley Coulombe, the secretary, were nominated and confirmed in their respective roles. Attendees were officially welcomed and informed of the meeting’s agenda. The last names of youth members in this article have been omitted for reasons of confidentiality.
Review of past activities
Corissa Mullin, the interim executive director during Brooklynn Roy’s maternity leave, presented the annual activity report for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, emphasizing the center’s dedication to fostering positive change and community engagement.
“We are committed to further growth, learning, and inspiring resilience within our community,” Mullin said.
In the report, youth member Landon reflected on the year’s experiences, noting the enjoyment and educational value of trips and events.
The LYC had a vibrant and engaging year from 2023 to 2024, marked by robust participation and a variety of activities. With 1,108 visits and 93 planned and spontaneous activities, the center offered a rich program for youth between 12 and 17.
Notable activities included a garage sale fundraiser, Halloween community event, and a summer trip to Ottawa, where members explored the Natural History Museum and ByWard Market.
The center’s schedule, open from Tuesday to Friday evenings, will eventually extend to full days during the summer. Activities ranged from educational initiatives like Homework Nights and Healthy Cooking Workshops to physical pursuits such as hikes, bike trips, and laser tag. Special events like ‘Egg Day’ combined fun with learning, covering topics from human fertility to egg cooking tips.
Collaboration with local schools and community events further enriched the youth experience. Weekly lunch-hour animations at Alexander Galt Regional High School included relay races, board games, and video game tournaments, fostering social interaction and learning.
The LYC also participated in community clean-ups and festivals, reinforcing community ties. Mailhot in the report commended the dedication of the youth and staff, and looked forward to future growth and activities.
Financial statements
Stacey Loomis from Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton presented the financial statements for the year ending March 31, 2024. The LYC reported a slight deficit of $1,862, attributed to planned expenditures to utilize accumulated surpluses from previous years. Despite the deficit, the center maintained a healthy cash reserve of $67,840. Loomis explained the transition from an audit to a review engagement, which, while less comprehensive, still ensured the accuracy and reliability of the financial statements.
Preliminary budget for 2024-2025
Executive Director Brooklynn Roy presented the preliminary budget for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The budget forecasted total revenues of $219,592.06, primarily sourced from grants from Programme de soutien aux organismes communautaires (PSOC), Canada Summer Jobs, and the City of Sherbrooke. Notably, the center earmarked $12,000 from its surplus to support salaries and activities.
Projected expenses for the year include $153,853.13 for salaries, reflecting the return of Roy from maternity leave, and $11,000 for rent. Other expenses included telecommunications, electricity, professional fees, and various operational costs. Roy highlighted the center’s commitment to professional development, allocating $200 for staff training to better serve the youth.
Future plans
The action plan for 2024-2025 aims to increase membership, enhance community engagement, and ensure administrative and financial stability. Strategies include outreach programs at local schools, increased social media presence, and family-oriented activities. The center also plans to demystify its image by promoting the positive impact of its programs on youth development.
The LYC will continue to focus on securing grants and funding from various sources to support its activities. The action plan emphasizes the importance of providing youth-initiated activities, fostering responsibility and leadership among members.
Election of the board of directors
The AGM concluded with the election of the 2024-2025 Board of Directors. Hayley Harrison, Norm Green, Ashley Coulombe, Sheila Johnston, Landon, and Paige were nominated and confirmed as board members. Their roles within the board will be determined in a subsequent meeting.
For more information or to support the LYC, please contact Executive Director Brooklynn Roy at: dg@lennoxvilleyouthcenter.org
On May 30 at approximately 2:30 in the morning, Gatineau police officers intercepted a vehicle on Boulevard Maloney East. The vehicle was occupied by three individuals who were in possession of a variety of items associated with vehicle theft. The vehicle was traveling at low speed and appeared to be scouting the surrounding area.
There were three male individuals in the car, aged 16, 20 and 21. Upon searching the car, police discovered programmable keys, tablets to program keys, cables to access the on-board computer, and several burglary tools. The individuals had records for similar offenses.
All three individuals were transported to the police station for questioning. The two adult men will remain detained while the teenager was released with the promise to appear.
The suspects face charges of breach of order, conspiracy, and possession of burglary tools. The charges have been submitted to the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP). The investigation is ongoing.
Vehicle theft has significantly increased in Gatineau over the past few years. In 2020, there were 179 reported cases and, in 2021, there were 142 cases. Numbers jumped up to 339 cases in 2022 and 396 cases were reported last year. So far this year, there have been 152 reported vehicle theft cases from January to May 31. Spokesperson for the Gatineau Police Andrée East said that, compared to the same period last year, there have been 7% fewer reports this year.
Gatineau police encourage residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity in their neighbourhood. Car thieves usually scour the area before stealing the vehicle. Authorities advise residents to park vehicles in a well-lit area with video surveillance to deter thieves or at least help investigators in the event of theft.
Police encourage citizens to consider anti-theft technology such as a steering wheel anti-theft device, an on-board diagnostic protector, or a tracking or anti-theft system independent of the vehicle.
If elected, Bisson promised an $860 million dollar budget for 2025, an increase of $56.5 million from this year’s $803.5 million dollar budget. To increase the budget, Bisson plans to implement a user-pays concept for those using city infrastructure while living outside of Gatineau.
He promises to limit property tax increases to 2.9% for 2025. Among his many promises, he reiterated his commitment to build 300 social housing units per year for five years. He plans to spend $18 million to convert existing buildings into housing. He also proposes a tax credit for those building new housing developments.
The former real estate agent proposed a reduction in electrification of Société de Transport (STO) buses to generate a short-term surplus. Bisson also announced that, if elected, he intends to reinvest the money saved for the tramway to expand the Rapibus to the west of the city.
Tourism
In Gatineau tourism, Bisson foresees a pedestrian and bicycle path along Ruisseau de la Brasserie that links downtown to Lac Leamy Casino.
“I also intend to make Gatineau a more attractive city for tourism, and I’m going to push hard for the new convention center to be located in the area near Lac Leamy. My dream is for Gatineau to be able to attract major conventions to create and generate even more value and wealth for the people of Gatineau,” said Bisson
Photo: Stéphane Bisson, independent mayoral candidate, reveals his budget plans for 2025, his ideas for promoting tourism in Gatineau, and highlights that he has no conflicts of interest according to an independent legal assessment.
After two long years of drama, damning financial numbers and infighting between board members, members of the Wakefield community centre cooperative are finally ready to figure out its future.
About 70 members filed into the community centre on May 30 for an information session on whether or not to transfer ownership of the building to the municipality of La Pêche later in June. But what came out of the meeting was former board members accusing current ones of “skewing” numbers to paint a more doom and gloom picture of the centre’s future finances.
Former Centre Wakefield La Pêche (CWLP) board president Irene Richardson ignited an intense debate over the origins of the municipal building transfer and suggested that an agreement was drafted without the knowledge of the community centre’s board by councillors back in 2021.
“It was an unsolicited letter sent to the board…. I did not really appreciate that whatsoever, and I don’t think that’s accountability or transparency” said Richardson.
CWLP treasurer Lynn Forrest interrupted to state that she has a copy of an email from Richardson to the municipality, officially requesting a letter from the municipality regarding the draft agreement.
“I did not do that, and you do not have it,” Richardson fired back during an intense exchange. Richardson then took aim at the centre’s finances and claimed that the numbers that the current board put out in its 2024 financial statements were inaccurate. She was referring to the deficit projections put out by the board in late May, which show losses in the $200,000 range for the next three years.
“We’re not going to be in a $200,000 deficit three years from now,” Richardson told the crowd. “Well, I guess we could but…”
Board member Vanessa Passmore stepped in to say that board members were “very generous” when putting the projections together and added that the board is neither for nor against transferring the building to the municipality.
“And just to be clear, we are not trying to stretch numbers or anything like that,” she said. “We are you, we are members, and we are doing this for free. We are clearly just trying to bring this offer to you.”
Richardson continued to push buttons, but it was clear that neither the board members nor the crowd were interested in digging into issues of the past.
“This isn’t about that,” interrupted Forrest. “We have a letter before us, Irene, and we are being asked to review it, and that’s what this is about.”
The draft agreement from La Pêche states that the coop would “transfer ownership of the building” to the municipality while it would “continue the design, implementation and execution of artistic, recreational and cultural programming” at the centre. The municipality would be responsible for “all costs related to the building,” including maintenance, repairs, electricity costs, grounds maintenance and snow removal. The coop would be entitled to use the building rent-free and would have 24/7 access to the building for its day-to-day operations.
La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux told the crowd that his council views the project as “viable” and that if the coop could focus solely on programming, it would benefit the municipality as a whole. With the municipality already paying off the centre’s 14-year mortgage, and since it owns the land which the building sits on, he said it makes financial sense for the municipality to add another asset to its infrastructure ‘library.’
“I don’t think that we would do this systematically for any building in La Pêche. We’ve seen community centres close, and we’ve not stepped up,” said Lamoureux. “The overall benefit to the community that would be generated by the coop free of this burden would exceed whichever cost.”
On June 20, members will vote “for or against entrusting the board of directors to negotiate and finalize the transfer of the CWLP building to the municipality of La Pêche.”
Hostile community
Former board member Peter Gillies questioned why board members are remaining neutral on the issue, and argued that because they represent the cooperative, they should be making a recommendation either for or against a municipal transfer.
“I think it’s the board’s job to make a recommendation, and it has made an implicit recommendation tonight by making a very strong and well thought-out case, but for some reason the board is reluctant to stand up,” said Gillies. He noted that he’s aware of the sometimes aggressive feedback board members get from “the hostile takeover group and the other negative narrative people.”
“But I think it’s really important that you stand by your guns and respect the work that you have done and expect that you are going to get good respect from the community on that,” Gillies added.
Forrest was blunt in her answer, saying that she and other board members didn’t have the “guts” to take a stance in front of the community.
“We have faced, over the last few years and the previous board, an extremely hostile community and a lack of trust,” said Forrest, who told the crowd that she had put in 36 hours of volunteer work in preparation for the meeting. In an emotional plea to the membership, she described how difficult being a CWLP board member really is. “All you have to do, it appears, is get on this board and you won’t be trusted,” said Forrest. “We have personally been attacked in the community, verbally. I apologize if it’s our job, but we didn’t have the guts.”
Three-quarters of members in attendance need to vote for the transfer of ownership for it to be approved by the board.
Several residents at a care home in Hull say they heard Aline Maisonneuve screaming for help for hours on April 12, but nobody came to her bedside.
Her pleas in the middle of the night went unanswered and by morning, when staff checked on her, she was unconcious in her bed and they couldn’t wake her.
She died two days later in hospital. A Quebec coroner is now investigating the cause of her death.
Doctors at the Hull Hospital have filed an official complaint against the Résidence Villa des Brises long-term care home after they found bed sores all over the 95-year-old Masham woman’s body.
One resident said Maisonneuve had been “wailing” for help all night on April 11 and through the early hours of the morning on April 12, and nobody came to help her.
“It was all night long – I didn’t sleep that night at all,” said Sharon Nobert, who spent five weeks at the home between March 18 and April 25, while recovering from a broken knee and ankle. She said she’ll never forget the screams she heard that night. “It was horrible. She was wailing, crying out for someone to help her. She would stop for four or five seconds, and then she’d start up again. It lasted all night long. I feel so guilty now that I didn’t pull my alarm cord. I should have done it.”
The Aylmer resident said she heard Maisonneuve screaming until close to 7 a.m. when the morning staff switched over from the night shift employees. She said she thought Maisonneuve had finally settled.
Low resident Steve Connolly was also staying at the home at the time of Maisonneuve’s death, and also reported hearing her screams. He said that Maisonneuve had been complaining about a stomach ache on the evening of April 11, but that the staff had told him that “she was fine.”
“She was screaming for help,” said Connolly. He said he watched an orderly “play with an iPhone” while her screams continued. Using a wheelchair, he said he wheeled over to the employee and said, “Can you not hear this elderly lady crying for help?” Connolly said the worker begrudgingly went to check on Maisonneuve and, a few minutes later, wheeled her into the TV room, leaving her with her back to the screen. Connolly said he thought Maisonneuve had settled for the night, so he went to bed and woke up to commotion in Maisonneuve’s room around 7 a.m. with employees shouting for help. It would be the last time Connolly said he saw her alive.
According to her Masham family, on the morning of April 12 Maisonneuve was transported to the Hull Hospital, where doctors spotted the bed sores and immediately brought in Maisonneuve’s family to show them the disturbing state of her body.
The Low Down spoke with Maisonneuve’s son Guy, and his partner Shelley Langlois at their Masham home. Speaking about his mother’s wounds, Guy said, “It’s still…” his voice breaking off, unable to continue.
“It was very traumatic,” interjected Langlois.
“They were profound wounds,” continued Guy, describing the bed sores that stretched from the base of his mother’s neck, all over her back and torso area. “The [Hull Hospital] nurses said they had never seen anything like it in 30 years. So, somehow, somewhere, no one tended to her, and there were no [Résidence Villa des Brises] nurses on the floor,” added Langlois.
Deteriorated in two months
Langlois and Guy cared for Maisonneuve at their home in Masham during the pandemic – feeding, bathing, and clothing her daily and keeping her active until her dementia became too much. She was transferred to a long-term care bed at the Wakefield Memorial Hospital. She was set to be moved permanently to the Centre d’hébergement de soins de longue durée (CHSLD) in Masham, but there wasn’t room for her earlier this year. Instead, she was transferred to des Brises on Feb. 26 while awaiting a spot at the Masham facility. Des Brises has a partnership with the CHSLD and takes overflow patients when needed.
Guy and Langlois praised the staff at the Wakefield hospital but said they noticed that Maisonneuve’s state deteriorated quickly while at the des Brises home – a span of only two months.
“She was walking when she entered that home,” said Guy. “And that was the last time she ever walked.”
From chatting with other patients while Maisonneuve was under the care of Des Brises, Guy and Langlois said they started to get a picture of what life was like there, and they said what they heard was disturbing.
One of those patients was Connolly, who kept a 40-page diary of the daily neglect he said he witnessed while recovering from cancer at the care home, which he showed to the Low Down. The Low Down contacted Connolly by telephone while speaking with Guy and Langlois at their Masham home. Guy had to remove himself from parts of the conversation because he said it was too disturbing to hear.
According to Connolly, orderlies regularly ignored patients who used one of the two alarms in the bedrooms.
He recalled hearing Maisonneuve scream for help one day during lunch and said no staff was willing to help her for an hour and a half. He said that when he wheeled into her room, he saw her lying on the floor, helpless.
“We’re in the dining room, and this damn alarm is going off at lunchtime down the hall, and nobody is answering,” said Connolly, explaining that a staff member was in the dining room, could hear the alarm, but continued to ignore it.
“There are three people serving lunch, and everyone can hear [the alarm], and they’re not doing anything,” Connolly said, explaining that he then wheeled over to Maisonneuve’s room to check on her and realized that she was not okay.
“There she is lying on the floor, and she can’t talk very well,” said Connolly. “I said, ‘Are you okay?’ She said, ‘Help.’” Connolly said he then went to wheel back into the dining room, and realized an employee had followed him into the room and attended to Maisonneuve.
These are just a few of the “abuses” that Connolly and Nobert said they witnessed during their time there. Nobert also told the Low Down that staff would routinely ignore her when she pulled the alarm for help.
“The staff couldn’t get you to bed fast enough,” said Nobert, adding that all patients were in bed by 9:30 p.m. so that staff “were free to do what they wanted.”
“I think it’s abhorrent. It’s terrible. Something’s got to be done about that place.”
Résidence Villa des Brises is a Private Seniors’ Residence (French acronym: RPA), owned and managed by Mandala Santé, which owns several seniors’ homes in Quebec. The home partners with CHSLDs to take overflow patients when necessary. Mandala Santé did not respond to the Low Down’s questions regarding Maisonneuve’s death or answer general questions about how the home is operated.
Coroner Pinault is expected to conclude her report sometime in June.
According to CISSS de l’Outaouais (CISSSO), the health authority has appointed a manager to oversee things at Villa des Brises, and staff are working on an “improvement plan” to ensure that there is no gap in quality of care.
“In accordance with our anti-abuse policy, as soon as there is suspicion of neglect or abuse, a report is made and safety nets are immediately established in collaboration with the residence,” wrote CISSSO spokesperson Camille Brochu-Lafrance in an email to the Low Down. “A complete analysis of each situation is then made with a view to correction or improvement.”
Brochu-Lafrance added that CISSSO staffers are now on site at the care home day and night to ensure that quality standards are met.
“The quality of care and services is a priority for our establishment,” she added. “An improvement plan is underway, and collaboration with the partner is good. CISSSO workers are present on all day and evening shifts. Users or their caregivers can contact their pivotal workers at any time to address their concerns.”
Mother of six was ‘the salt of the earth’
Maisonneuve’s Masham family is now agonizing over the wait for a coroner’s report to determine whether or not the neglect they and other patients said they witnessed at the home played a factor in her death.
“It’s like a nightmare that just won’t end,” said Langlois from her Masham home. “We’re reliving it because it was so traumatic,” added Guy.
The family said they have many questions, including how it was possible that the nurses and staff didn’t notice the bed sores, and why nothing was done about them earlier. They also questioned who dressed “an unconscious woman” in the morning; Maisonneuve arrived at the hospital fully dressed, meaning she was either dressed by staff at the home or went to bed in her clothes.
Guy and Langlois said they are disturbed and devastated and want closure; to be able to lay the mother of six children and grandmother of six grandchildren to rest.
“She was the salt of the earth,” said Guy, adding that anyone who met her became instant friends. Langlois said that all of their family friends called Maisonneuve “Grandmama.”
“She’d be dressed with a scarf and her pearls, and she would say, ‘How are you today? Would you like something to eat?’ No matter what was going on,” recalled Langlois.
“Our kids are devastated,” added Guy about the loss of their Grandmama.
20 Cases of elder abuse at Montreal homes
Reports of elder abuse have been making headlines since the pandemic. In Montreal in 2022, nearly 200 seniors were transferred from two seniors’ homes after an investigation found instances of abuse at Floralies-de-LaSalle and the Floralies-de-Lachine care homes.
At least 20 cases of mistreatment had been reported at the two private long-term care homes before the regional health authority was mandated to take control of the situation. Quebec launched an investigation into the homes in August. According to their report, “abuse in all its forms” was found in the homes. Quebec’s Minister Delegate for Health and Seniors Sonia Bélanger told Le Droit that her government has “zero tolerance” for abuse at care homes across the province, and that she will ensure that the “necessary means are put in place” to ensure no other patients in the home suffer abuse.
“It’s zero tolerance,” said Bélanger. “Employees and managers in RPAs must in no way neglect the safety of seniors and the quality of care and services.”
Gatineau MNA Robert Bussière did not return the Low Down’s calls for comment.
ALLEYN-ET-CAWOOD – The recent property evaluation crisis in Alleyn-et- Cawood has led to the creation of a dedicated task force to address citizen concerns. The task force has 20 members including elected officials, municipal employees, and ratepayers. Its primary goal is to ensure transparency and community involvement in the re-evaluation process and to seek revision of the comparative factor used in assessments.
The initial shock came when property owners received notices with their 2024 tax bills indicating a significant increase in property values due to a surge in local development that caused a gap between current property evaluations and actual sale prices. Property values are set to increase by as much as 370% in 2025, sparking fears of financial strain, particularly among those on fixed incomes. Isabelle Cardinal, municipal director general, noted some lots are selling for significantly higher than their assessed values, necessitating a comparative factor of 3.7. However, these new evaluations will only take effect in the 2025-2026-2027 triennial roll.
Tim Ferrigan, MRC Pontiac director of property assessment, emphasised the values for 2025 haven’t yet been determined, and the municipality will adjust the taxation rate to mitigate the impact on residents.
The task force aims to address the community’s concerns directly. Maggie Eardly, a Cawood resident and task force member, highlighted the urgency of revising the 3.7% increase, which she described as “outrageous” and potentially leading to residents losing their homes. Eardly pointed out the evaluation spike is based on property sales during the pandemic when the market was unusually high.
The task force’s communication plan, spearheaded by member Julie Vaux, keeps residents informed and involved. They’re planning a town hall meeting on June 22 to present their action plan and gather further community input.
Cardinal emphasised the importance of clear communication to prevent misinformation. “It’s essential to set the record straight. The municipality will adjust the mill rate to prevent a steep rise in taxes, ensuring residents aren’t unduly burdened. We’re committed to transparency and accuracy and urge residents to stay informed through our official channels,” she said.
At the first task force meeting on May 20, several discussions and decisions took place. Angela Giroux was elected chair and will lead the task force. Detailed explanations were provided about the complex triennial roll process, including the rationale behind the current comparative factor of 3.7.
The task force also discussed discrepancies between recent property sales and the new evaluations. This led to a consensus that the comparative factor should be revised to reflect more recent and realistic market conditions. The task force also plans to file a petition to gather broader support, aiming to bring the issue to the attention of higher authorities and the public at large.
Cardinal reiterated that the municipality is fighting to ensure fair and realistic property evaluations. “We want to remove the panic and fear misinformation can cause,” she said. “Our priority is to keep our community well-informed and to correct inaccuracies promptly. This task force is a vital part of that effort,” she concluded.
OTTAWA RIVER – The Ottawa River Concertation Table (TCO) held a water stakeholders’ assembly online, May 28, bringing together close to 30 participants. The targeted zone associated with the TCO’s work begins upstream of the Première-Chute dam in Notre- Dame-du-Nord, Témiscamingue, and ends downstream of the Carillon dam in Saint-André-d’Argenteuil. The zone includes the waterway and a 1,500 m strip of land adjacent to the river on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River.
TCO’s mission is to “promote discussion and consultation between stakeholders to attain concerted objectives related to issues concerning the Ottawa River”, with the vision to “place the Ottawa River back at the heart of the decisions and concerns of stakeholders who have an influence on its integrity”.
The TCO is currently working on creating an integrated management plan for the Ottawa River. Prioritized issues are: floods, impairment of water quality, degradation of wetlands, degradation of wildlife and plant habitats.
Janie Larivière, TCO coordinator, summarized the specific objectives identified for each issue, explaining that work is underway with the Minister of Environment to establish measurable indicators for each objective. The action plan is scheduled to be ready in December 2024. Between July and October 2024, the TCO will take a draft of the plan on a regional tour of stakeholders for further consultation.
Four short presentations were part of the meeting. Larissa Holman, Ottawa Riverkeeper’s director of science and policy, provided a rundown of the new Watershed Report Card the organization recently released that gave a “C” for the health of the river. Holman emphasized the inter-relationship of indicators used to determine the result, but bottom line, human-driven changes are degrading the Ottawa River.
Jacob Demers, L’Isle-aux- Allumettes native and conservation programs specialist at Ducks Unlimited Canada, described conservation and protection measures taken in the area of the Grand Marais on Calumet Island through land purchases and private conservation. He underlined the importance of the Outaouais as home to some of the greatest biodiversity in the province. The Grand Marais has great ecological value, particularly because of its strategic location on the periphery of the Ottawa River, a high-priority area for the conservation of waterfowl and their habitats.
Jean-François Houle, conservation and education manager, Parc national de Plaisance, provided an overview of actions taken in response to challenges facing the park such as blue-green algae, invasive species and loss of tree cover due to ash die-off. He emphasized the relationship between the park’s health and what’s happening in surrounding areas, noting they have great collaboration with municipalities on that front. Maintaining forested corridors leading to other protected areas is also a concern. From the MRC d’Argenteuil, Josée Lapointe and Geneviève Grenier spoke about the Argenteuil Digital History Trail that invites users to discover the history of the area between Grenville and Carillon on the Ottawa River that was once a 21 km long series of rapids called Quenechouan (big rapids) by the Algonquin people. Renamed Long- Sault by the French, the rapids were swallowed up by tons of water in 1962 with the flooding of more than 825 hectares of land when the Carillon power station was built. The project offers a digital journey of the Long- Sault corridor from pre-contact times to today, using texts, maps, and photos.
In a June 3 interview with The Record, Alan Ansell, a former long-serving staff member at Bishop’s University (BU), shared his life story, from his early days in Montreal to his extensive career at BU. The following is an account of his personal and professional experiences, enriched with anecdotes and reflections.
Ansell began by recounting his roots in Westmount, Montreal, and his subsequent move to the Eastern Townships. He admitted that his academic performance was less than stellar, which led him to apply to BU at his mother’s urging.
“After high school, everybody else went away to school… a friend of mine had come here, and to keep my mother happy, I applied, and I came here in January of 1972,” he explained.
Initially, Ansell applied to BU but ended up at Champlain College due to the timing of the academic year.
“I applied to Bishop’s, but it was the first year of Champlain, so all but humanities courses were given by Bishop’s professors at the time,” he recalled.
Ansell pursued business studies despite not having a strong affinity for subjects like calculus and accounting. Ironically, he ended up working in accounting for most of his professional career.
“I was in business, but I’m not a calculus person. I hate accounting, which I did most of my professional career to balance the books,” he said.
He also played football, becoming one of the two people who played two years of football at BU while enrolled at Champlain.
“In 1974, you had to be a Bishop’s student, and that’s when I went to Bishop’s,” he said. He started working with Al Grazys, the offensive line coach, and took a season off to help build the sports centre.
One memorable anecdote from his early days involved navigating to BU’s campus. On Dec. 6, 1971, Ansell arrived to register at Champlain. He followed his friend’s instructions to take a bus to the school but amusingly realized he had arrived at BU by mistake when he saw the campus and its flowers from the bus window. Lennoxville was so small, he had not realized he had gone through it.
“I asked the bus driver, ‘Is this Bishop’s?’ He said yes. I said, ‘That’s my stop,’” Ansell recounted.
Reflecting on the changes in campus life, Ansell noted that there were significantly more restaurants in the area now compared to the 1970s. Back then, for a nice meal, students would go to the Paysanne, a popular restaurant and motel at the time.
The sports centre underwent significant changes during his tenure. The original 3M Tartan floor was replaced with hardwood, which he considered the biggest change.
“The therapist’s office used to be between the basketball team room and the football team room. They took away the office and incorporated it all into the football team room as the roster grew,” he explained.
Ansell retired on Jan. 1, 2008, after 32 years of full-time work at Bishop’s. Even in retirement, he remained active in the community. He took over as secretary for the Garth Smith Senior Golf Tour and managed it for three years.
“I took over as the secretary for Garth, and then Garth passed away, so I took over and ran it for three years,” he said.
Previously, his involvement in the sports centre extended to the Athletic Equipment Managers Association (AEMA), serving as the District 10 (Canada and Alaska) director and later as the certification exam chairperson, a role he held for over 20 years. He also represented the AEMA on the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) for 15 years, helping to set standards for football helmets.
Ansell expressed his fondness for Lennoxville, highlighting the supportive community, especially during times when he was unwell.
“I live on a street of 13 homes and every neighbour comes to check on me,” he noted, contrasting this with the less personal environment he experienced growing up in Westmount.
He cherished the camaraderie at BU, reflecting on the teamwork and dedication of his colleagues like Al Grazys, Garth Smith, and Bruce Coulter.
“One of the things about Bishop’s, Garth Smith, Al Grazys, and Bruce Coulter were all three blue-chip athletes in their own right. They could be the captain or the lead of any team. To watch how three superstars could all be team players and work together, you know, and support each other was really a great learning experience,” he said.
In retirement, Ansell continues to play golf, though not as vigorously as before. He also follows developments in women’s hockey, having coached the sport for over 20 years.
“I spent 20-plus years coaching women’s hockey. I enjoyed watching the PWHL this winter, knowing that I’d coached people who could easily have played if there was a league at that time. I feel sorry for them missing the boat by maybe 15, 20, or 30 years,” he said.
Reflecting on his career, he said, “I never really took a vacation because I’d go away to meetings or conventions or conferences.”
Ansell’s story highlights his unwavering commitment to BU and the lasting impact he has had on its community. His life and career reflect a deep dedication to the institution and a genuine affection for the people and experiences that shaped his journey.
Bury residents peppered town councillors with questions, with interactions sometimes becoming heated. Photo by William Crooks
Bury holds monthly council meeting
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
The Bury monthly council meeting held on June 3 provided an animated forum for residents to voice their concerns directly to the council during the first question period, which stretched on for nearly an hour. One resident confirmed to The Record that this is not abnormal for Bury, though from this reporter’s experience with council meetings, it is compared to the many other ones he has covered.
The session spanned a broad range of issues, from fire services and local governance to historical research access and public works maintenance. Interactions between the roughly 14 residents in attendance and councillors were sometimes heated, with Mayor Denis Savage doing most of the explaining and defending of council decisions under fire.
The session kicked off with a question concerning an item from the April 2024 payable accounts. A resident inquired why $823 was paid to Scotstown for assistance during a fire at a local residence.
The council clarified this expenditure, stating, “This payment was part of our mutual aid agreement with neighboring towns.” They further elaborated that these agreements are crucial for effectively managing emergency situations that occasionally exceed local capabilities.
Firefighting capabilities and preparedness were at the forefront of concerns, with several residents seeking clarification on the town’s ability to handle fires independently. One resident asked how many firefighters would be required before Bury could manage such emergencies without external aid.
The council responded, “With the new fire scheme and upcoming mutual aid agreements, our firefighting capabilities will be significantly enhanced. We are working towards a system where our local force can manage more situations independently.”
Residents also queried about firefighter attendance and mandatory training requirements.
The council confirmed, “All firefighters are mandated to attend training sessions regularly, and we are committed to ensuring that our team is well-prepared to handle emergencies efficiently.”
Access to municipal archives for historians was another topic of interest. The council was asked whether historians had been granted unsupervised access to personal documents within the archives.
Addressing this, the council assured, “Research conducted so far did not involve any personal documents and was open to the public. Historians had not been granted unsupervised access to any private or sensitive materials.”
The issue of a dismissed employee still appearing on the Christmas gift list or receiving a workwear allowance was raised by a resident.
The council was firm in their response, “There is no ongoing connection with the dismissed individual regarding these matters. All entitlements and allowances ceased following the termination of employment.”
A local business owner voiced serious grievances regarding alleged comments made by the mayor that he believed were detrimental to his business.
He warned, “If these comments continue, I will take legal action.”
The mayor responded diplomatically, emphasizing the need for direct communication to resolve such issues. “We must address these matters collaboratively to maintain respect and cooperation within our community,” he said.
Another resident brought up concerns about river navigation and the potential risks posed by unregulated boating activities. He suggested forming a committee to address safety and regulatory measures for these activities.
The council welcomed this suggestion, stating, “We will consider creating a public announcement to gather interested members for this committee. Ensuring the safety of our waterways is a priority.”
A malfunctioning pump in the village was another topic of concern, with residents worried about the delay in repairs.
The council explained, “The pump issue stems from mechanical problems and difficulties in sourcing specific parts. We are actively working to resolve this problem and restore full functionality as soon as possible.”
The “marquee project,” a covered space located just behind Bury’s community hall, which has been a point of contention for some time, drew considerable attention during the session. Residents questioned the project’s cost and the decision to proceed without a roof.
The council defended their decisions based on consultations and financial constraints.
“We acknowledge the issues and recognize the need for better communication and transparency,” they admitted, promising to improve their engagement with the community on such projects.
Fiscal responsibility was a hot topic, particularly concerning the purchase of a new municipal vehicle. Residents questioned the necessity and cost-efficiency of the vehicle, with one resident arguing, “Funds could have been better spent on more practical assets like a 10-wheeler truck.”
The council attempted to justify the purchase, citing operational needs and the vehicle’s intended utility. “We carefully consider all expenditures and strive to balance immediate needs with long-term investments,” they assured.
Questions about Main Street’s cleanliness and the council’s maintenance plans were also raised. The council outlined their schedule and challenges, including limited resources and the need to prioritize certain areas over others.
“We are committed to maintaining public roads and ensuring cleanliness. Our new work plans will reflect these priorities,” they said.
Further debate ensued about the placement of new structures in local parks, the “marquee project,” with residents feeling excluded from the decision-making process. The council explained their consultation process, noting that while community input was sought, not all suggestions could be incorporated due to various constraints.
This response was met with some criticism, as residents called for more active involvement in such decisions.
“We value community feedback and will strive to enhance our consultation processes moving forward,” the council promised.
Maintenance of public facilities and the allocation of municipal resources were also discussed. The council detailed plans for repairs and improvements, emphasizing the need for efficient use of funds and better planning.
“We are working on a comprehensive plan to address the maintenance of public facilities. Our goal is to ensure all resources are used effectively to benefit the community,” they assured residents.
As the first question period concluded, the council committed to addressing the raised issues and improving communication and transparency in their decision-making processes. The meeting then proceeded to the next agenda items, focusing on reports and new business.
St. Lawrence union seeks answers after harassment ruling
Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
editor@qctonline.com
Members of the faculty union at CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence have lost confidence in campus director and director of studies Edward Berryman and called on the school to take stronger measures to prevent psychological harassment in the workplace.
The union’s annual general meeting was held May 28, four weeks after Quebec’s labour arbitration court found that Berryman had played a key role in a long-running psychological harassment campaign against longtime St. Lawrence teacher Lisa Birch. Two confidence votes, regarding Berryman and Line Larivière, the director of human resources of the Champlain Regional College (CRC) network, were held at the meeting. Ninety per cent of members present voted no confidence in Berryman and 100 per cent voted no confidence in Larivière, who is responsible for applying workplace health and safety policy at the CRC campuses in Sainte-Foy, St. Lambert and Lennoxville.
Arbitrator Julie Blouin harshly criticized Berryman in her ruling. Citing the ruling, the motion against Berryman noted that he “spearheaded a psychological harassment inquiry against Ms. Birch judged as serious and vexatious.” The motion against Larivière said she “failed to provide timely support, access to documents and other information, and respond to Ms. Birch’s requests for clarification regarding the proceedings against her.”
A third motion, calling on the college to take immediate action for a healthier work environment, was passed unanimously. The motion requested a response from CRC by June 11.
“A month after the arbitrator’s sentence was made public, CRC has kept us waiting to implement concrete measures to make the work environment safe for its employees. To this day, no representative of the college has tried to contact the victim; this immobility has caused additional psychological distress, not only for the victim but for all of our members,” union president Patrick Savard said in a statement.
Sources indicate that the grievances Birch filed with the arbitration tribunal are likely the first of many, involving several St. Lawrence faculty members.
Savard referred further questions to Yves De Repentigny, vice president responsible for CEGEPs at the Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ-CSN), of which the St. Lawrence faculty union is a member. “It has been nearly a month since the decision, and nothing has happened – the college has not approached the union or Ms. Birch – and it has really made the teachers unhappy,” De Repentigny said on May 31. Although the three motions don’t force the college to take any action, De Repentigny pointed out that “passing a vote of no confidence in two key people sends a strong message.”
The morning after the union meeting where the votes were held, multiple sources told the QCT that Yves Rainville, the interim general director of the CRC network, and human re- sources director Viviana Delgado spoke to members of the faculty union executive at a closed-door meeting and reviewed the motions. Rainville then addressed teachers gathered for a breakfast before a planned professional development day. On both occasions, Rainville reiterated the CRC network’s confidence in Berryman’s leadership. Berryman’s mandate as director of studies and director of the constituent college was renewed earlier this spring.
Rainville told the QCT in a statement that CRC “takes the decision of the arbitration tribunal very seriously and intends to take appropriate measures to ensure a healthy and fulfilling environment for all of its employees.
Three months after employees in the Ville de Québec public library system began an unlimited general strike, the Institut canadien de Québec (ICQ), the city-funded nonprofit which oversees the library system, tabled a new proposed agreement on May 31.
In a statement, ICQ spokes- person Mélisa Imedjouben called the proposal “a final and global offer.”
“We hope the new offer will allow our team to go back to work and give citizens back full access to our libraries,” she said.
However, Roxane Larouche, spokesperson for the United Food and Commercial Work- ers of Canada (UFCW, better known in Quebec by its French acronym TUAC), of which the library union is a member, said “several unanswered questions remained” in the proposed agreement. “We can- not present this offer to our members as long as we don’t have answers and the relevant documentation,” she told the QCT May 31. “We agreed to meet next week in order to have all the answers we need.” If the union executive agrees to put the proposal to a vote and members approve it, it could be several weeks before the strike ends, Larouche said.
Larouche could not share details of the proposal before members had seen it. Strikers’ main demands include more flexible scheduling, higher pay for entry-level staff and pay equivalent to Ville de Québec staff doing similar jobs.
The offer tabled last week is the fourth proposal aimed at ending the strike. In mid- April, the Ville de Québec, which finances the ICQ, rejected one proposal; another was rejected by union members in a narrow (52 per cent to 48 per cent) vote in April. Transition Québec leader Jackie Smith is organizing a citizens’ march in support of the strikers on June 8, starting at 1 p.m. at the Saint- Charles Library in Limoilou and marching to the Gabrielle- Roy Library in Saint-Roch. She said she had received more than 2,000 messages from constituents hoping for a swift end to the strike.
“A lot of people depend on libraries – families, retirees, homeless people, anyone who needs to get out of the house and go somewhere without having to spend money or be- ing rushed along,” said Smith, the mother of two young children. “It’s a place where neighbours can meet, where parents can take their kids for storytime … I’m so tired of reading the same books to my kids over and over again!” She also pointed out that with summer on the horizon, many people rely on libraries for air conditioning and summer reading programs for school- age children. “These kids have experienced the pandemic, the teachers’ strike and now they may lose their summer reading programs,” she said.
She accused the city of pinning the blame for the strike on the ICQ and wear- ing down striking employees with a long dispute. “It’s time for citizens to speak with one voice and say this is unacceptable,” she said. “Our librarians are important – pay them well, end this impasse and reopen the libraries, but not at any price.”
Three public libraries – the Gabrielle-Roy Library, the Monique-Corriveau Library in Sainte-Foy and the Étienne- Parent Library in Beauport – are open with reduced hours during the strike, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and 12 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The other 23 libraries in the city are closed for the duration of the strike.
Staff and volunteers at BMP and Memphremagog hospitals are wearing these sunflowers to show they are able to serve patients in English. Photo courtesy of the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS.
By Ruby Pratka
Local Journalism Initiative
Sunflowers are popping up at Brome-Missisquoi-Perkins (BMP) Hospital and Memphremagog Hospital. Employees and volunteers who are willing and able to serve patients and their families in English are wearing crocheted sunflowers on their badges.
The sunflower initiative is a joint pilot project of the Brome-Missisquoi-Perkins Hospital Foundation, the Memphremagog Hospital Foundation, the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS and individual employees and volunteers who decide to wear the sunflower. According to the Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN), a provincewide advocacy network for access to health care in English in the regions, similar programs exist at hospitals in the Gaspé and Cote-Nord regions, and in Prince Edward Island, where flowers are used to identify French-speaking staff.
Caroline Van Rossum is the point person for English services at the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS. She said the CIUSSS obtained survey data which showed that English speakers in the Townships “didn’t always feel comfortable” asking for service in their first language.
Because BMP is not an officially bilingual hospital, English words can’t be used in signage, hence the decision to use a visual symbol, Van Rossum explained. A wordless symbol is also easier to understand for young children and people who have trouble reading. “The challenge now is making sure it’s well known, so [staff and volunteers] decide to wear it and patients know what it represents,” Van Rossum said. She said it was hard to know, this early in the project, whether the sunflowers made English-speaking patients more at ease, but that was the goal.
Francis Laramée, executive director of the Brome-Missisquoi-Perkins Hospital Foundation, said the sunflowers indicate to patients that a staff member is comfortable serving patients in English, and allow non-English-speaking staff to easily find a bilingual colleague when necessary.
Across the two hospitals, according to Van Rossum, 1,300 staff and volunteers have chosen to attach the flowers to their badges. “Anyone who wants to can wear a sunflower, and we’re seeing more and more each day,” Laramée said.
The CLSC Lac-Brome will be closed from June 17 to Sept. 8 and the CLSC Sutton will be open only two days a week during the same period, the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS has confirmed.
The reduced hours are in anticipation of staff shortages as many employees go on vacation. “Like every year at this time, we are making service adaptations to take into account the workforce situation and the needs of the population. Each time we make an adjustment, we ensure that there are CLSC services accessible within a reasonable distance to receive care and services,” CIUSSS spokesperson Nancy Corriveau told the BCN.
Contrary to certain media reports, Corriveau said there would be no change to the opening hours of the CLSC de Bromont, which would remain open two days a week.
Corriveau said the scheduling changes had been announced during a press conference May 16. Although the press conference generally addressed summer scheduling changes and service cancellations, the Lac-Brome and Sutton closures were not specifically mentioned during the event. A CIUSSS press release previously said the Lac-Brome testing centre and “nursing care service point” would be closed during the summer.
Brome Lake Mayor Richard Burcombe said he found out about the impending closure a few weeks ago from a town receptionist who also worked at the CLSC. “There was no consultation – it was an arbitrary decision,” he said. He called the situation “unacceptable.”
“We’re being treated as second-class citizens. Right now, it takes two weeks at a minimum to get an appointment, and by closing us completely and reducing the hours in Sutton…it will make the delays even worse,” he said. “We have an elderly population, and we also serve West Bolton, Brome Village and parts of Potton and Sutton … now, those people will have to go to Cowansville or Bromont.”
He noted that last year, the CIUSSS announced plans to close the CLSC for the summer but it was ultimately kept open two days a week after backlash from the public. “It’s very important to keep that public pressure up,” he said.
Sutton Mayor Robert Benoit was dismayed to learn from members of the media that CLSC hours were being cut in Sutton. “There was a communiqué that mentioned [Brome Lake] but there was no mention of Sutton,” he said. “I support the mayor of Brome Lake and we’ll try to make our voices heard. I know [the CIUSSS] is having difficulties with human resources, but this is an essential service and at the end of the day we have to find a way.”
“I understand the concerns raised by citizens of Brome Lake following the modulation of health services for the summer which will result in the temporary closure of the CLSC Lac-Brome. The CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS assured us that this is a temporary measure taken in a context of labour shortage and staff taking vacations. We also know that dressing, routine nursing and laboratory services will be available at the local service point in Cowansville, located 20 minutes away, and in three other CLSCs less than 15 minutes from Brome Lake. My team and I will continue to monitor the situation closely,” Brome-Missisquoi MNA Isabelle Charest said in a brief statement.
The construction of new fire stations in Dunham and Frelighsburg will go ahead as scheduled despite changes to a provincial subsidy program. The two towns had initially submitted a joint grant request under a Quebec government program for municipal infrastructure, the Programme d’amélioration et de construction d’infrastructures municipales (PRACIM). However, the joint request was denied and the municipalities were told to apply separately.
“It’s too bad – we would have liked to have one fire station in Dunham and a smaller one in Frelighsburg. The costs would have been a bit lower… but it’s a government decision,” Dunham Mayor Pierre Janecek said. “It would have been nice but it didn’t work out.” Janecek said that if the initial request had been granted, 83 per cent of the cost of the new fire station would have been paid by the province; now, he expects only 70 per cent will. Beyond that, though, the decision “doesn’t change a lot.”
Janecek said the municipality expects to apply for the grant over the summer and start construction in fall 2024 or spring 2025. The cost of the new building, which has been in the works for “seven or eight years,” is estimated at $7.5 million, of which the municipality will shoulder just over $2.7 million. The new fire station, more spacious than its predecessor, will be on the corner of Route 202 and Rue Malenfant next to the Parc de L’Envol near the municipal garage. Calls for tenders will be launched soon.
Frelighsburg mayor Lucie Dagenais said splitting Frelighsburg’s fire station project from Dunham’s “gives us a little more freedom.” Like Dunham, Frelighsburg has been planning for a new fire station for several years. “Have you seen the fire station?” Dagenais said. “It’s totally obsolete – we can only fit two small trucks in and we have to rent a space to store the fire truck. Our fire department shares a tiny office with the public works department – now they’ll have [their own] offices.”
Dagenais said she hoped that the new fire station, shared with the public works department, would help the part-time fire department recruit and train more members. “We care about our fire department and we want to give them a better work environment and a training and practice space better adapted to their needs,” she said.
The fire station, with an estimated budget of $2 million, will be built on the site of the former filtration marsh once the town’s new water treatment plant is built. Dagenais expects it to be in use by 2026 at the latest.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs, which oversees the PRACIM program, did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
The municipality of Cowansville and the Comité de sauvegarde du bassin versant du Lac Davignon (CSBVLD) are seeking volunteers for efforts aimed at preventing the spread of the invasive Eurasian watermilfoil. Volunteers are needed to help remove the tarps and weighted bags put down to prevent watermilfoil growth last year and place tarps in other strategic locations in the lake.
The work will be carried out in two phases, from June 17 to July 12 and from Aug. 1-16, in collaboration with experts from the Regroupement des associations pour la protection de l’environnement des lacs et des bassins versants (RAPPEL).
“In 2024, the Town of Cowansville reinvested $100,000 in the Fonds Bleu, a fund dedicated to protecting the lake. This fund will make it possible to carry out phase 2 of the vast operation. It is a necessary investment to maintain recreational activities and the biodiversity of the lake,” Cowansville Mayor Sylvie Beauregard said in a statement.
“Our committee will be mobilized again this year … to ensure that operations run smoothly,” said CSBVLD president Pierre St-Arnault. “We are counting on our many volunteers to help us.”
Watermilfoil has been present in Quebec lakes for several years and watermilfoil control is a priority for many lakeside municipalities. The dense, feathery clumps of watermilfoil crowd out native aquatic plants, get caught in fishing equipment and the motors of small boats, and inconvenience swimmers.
St-Arnault previously told the BCN that although it’s essentially impossible to eradicate watermilfoil, the goal of the initiative is to suffocate the invasive plant as much as possible. To do this, RAPPEL divers position large tarps in predetermined areas where the watermilfoil is abundant. Weighted bags are then dropped on the tarps to hold them in place, first by professional divers and then by volunteers piloting a pedalboat.
St-Arnault also emphasized the role of boaters in preventing the spread of invasive plant and shellfish species in the lake by washing their boats. “The Town of Cowansville has installed a boat washing station at the nature center in order to limit the introduction of invasive exotic aquatic species, including Eurasian milfoil. Other invasive species are on our doorstep, including the zebra mussel and other invasive aquatic plants. Let’s practise prevention by washing our boats,” St-Arnault said.
Anyone interested in volunteering to contribute to watermilfoil control efforts is encouraged to contact the CSBVLD via its website at lacdavignon.org.
More than 3,200 community nonprofits working in health, social services and disability advocacy are asking questions about future provincial funding after what they are calling arbitrary changes to the Programme de soutien aux organismes communautaires (PSOC).
The $28-million PSOC received a $10-million top-up in the most recent provincial budget. Eligible organizations initially believed that the top-up funds would be divided equally, with a few thousand dollars going to each nonprofit. However, they recently learned that the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) intended to divide the money “according to criteria Minister [responsible for social services Lionel] Carmant alone knows,” explained Daniel Cayley-Daoust, co-spokesperson for the Coalition des Tables Régionales d’Organismes Communautaires (CTROC), a provincewide network of regional networks of community organizations. “Our understanding is that the money is still there, but we don’t know how it’s going to be distributed.”
When the budget was passed in March and during the detailed study of budgetary appropriations in April, CTROC was under the impression the funding would be distributed equally. “This is the first time, as far as we know, that money was given in the budget, confirmed in appropriations and then walked back by the minister,” said Dominique Vigneux-Parent, a spokesperson and research and analysis officer at the Sherbrooke-based ROC Estrie, a CTROC member.
Cayley-Daoust explained that PSOC funding is “mission-based funding” which cash-strapped nonprofits use for administrative costs, to run activities and to fill shortfalls. For some organizations, it represents as much as 80 per cent of their budget. “Having a situation where only some groups have access to this money creates an issue with equity; it creates competition that is not healthy and it creates extra work,” he said.
“The money should be distributed to all the member organizations, but [the government wants] to pick and choose,” Vigneux-Parent said. “We have no idea of the criteria that will be used.”
Late last week, Vigneux-Parent told the BCN CTROC was hoping to secure an emergency meeting with Carmant.
“The process for analyzing funding requests within the framework of the amount of $10 million, as presented in the budget plan, will be clarified soon,” MSSS spokesperson Francis Martel told the BCN.
Potton taxpayers will have to wait to find out if they will be on the hook for at least some of the money owed to dog attack survivor Dominique Alain and her partner Leo Joy.
Alain was attacked by three pit bulls belonging to Potton resident Alan Barnes while jogging in Potton in March 2019; according to medical reports cited in court documents, her injuries were so severe that doctors initially feared for her life. While she eventually regained the ability to walk and to drive her car, she still lives with significant physical and cognitive limitations and has not been able to return to full-time work.
The dogs involved were euthanized; Barnes was found guilty of criminal negligence in 2021, served six months in prison and has been banned for life from owning dogs. The same year, Alain and her partner, Leo Joy, sued Barnes; GF Inc., the owner of the land on which the attack occurred; and the municipality of Potton for a combined total of just under $562,000, alleging that town officials had known for several years that the dogs were dangerous, known that they were being kept illegally at a time when an anti-pit bull bylaw was in force, and failed to act.
On May 15, Superior Court Judge Sylvain Provencher ruled that Barnes and the municipality both bore responsibility for the incident, and awarded Alain and Joy $535,000. It is not yet known how or if Barnes and the municipality will split the sum. On May 31, Marie-Michelle Chartier of public relations firm Arsenal Conseils told the BCN that the municipality would respect the judgment and that the Fonds d’assurance des municipalités du Québec, the town’s insurer, would not appeal. Potton director general Martin Maltais said the insurer would determine how the sum would be divided between Barnes and the municipality.
“Whether insurers will cover the entire cost or just part of it, I don’t know. One thing is certain, in addition to the deductible for the municipal administration, the rest is paid by the insurers (and perhaps) Alan Barnes in proportions that I do not know,” Maltais said. “This part is in the hands of the insurers linked to Mr. Barnes.” Maltais didn’t know when the insurers’ decision would be made public.
Former mayor calls for councillor’s resignation
Court documents state that several town employees and elected officials knew about, or should have known about, the dogs and the danger they posed as far back as 2016. Provencher ruled that then-public works director Ronney Korman, Coun. Jason Ball, municipal building inspector Marie-Claude Lamy and town clerk Claire Alger should have been aware of the dogs and ensured action was taken. According to the ruling, in 2016 an unnamed cyclist came to the town hall and reported being bitten by a dog to Alger and receptionist Melissa Harrison, but no action was taken at the time; Ball was slightly bitten by one of Barnes’ dogs in 2017 and Korman’s wife, Suzanne Viens, narrowly escaped attack later that year.
According to the judgment, Ball, who was not yet a town councillor at the time he was bitten, was afraid of the dogs and of how Barnes might react if he filed a complaint, so no complaint was filed. He didn’t bring up the dogs with the municipality until June 2018, when the town’s cultural heritage committee was considering putting a walking path in place near where the incident happened. “The Court is of the opinion that Ball, as a municipal elected official, was not only personally aware of facts and circumstances demonstrating a real danger … but also that he should then have taken measures for Potton to intervene with the aim of minimally ensuring the safety of pedestrians who would use this section of the route … which he neglected to do,”
After the judgment was made public, Louis Veillon, mayor of Potton from 2013 to 2017, issued a statement calling for Ball’s resignation. “I was mayor at the time [Ball was bitten] and I wasn’t aware of it,” Veillon told the BCN. “As an elected official, you are held to a higher standard, and your first obligation is to report it. The fact he was attacked by a dog and he never reported it is a problem.”
Ball and Potton communications director Valérie Thérien declined to comment.
Frustrated by the worsening homelessness crisis, changemakers gathered at the third Citizen Symposium on Change to share solutions on how to prevent poverty, not only in Gatineau, but in Outaouais as a whole.
“When unwanted changes occur in our society, there are two things we can do. Nothing or something. This meeting is for those of us who want to do something about the changes we want to experience in our world,” said organizer Sylvain Henry. “It is our hope, our belief, and our most sincere desire to ensure that what begins here in this room, with your collaboration, can soon change our entire region for the better.”
Henry has been organizing these collaborative community events since February to unite citizens and politicians in developing working solutions to tackle the growing issue.
Since his previous symposiums, Henry has been able to collect 800 immediate solutions for what he referred to as the Citizen Idea Bank. He hoped to put some of the ideas into action and share the success stories with all levels of government.
Stirring away from a traditional debate, five of the seven prospective mayoral candidates were asked to share their plans to boost the local economy and prevent poverty.
Independent candidate Olive Kamanyana said she would tackle it straight away by assisting the on-the-ground organizations and later footing the bill to Quebec.
“I cannot accept that people continue to live in unacceptable situations because the provincial government did not listen,” said Kamanyana. “I don’t want politics to affect people, our people, our children, our mothers, our brothers, our sisters.”
With the issue spanning far beyond the municipal realm, independent candidate Stéphane Bisson also stressed the involvement of the provincial government.
“The City takes on a lot of responsibility, and it’s also all of your money that we use to help homeless people, instead of the Government of Quebec, which must be part of it,” said Bisson.
Action Gatineau head Maude Marquis-Bissonnette said relationships need to be rebuilt with both the provincial and federal governments to ensure the proper funding to solve the issue.
“The mayor’s role is to remind Quebec that we need our share of investments to ensure that these issues with vulnerable people are resolved,” said Marquis-Bissonnette. “Quebec City is far away, but I want to make sure that politicians at the provincial level, as well as the federal government, hear us.”
Independent candidate Daniel Feeny said a major element was the inaccessibility of housing. “It’s difficult to find housing and the crisis didn’t start yesterday, didn’t arrive suddenly but we haven’t dealt with it sufficiently in recent years.”
France Bélisle’s former communications director proposed upping the construction of social and transitional housing to fill the glaring gap.
Fellow independent candidate Mathieu Saint-Jean also dove into the scarcity of affordable housing and put forward what he referred to as a permanent solution by establishing a community of tiny homes which in return would stimulate the economy and generate jobs with their construction.
“I launched a GoFundMe to support this initiative, under the name Pour l’action. I invite you to give generously to speed up the process,” said Saint-Jean.
Come July, the fourth symposium will centre around potential candidates for the next federal election and their plans for Canada. Visit the Tent City Network group on Facebook for more updates on the next event.
If you would like to contribute to the Citizen Idea Bank, solutions can be shared with Henry via email at sylvain.henry@gmail.com or by phone at 613-501-4357.
Photo caption: Citizens gather at the Cabane en Bois Rond on May 19 to offer their solutions to the growing homelessness crisis grappling Gatineau.
Over 16 per cent of Gatineau’s population is above the age of 65. As the City continues developing, these citizens have felt a growing need for recreational activities in their sector.
In Aylmer, a petition by the Corporation de l’âge d’or d’Aylmer has been circulating to call on the future mayor to improve services and activities for seniors who feel neglected compared to those in other sectors.
“We have an imminent need for change in Aylmer. You are filling this area with elderly people by building huge and very expensive buildings for them, but you are not adapting to all the needs and structures that these people are multiplying in Aylmer,” read the petition.
Independent candidate Stéphane Bisson recognized the great importance of the needs and well- being of seniors in Aylmer and said the petition was a clear signal that effort needed to be stepped up in this area.
“I am committed to making seniors a priority of my mandate. Together, we can create a city where every senior feels respected, supported, and valued,” said Bisson.
To improve the situation in Aylmer, Bisson committed to organizing regular meetings to discuss needs and possible solutions, adapting public infrastructure as well as supporting volunteer initiatives that directly benefit seniors.
“Seniors are an essential component of our community, and it is crucial to meet their specific needs,” said Bisson.
Fellow independent candidate Olive Kamanyana said she had added her name among the signatories of the petition.
“I’ve talked for a long time about the identity of the sectors. At some point, the budget we vote on around the table will have to be a fair budget. A fair budget means that we take into account the specificities of each sector,” said Kamanyana.
While the sector’s pleas for change have fallen on deaf ears, Kamanyana said she was ready to push for the services and adapted infrastructure seniors in Aylmer long for.
“I spoke with the person in charge and it lasted a long time, but I listened to her. This is what I am going to do when I am elected as mayor – to sit at the table to determine for each sector what we can do in the short term, in the medium term, and in the long term,” she said.
Action Gatineau head Maude Marquis-Bissonnette said the petition’s recommendations were sensible and offered her support.
“One of the aspects there is the shuffleboard field which, I know, Caroline (Murray) is closely monitoring at the moment with the elected officials of the Aylmer sector,” said Marquis- Bissonnette.
The political party candidate said the sector has experienced rapid population growth, but its infrastructure has not kept up the same pace. To catch up, Marquis-Bissonnette proposed implementing development fees to ensure infrastructure arrives in neighbourhoods at the same time as new residents.
“It’s $50 million that we have left on the table for the City since 2021. That allows us to meet the needs of everyone, but especially seniors, to redo paving, to make sidewalks, to have supportive, recreational infrastructure and community centres,” said Marquis-Bissonnette.
The Corporation met with all seven candidates and had the impression that their concerns were heard.
“But that will not change the fact that there are at least 18 buildings that will be built in the
entre of Aylmer,” said the Corporation. “The big ones rise, and the small ones disappear. They are destroying the value of Aylmer.”
Photo caption: With the municipal by-election days away, the Corporation de l’âge d’or d’Aylmer hopes the future mayor will take into consideration the needs of seniors in Aylmer.
Photo credit: Corporation de l’âge d’or d’Aylmer Facebook
During the May 28 Demolition Request Committee Meeting (CDD), two demolitions in the Gatineau sector were approved, and one was rejected. The plans for construction of the cleared land must still be approved by the Municipal Council. Members also approved the demolition of eight buildings in the Aylmer sector for five construction projects. All eight demolitions are recommended by Gatineau’s Urbanism and Sustainable Development Services. Note that the construction projects that will replace the demolished buildings must still be approved by the municipal council. Demolition starts before new construction is approved by the city.
125 chemin de la Savane, Pointe-Gatineau (Approved)
The Commercial building, constructed in 1973, was used as a bowling alley. The lot is valued at $1,397,400 while the building is worth $463,400. It is not listed on the built heritage inventory. The Service de l’Urbanisme et du Développement durable (SUDD) recommended the demolition. According to Gatineau’s project analysis documents, the existing building is in good condition.
The plan for the cleared lot details a five-storey building containing 105 units with a commercial space in the basement.
124 rue Church, Buckingham (Approved)
The single-family home was built in 1860 and is listed as having potential heritage interest on the city’s Built Heritage. However, a study was conducted by a third-party firm that concluded that the building was “of low heritage value.” The lot is valued at $138,900 while the building is worth $199,100. The building needs restoration work estimated at $302,175. The SUDD recommends the demolition.
The plan for the lot details a three-storey residential building with 12 units.
9 rue Omer-Lahaie, Masson-Angers (Rejected)
The home, built in 1940, was not listed on the Gatineau Built Heritage Inventory; however, the SUDD found the building to have strong heritage value. The building is well maintained and in good condition.
The plan was to build three two-storey residential buildings for a total of 15 units. The applicant originally asked for 18 units, but it was reduced to 15.
1175 Chemin Aylmer (Approved)
The single-family home across from the Chateau Cartier and beside the Champlain Golf Club, at the intersection of rue Chaudière and Chemin Aylmer is facing demolition. The building is in good condition and currently occupied by the owner, who has signed a conditional purchase agreement. If the building gets approved, they will vacate before the demolition. The preliminary land reuse plan details a 10-storey, 172-unit apartment building. This plan still needs to be approved by city council, as it is over the zone’s height and unit number limits and is located in the rural integration area of Chemin d’Aylmer.
388 Chemin Klock (Approved)
A single-family house located on a large plot of land is facing demolition. The house, built in 1961, needs repair and shows signs of abandonment, according to Gatineau’s project analysis documents. The building is worth $95,800, while the property is worth $1,737,200. The building has no heritage value. The plan is to combine the property with two adjacent lots and start a residential project. This would include 76 dwellings, including 16 multifamily, two-storey, three-unit buildings and 14 buildings with two units, all two-storey.
145 rue Bordeaux (Approved)
The commercial building at 145 rue Bordeaux faces demolition to build a 5-storey, 48-unit apartment building. The building does not require restoration work and the reason for demolition is that the existing building is not compatible with the applicant’s planned building project.
25, 29 and 37 Allée Riley, and 184 Chemin Eardley (Approved)
All four properties, located at the western gate to the city coming from the Pontiac, will be demolished to start phase one of DevMeta’s large-scale development project. The project will be completed in four phases and these demolitions, along with four others approved on May 13, will allow them to start working on phase one.
The project’s result will be commercial spaces and 700 units.
215 chemin Aylmer (Approved)
The building that was Gabriel’s Pizza until January of this year is facing demolition. According to the Project Analysis, the building is in good to moderate condition. The demolition request was submitted to make way for a new commercial building with a drive-thru.
Once built, the Tim Horton’s that is currently at the corner of Wilfrid-Lavigne et chemin d’Aylmer will be moving to this location.
Any person or corporation in Gatineau may choose to request a review of the CDD’s decision within 30 days of the official decision. A fee of $122.50 must be paid by the appellant. By appealing the decision, the demolition will be suspended until the council reviews it.
Mayoral candidates Olive Kamanyana and Maude Marquis-Bissonnette have put forward their plans to improve Gatineau’s leisure and sports sector. Their press conferences came amid calls from citizens for more investment into recreation, from children to older adults. Gatineau’s master plan for recreational, sports and community infrastructures was passed by council in 2022, with a focus on developing these infrastructures throughout the city.
While the master plan addressed accessibility and needed improvement, independent candidate Olive Kamanyana said the plan equally needed to speak to adaptation.
“Adapt our equipment, adapt our infrastructure to all categories of people who make up our population,” said Kamanyana.
On the ground, the former Carrefour-de-l’Hôpital district councillor said she constantly faced the stark reality of individuals and families of older adults and people living with disabilities or motor deficits as they attempted to navigate the City’s leisure infrastructure.
“I have heard many comments from parents, young families, elderly people, families with children on the autism spectrum complaining and asking for things to be improved and it has yet to be done,” said Kamanyana.
To implement change, Kamanyana proposed the creation of a special committee made up of partners as well as the presidents of the Commission des aînés and the Commission Gatineau, ville en santé to develop a strategy that will allow inclusive accessibility to sports infrastructure and leisure activities.
As chair of the committee, Kamanyana planned to adapt existing municipal buildings to increase mobility, add outdoor exercise, furniture and lighting to parks, develop new strategies for recruiting and training instructors, prioritize snow clearing around seniors’ residences and include additional leisure and sports activities that promote supervised learning adjusted to the specificities of autistic children.
“All of these people that I have just mentioned have the right to leisure and sports infrastructure that meets their needs. In consultation with all these organizations, I will ensure that for us, leisure and sports are a priority and meet the needs of our people in Gatineau.”
Rather than focusing on access to infrastructure, the Action Gatineau head concentrated on the lack of it. Joined by members of Action Gatineau and representatives from Soccer Outaouais, Marquis-Bissonnette revealed her key commitments for soccer in Gatineau.
Among her promises was quickly concluding agreements to allow sports to return to the Fonderie this fall, rapidly starting the construction of a soccer dome at the Université du Québec en Outaouais, as well as supporting and ensuring the continuity of the synthetic surface project at Ernest-Gaboury Park.
“My priority is to ensure that everyone from Aylmer to Buckingham has access to sports infrastructure all year round,” said Marquis-Bissonnette. The candidate also emphasized investing in soccer infrastructure means investing in an activity that is readily accessible to many, thanks to the relatively low cost of equipment compared to other popular sports, and the ability for people with varying levels of mobility to play.
With a mounting number of players that was only expected to grow, Soccer Outaouais president Chérif Atallah said the association looked forward to a new administration giving attention and importance to the soccer needs in the region.
“Our players have suffered a lot due to the lack of infrastructure in recent years,” said Atallah. “It is the duty of all of us to offer them the support (the players) need in terms of infrastructure and the quality of safe outdoor terrain.”
The association’s general manager Richard Gravel thanked Marquis-Bissonnette for what he felt was a serious commitment from Action Gatineau after years of what he referred to as “slowness” from the City
“We are a growing city. The needs are increasing. And this is where I say that we must seize the opportunities. We must be able to build with sports associations to properly meet needs,” said Marquis-Bissonnette.
Photo caption: Independent mayoral candidate Olive Kamanyana and Action Gatineau head share their commitments to improving leisure and sports activities in Gatineau.
Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
An 18-year-old driver from Laval received a four-figure fine from the Laval Police last week after he was clocked driving nearly 100 km/h above the posted speed limit.
According to the LPD, the driver was travelling 140 km/h in a 50 km/h zone on Dagenais Blvd. on Tuesday last week.
He was nailed during a speed enforcement campaign mounted by the LPD.
Speeding cost him a $3,053 fine and 32 demerit points, and his driver’s licence was also suspended for seven days.
City of Laval granted new powers for police dept.
City officials have announced that permission has been granted by the Quebec government to convert the Laval Police Dept.’s Intervention Group (GI) into a Tactical Intervention Group (GTI) effective May 25.
According to the city, Laval as well as the City of Longueuil had both applied to the Quebec Ministry of Public Security for the new status. Laval made the request taking into account that its population will be 500,000 in a few years, with more demands being place on the police force.
Although the Laval Police Dept. currently has the manpower to deal with special operations that carry higher risks, such as armed standoffs, special ops have been carried out until now by a special unit defined as an Intervention Group.
The newly-defined unit will more closely frame the powers its officers have to deal with such sensitive operations as well as the training they receive.
“Security is a major preoccupation for me,” says Mayor Stéphane Boyer. “I’ve very happy to see the powers of the Laval Police Dept. expanded through this long-awaited transition for the tactical intervention team.
“We are fortunate to be able to count on a police organization that is committed and devoted and in a position to assume a large range of responsibilities in order to ensure the security of the population of Laval on a daily basis,” added the mayor.
Photo: Laval tactical intervention group.
Convicted sword murderer escapes Federal Training Centre
An arrest warrant was issued last week for 32-year-old convicted murderer Yacine Zouaoui, who was unaccounted for at the minimum-security Federal Training Centre in Laval’s St-Vincent-de-Paul district, with the Sûreté du Québec maintaining he may have fled to Ontario.
According to the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), officials contacted both Laval Police and the Sûreté du Québec immediately after the discovery of Zouaoui’s late night disappearance.
Zouaoui, who is English-speaking, is described as 185 cm (6 ft 1) in height and 84 kg (186 lbs) in weight, brown eyes, brown hair and visible tattoos, including a teardrop under his left eye, and three dots in the web of his left hand.
He was serving an indeterminate sentence for assault causing bodily injury and second-degree murder, according to the CSC. At age 19, he turned himself in to police following the killing of Zsolt Csikos who was stabbed in the back with a sword.
According to facts in the case, Zouaoui fled the scene of the crime and abandoned the weapon at a shopping mall before seeking advice from an uncle, then subsequently cooperating with investigators.
Anyone with information on Zouaoui’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Sûreté du Quebec or call 911.
The Laval Police say they arrested five suspects and seized large quantities of various types of illegal drugs during a series of raids conducted in Laval in recent weeks.
Warrants executed at two residences and in a vehicle in Laval’s Sainte-Rose and Chomedey districts led to the seizure of 25 grams of crack cocaine, 140 grams of cocaine, 383 methamphetamine tablets and more than $5,000 in cash.
According to the LPD, the anti-narcotics operation was the culmination of an investigation that began last December after a tip from a member of the public.
Police arrested three men and two women from 24 to 50 years of age. The suspects were questioned by police and then released pending upcoming court appearances.
Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Although the officials in Lachine had troubles with the timing and results were not complete, rowers with the Club d’aviron de Laval finished first last weekend in women’s open quad (boat of four rowers) as well as mixed double (a boat with two rowers).
Located in Chomedey behind École Saint-Maxime at a small beach along the Rivière des Prairies known as the Berge des Cageux, the CAL is a local community sporting group that has been offering rowing activities to people of all ages and all skill levels since 1956.
Many ways to compete
In rowing, there are several boat classes in which athletes may compete, ranging from single sculls, occupied by one person, to shells with eight rowers and a coxswain (navigator).
There are a wide variety of course types and formats for racing, although most elite and championship level racing is conducted on calm water courses up to two kilometres long, with marked lanes.
The CAL was founded by a small group of German-Canadians led by Albert Conrad. He volunteered to allow the back yard of his home along the Rivière des Prairies to be used as the CAL’s first base of operations. The club has been located at its current base near the Lachapelle Bridge since the 1960s.
A long club history
When the club first started, it was known as the Montreal Rowing Club and was affiliated with rowing clubs along the waterways of eastern Ontario. The CAL holds the distinction of being the first rowing club in Canada to allow women to take up rowing as a sport.
The club offers new members a variety of programs, depending on their rowing experience, their goals, age and the physical shape they’re in. The club’s resources and facilities include around thirty boats, with some for novices, for recreational practice, as well as for more advanced members who take part in grueling competitions.
Good showings last Sunday
Around 25 of the club’s members took part in competitions held on a basin at the Lachine Canal last Sunday morning and afternoon. In addition to the women’s victories, the men finished second in junior under 17 doubles, and third in the men’s master quad and mixed double.
Club members also participated in the women’s junior U19 double and the master men’s skiff events. At the Laval News’s deadline earlier this week, CAL athletes were waiting to hear whether the club won in the U23 women’s skiff event, although the aforementioned timing problems were delaying the results.
A great overall sport
According to CAL spokesperson Florian Cys, the club’s members, numbering as many as 100, compete in rowing events every two to three weeks during the summer and into the fall. He notes that rowing gets ranked alongside swimming as one of the best overall sports for low physical impact and positive development to cardiovascular health.
“The sport is open to everyone and to all ages,” he said, pointing out that the CAL’s members hold practices near the Lachapelle Bridge almost every morning beginning as early as 6 am.
There are also early evening practice sessions around 5:30 pm for those arriving home after work. The Club d’aviron de Laval is located in Chomedey at 3676 Boulevard Lévesque Ouest. Phone: 450-687-8812. E-mail: info@avironlaval.com.
Lennoxville Councillor Guillaume Lirette-Gélinas, Borough President Claude Charron, and Councillor Jennifer Garfat.Photo by William Crooks
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
On May 27, the Lennoxville Borough Council reviewed and discussed the adoption of new heritage bylaws under Regulation 1277, concerning the demolition of buildings within all of Sherbrooke City. This new regulation is set to replace the existing Regulation 1208 from 2017, in response to recent legislative changes aimed at improving the preservation of cultural heritage buildings.
Background and legislative changes
On April 1, 2021, the Quebec government enacted Bill 69, which amends the Cultural Heritage Act and other legislative provisions, including the Act Respecting Land Use Planning and Development. This bill introduces new guidelines and solutions for the demolition of buildings, particularly those of heritage value. These legislative changes have necessitated the City of Sherbrooke to update its demolition bylaws to incorporate the new requirements.
As of June 1, 2023, the city’s Planning Commission has endorsed the repeal of Regulation 1208 and the adoption of Regulation 1277. Following this endorsement, the City Council passed a resolution on October 3, 2023, initiating the procedures for adopting the new regulation. This new regulation will apply uniformly across the city, ensuring all demolition activities adhere to updated standards.
Key elements of regulation 1277
The new Regulation 1277 introduces several significant changes aimed at enhancing the protection of heritage buildings. The key elements include:
1. Mandatory committee review:
– All heritage buildings seeking demolition must now be reviewed by the demolition committee. Previously, there were exceptions to this requirement, but the new regulation eliminates these exceptions to ensure thorough review.
2. Expanded definition of heritage buildings:
– The regulation broadens the definition of heritage buildings to include:
– Buildings cited under the Cultural Heritage Act.
– Buildings located within heritage sites.
– Buildings constructed before 1940.
– Buildings listed in municipal inventories.
– This expanded definition ensures a wider range of buildings receive protection.
3. New evaluation criteria:
– Demolition requests will be evaluated based on several criteria:
– The physical condition of the building, including structural integrity and contamination levels.
– The heritage value, rated from A (exceptional) to E (low).
– The impact on neighbourhood quality of life, considering factors such as safety and aesthetic coherence.
– The cost of restoration, renovation, and requalification.
– The displacement of tenants and the subsequent effects on housing needs in the area.
4. Consistency with other regulations:
– The regulation aligns with new tools and guidelines from the Ministry of Culture and Communications.
– It ensures consistency with Regulation 12-02 regarding permits and certificates, modernising the demolition regime and simplifying application procedures.
5. Special provisions for government authorisation:
– Buildings requiring government authorisation for demolition include:
– Classed heritage buildings.
– Buildings within a protected area of a classed heritage building.
– Buildings within a classified heritage site.
– These buildings will require authorisation from the Ministry of Culture or the Minister.
Implementation and scope
Sherbrooke has identified 2,790 heritage buildings and 1,206 buildings of interest that will fall under this new regulation. The process for reviewing demolition applications has been streamlined to ensure a thorough analysis and public consultation. This includes opportunities for citizen opposition and potential municipal review of decisions made by the demolition committee.
The new regulation also introduces a mandatory heritage study for demolition requests involving heritage or interest buildings. This study must be conducted by the applicant, rather than the city, due to capacity constraints. The heritage study will provide detailed information to assist the demolition committee in making informed decisions.
Public consultation and next steps
The city has engaged in public consultation across the four boroughs to gather feedback on the new regulation. Following consultations, the Shebrooke City Council is scheduled to adopt the regulation on June 18, 2024. Citizens will have the opportunity to submit requests for review to the municipal commission from June 19 to July 20. If no requests are submitted, the regulation will come into effect on July 20.
Heritage preservation efforts
The adoption of Regulation 1277 is part of a broader provincial effort to protect cultural heritage, prompted by past incidents where inadequate protection led to the loss of significant heritage buildings. This regulation aims to prevent such losses and ensure the architectural and historical integrity of the city is preserved.
Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Three years after leaving municipal politics, former Laval mayor Marc Demers was back in the spotlight earlier this month when the Laval chapter of the Société nationale du Québec presented him with the Médaille du Patriote in recognition of his promotion of the language, culture, heritage and history of Québec
The presentation took place on the front steps of Église Sainte-Rose-de-Lima in Laval’s historic Sainte-Rose district on May 20, the Journée nationale des Patriotes (National Patriots’ Day).
Uprising of ‘Patriotes’
Once a distinct village with its own municipal status before the 1965 mergers that created the City of Laval, Sainte-Rose was one of the places in early 19th century Lower Canada (nearby Sainte-Eustache being another) where the Lower Canada Rebellion received significant support from “patriotes” who decided to rise against the British colonial-era government.
While some visitors to Sainte-Rose occasionally mistake some of Sainte-Rose’s distinctive street names (such as boulevard Je-Me-Souviens and Rue des Patriotes) as evidence of active Quebec political nationalism in the area, they are in fact an homage to Sainte-Rose’s historic role in the Lower Canada Rebellion – which remains a source of great pride for many of the local residents.
Sabotage in Sainte-Rose
According to an account of the role played by rebel sympathizers in Sainte-Rose around the beginning of the uprising in November 1837, they didn’t take up arms. Rather, they did their bit by sabotaging a bridge (the Pont Porteous) between Sainte-Rose and the North Shore, to slow the advance of British soldiers who were on their way to quell the armed insurrection that was underway in Saint Eustache.
In addition to the medallion presented to Demers (a former longtime Laval Police Dept. investigator), a plaque was presented to Annie Desrochers, host of the Radio-Canada’s afternoon FM broadcast, Le 15-18, which airs Monday to Friday from 3 to 6 pm, in recognition of her valuable contributions to the community. She recounted how she grew up in Sainte-Rose, taking part in local events and attending École Latour in the heart of Sainte-Rose.
Tri-color Patriots’ banner
Past recipients of medallions and other honours awarded by the Laval chapter of the Société nationale du Québec have included Jean-François Payette (2019), Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral (2021), Claude Tousignant (2022), Maud Debien (and Léon Debien posthumously) (2023), and Alberto Georgian Mihut (2023).
During the ceremony, it was pointed out that the tri-color flag of the Rebellion, which was also used by the Parti patriote (also called Parti canadien), contains bars of green (for the Irish), white (the French) and red (signifying English and Scottish support).
The Parti patriote was founded by expatriate American James Stuart and Louis-Joseph Papineau, a leading figure in the Patriote movement before the Lower Canada Rebellion.
Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A provincially-constituted commission with a mandate to uphold Quebecers’ human rights concludes in a memorandum that Bill 56, now before the National Assembly, will not provide adequate protection to women and children involved in common law relationships – although they say it is a step in the right direction.
Common law recognition
In the memo, tabled during recent public hearings for Bill 56 in Quebec City, the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse said the legislation to reform the province’s family law system “represents a first step towards the recognition of the implications of domestic partnership in family law.”
“However, the Commission notes that the parental union regime would be offering insufficient protections to attenuate the economic impacts of separation for common law mothers, to the detriment of their rights and those of their children,” the commission says in a statement.
Moms and kids at risk
“Common law mothers are significantly more at risk of impoverishment following a separation and this has an impact on the respect of the rights of children,” said Myrlande Pierre, the commission’s vice-president for Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms issues.
“It is necessary to ensure that that the separations of common law parents do not amplify inequalities between men and women, while harming the capacity of mothers to give their children the protection, security and attention to which they have a right,” she added.
A major sticking point
According to the commission, one of the problems they take issue with in Bill 56 is the fact the proposed family law reform will only take into account couples whose children were born or adopted after June 29, 2025.
“An important portion of the mothers and children in Quebec would never benefit from the new regime,” the commission continues in its statement, while adding that for more than 20 or so years, the majority of births in Quebec have involved mothers in common law relationships. In 2021, they maintain, 59 per cent of babies were born in common law, 34 per cent to married mothers, and 7 per cent to mothers without a partner.
Children first, they say
Again, according to the commission, new elements brought into Bill 56 should apply to all common law couples who have at least one child. “The well-being of children should be the primary consideration in all decisions that concern them, including the elaboration of the legislation,” added Suzanne Arpin, vice-president at the commission for youth issues.
The commission points out that the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms states clearly that all children have a right to “protection, security and the attention that their parents or persons acting on their behalf may give them.” Hence, according to the commission, the exercise of this right should not be affected by the conjugal status of parents.
Parental status sought
The commission is therefore recommending that parental union status should be granted equivalence to the status provided for married persons as well as those in civil union. They are also recommending that a provision for payment of nutritional support between former parental partners be included in Bill 56 for common law status, just as it is currently for civil unions and marriages.
The memorandum on Bill 56 tabled by the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse with the Quebec National Assembly’s Commission on Institutions, pertaining to reform of family law and parental responsibilities, is available online at: cdpdj.qc.ca/fr/publications/PL56-droit-famille
A multi-faceted mission
The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse is independent from the Quebec governement. According to a statement on the commission’s website, it fulfills its mission “for the sole benefit of citizens and in the public interest.” The Commission’s mission also includes the following responsibilities:
Inform the public about rights recognized by the Charter, the Youth Protection Act and Youth Criminal Justice Act;
Carry out investigations in cases of discrimination and exploitation (under the Charter) and in cases of violations of children and youth rights (under the YPA or the YCJA);
Make recommendations to the Quebec government regarding conformity of laws with the Charter and regarding any issue related to rights and freedoms and youth protection;
Undertake and promote research and publications on fundamental rights and freedoms and on children right;
Offer an advisory service on reasonable accommodation to employers and decision-makers;
Monitors the application of equal access to employment programs;
Cooperate with any organization, dedicated to the promotion of human rights and freedoms, in or outside Québec.
by Lorraine Carpenter, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
Projet Montréal announced this week at the City of Montreal is investing $21.4-million in 670 off-market housing units for students. This four-part project will be built between 2024 and 2028. This is the first set of projects in the city’s partnership with the non-profit organization UTILE, a collaboration that aims to facilitate the construction of speculation-free housing.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante commented on the announcement, part of the city’s effort to combat the housing crisis.
“Creating off-market student housing has a double beneficial effect: it allows us to host, at an affordable cost, the students who make our city shine, and it allows us to free up large-family housing that Montreal families need. Montreal is a student city and plans to stay that way!”
Vaccination is the Best Protection: Increase in Whooping Cough Cases in the Laurentians
Maria Diamantis-LJI Journalist
The Public Health Department of the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) of the Laurentians wishes to inform the public about an increase in whooping cough cases in the Laurentian region. The disease is also spreading more in other parts of the province. Since the beginning of the year, 41 cases of whooping cough have been reported to the Laurentians Public Health Department, with the majority affecting young people aged 10 to 19. Five cases have been observed in children under one year old.
What is Whooping Cough?
Whooping cough is a highly contagious disease that can lead to pneumonia. The bacteria are transmitted through nasal and throat secretions, starting with symptoms similar to a cold. This is followed by severe coughing fits, difficulty breathing, and a high-pitched “whoop” sound. Coughing can cause vomiting and a bluish discoloration of the face. In infants, a pause in breathing (apnea) is often the first symptom, and the cough may be mild or absent.
Children under one year are at a higher risk of complications, and most babies under six months will need hospitalization. Although deaths are rare, they occur mainly in infants under three months. Pregnant women infected in the four weeks before delivery have a high risk of transmitting the disease to their babies.
“Whooping cough typically causes outbreaks every 4 to 5 years. The last outbreak was in 2019, with just over 300 cases in the region. An increase in cases is expected in the coming weeks. We want to remind the regional population that vaccination remains the best way to protect against this disease,” explains Dr. Éric Goyer, Director of Public Health of the Laurentians.
Protection and Prevention
Vaccination is the best way to protect your child against whooping cough and prevent complications. A dose of the vaccine should be administered at the ages of 2, 4, and 12 months, as well as between 4 and 6 years. For any questions regarding updating your child’s vaccination record or knowing when to consult a doctor, contact Info-Santé at 811. In case of whooping cough infection, antibiotics can reduce the risk of disease transmission. If symptoms appear, it is important to see a doctor promptly.
It is also recommended that all pregnant women get vaccinated against whooping cough during each pregnancy, between the 26th and 32nd week, to protect their baby from birth. Vaccinating pregnant women can prevent 90% of hospitalizations and 95% of deaths in children under three months old.
Appointments for whooping cough vaccination can be made on Clic Santé. Parents of children aged six and under can also book an appointment by phone at 450-473-6811, extension 44407.
Successful Horticultural Day in Deux-Montagnes Draws Enthusiastic Crowd
Maria Diamantis-LJI Journalist
On Saturday, May 25, the citizens of Deux-Montagnes flocked to the municipal garage located at 625, 20th Avenue to participate in the highly anticipated annual Horticultural Day. The event, which ran from 9 AM to 2 PM, offered residents a wonderful opportunity to obtain various plants for their gardening projects completely free of charge.
The atmosphere was vibrant as community members presented proof of residence to receive their allocation of plants. Each resident was entitled to two herb plants and a tray of annual flowers, contributing to a diverse range of gardening possibilities. In addition to these plants, tree saplings were distributed to further encourage the growth of local greenery and support the environment.
The Horticultural Day was not just about plant distribution; it also provided a host of activities to entertain and engage families. Children delighted in games and face painting sessions, making the event a joyful experience for all ages. The organizers had also set up several horticultural information booths, where experts shared valuable gardening tips and advice, ensuring that both novice and experienced gardeners could benefit from the knowledge shared.
This event is a cornerstone of the city’s beautification program, reflecting Deux-Montagnes’ commitment to encouraging residents to take pride in and enhance their gardens and yards. The city officials expressed their satisfaction with the large turnout and the enthusiastic participation of the community. The success of the event was evident in the smiles and positive feedback from attendees.
As the Horticultural Day continued until 2 PM, many residents left with their new plants in hand, ready to transform their outdoor spaces. The initiative not only provided tangible benefits in the form of plants but also fostered a sense of community and shared purpose. The citizens of Deux-Montagnes wholeheartedly embraced the opportunity to contribute to the beautification of their properties, enhancing the overall aesthetic and environmental quality of the community.
The Horticultural Day underscored the city’s dedication to environmental stewardship and community engagement. The event served as a reminder of the power of communal efforts in creating a greener, more beautiful Deux-Montagnes.
The Town of Rosemère has released its annual financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, as per the Cities and Towns Act. The financial report was presented at the council meeting on May 13, 2024, revealing an operating surplus of $441,800. Mayor Eric Westram emphasized the town’s commitment to resource optimization and fiscal responsibility. “The optimal allocation of financial resources is, as always, a top priority for the Town’s administration. We are meeting the needs of our community while striving to keep things affordable for our taxpayers as we evolve,” stated Mayor Westram. The financial report was audited by BCGO accounting firm, which issued an unqualified audit report. Operating Revenues and Expenses In 2023, Rosemère’s operating revenues amounted to $36,060,400, which exceeded the budgeted amount by $594,100. This increase was mainly due to higher-than-expected proceeds from the transfer tax. Operating expenses totaled $36,563,100, reflecting savings of $986,100, or 2.4% of the operating budget. A significant portion of these savings resulted from deferring the replacement of granular activated carbon in the water treatment plant to 2024, based on the year’s analysis. The allocations from the Town’s funds and financial reserves were reduced by $1,138,400 in alignment with the expenditure savings, bringing the total to $944,500. Capital Investments and Debt Rosemère invested $10,338,400 in capital projects during 2023, with 67% allocated to the rehabilitation of water, sewer, and road infrastructure. Notably, 57% of these investments were financed through third-party contributions or grants. As of December 31, 2023, the Town’s long-term debt, inclusive of the special infrastructure tax, stood at $26.8 million. The debt situation remains stable and is considered favorable.
Golden Book Signing Ceremony Honors Three Young Athletes from Rosemère
Maria Diamantis-LJI Journalist
On May 9th, Eric Westram, Mayor of the Town of Rosemère, along with Town Councillors, welcomed three young athletes to the atrium of the H.-J.-Hemens municipal library. These athletes were invited to sign the Town’s Golden Book in recognition of their talent and perseverance. The ceremony celebrated their achievements at the Jeux du Québec, with family and friends in attendance.
Mayor Westram addressed the athletes, highlighting the significance of signing the Golden Book. “This event allows us to pay tribute to your talent and hard work,” he said. “You have distinguished yourselves not only as accomplished athletes but also as top academic performers. We encourage you to continue excelling in both sports and studies. Here in Rosemère, we strive to create favorable conditions for the well-being and development of young people through our sports and leisure activities. We are proud to see our youth doing so well.”
The honored athletes were:
Xiyun Peng, ping-pong: She won a team silver medal at the 2024 Jeux du Québec in Sherbrooke and also secured a silver and a gold medal at regional competitions in the U15 category in 2023.
Éloi Paquette, speed skating: He earned a silver medal in the 500-meter speed skating event in the 15-year-old male category at the 2024 Jeux du Québec in Sherbrooke. His 2023 participation in various competitions also brought him numerous medals and honors.
Alexis Sénéchal, volleyball: As part of the Laurentides team, he won a gold medal at the 2023 Jeux du Québec in Rimouski. With his civilian team “Les Cheminots,” he won a silver medal at the Circuit Volleyball Québec competition in the U16 men’s Division 1 category. The team is now preparing for the Canadian championships in Edmonton.
About the Golden Book
The Town of Rosemère’s Golden Book records the visits of prominent figures and recognizes residents who have distinguished themselves in various fields through significant accomplishments. The signatures in the book are a mark of official recognition by the Town and form part of the community’s collective memory.
Taking inspiration from Vieux-Québec and Vieux-Montréal, independent mayoral candidate Yves Ducharme wants to revitalize what he has dubbed Vieux-Hull.
“I want to display our history, our pride, our identity, and our sense of belonging,” said Ducharme.
The candidate gathered journalists in downtown Hull on May 23 to reveal his 14-point action plan to stimulate the downtown core as it shakes off the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Using the study on the revival of downtown Gatineau by the Observatoire du développement de l’Outaouais as a roadmap, Ducharme planned to review the limits of the current programme particulier d’urbanisme du centre-ville. The territory would be bounded to the south and east by the Ottawa River, to the north by boulevard des Allumettières and to the west by rue Taylor.
“The Observatory’s study highlights an indisputable face. Downtown needs more residents,” said Ducharme. “Residents who can get around on foot or by bike, to eat, to have fun, or to get to work in a neighbourhood in just 15 minutes. But for this, there must be a minimum density.”
While the issue of density played a role in the study, Ducharme said possible concrete solutions to compensate for this demographic deficiency were practically nonexistent. He intended to require a supplement study to know the optimal level of density, desirable residential mix, optimal composition of households, and elasticity of demand according to the price of housing.
Among Ducharme’s other measures was promoting the creation of a public market at the Fonderie, pressing the government to deliver a timeline for the construction of the new convention centre, intervening with the National Capital Commission to improve the development for the Ruisseau de la Brasserie, and establishing the regional museum in the E.B. Eddy Digester Tower.
“It was under my administration that we managed to protect this building … I’m very proud of it. I want to see this gem reborn. I have already indicated to Mathieu Lacombe, our regional Minister, that I would like to see the regional museum take root there.”
When it came to business owners, Ducharme wanted to simplify things by creating a customer approach to the town planning service and eliminating the requirement to obtain a permit to post on buildings.
“Businesspeople must view our administration as collaborators rather than regulators. And our administration must view businesspeople as partners, not profiteers. Ultimately, more residents bring more merchants. And more merchants bring more residents to a vibrant neighbourhood.”
Photo caption: Independent candidate Yves Ducharme would like to use the study published earlier this year by Observatoire du développement de l’Outaouais as a roadmap to boost the attractiveness and diversification of downtown Gatineau.
The contingency plan announced by the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais has generated sharp reactions from Outaouais elected officials.
“No government in Canada must accept the state of things in the Outaouais region of Quebec,” Gatineau MP Steven MacKinnon said in a video posted to his X account. “People are going to die. People will suffer.”
Wanting to give its limited staff a break this summer, CISSSO chief executive officer Marc Bilodeau announced reductions to services like non-urgent operations and medical imaging, along with a contingency plan which he hoped not to put into action.
“My number one priority is that the contingency plan remains only a plan that will never be implemented,” said Bilodeau.
The contingency plan considered the closure of certain operating lines. Some partial, others total. The same was said for medical imaging.
“I am confident that we have the resources in place to be able to respond to (the needs of the public) during the summer. The plan, ultimately, is just a workaround or a spare tire,” said Bilodeau.
Following the release of the plan, MacKinnon posted a video to his X account, demanding an end to all the excuses.
“This is a situation that must concern the highest levels of the Government of Quebec … Professionals go out of their way to keep this system propped up, but the health situation is a catastrophe,” said MacKinnon.
Hours later, MNA Mathieu Lacombe, the Minister responsible for the Outaouais region, reposted the video, criticizing MacKinnon for making irresponsible comments.
“We must work together, not scare citizens by taking shortcuts. If the federal government wants to help us, rather than lecturing us, it could write us a cheque to increase health transfers, as Quebec and all the provinces have been demanding for several years. It would be more productive,” wrote Lacombe.
MacKinnon was not the only MP sharing concerns at the slash of summer services. The same day, Pontiac MP Sophie Chatel sent a letter to Lacombe and Quebec Minister of Health Christian Dubé calling for “urgent action to avoid a breakdown in health-care services in our region.”
“It is therefore essential that Quebec establish sustainable solutions to ensure the continuity of health services in the Outaouais, including the creation of an action plan for all health personnel in the Outaouais,” read the letter.
The MP went on to highlight solutions put forward by constituents and regional health experts, such as increasing the salary premium and improving working conditions as well as prioritizing interregional equity in the allocation of health resources and funding.
“Health mainly falls under the jurisdiction of Quebec, and this is why Outaouais needs your immediate support to establish an urgent action plan. When a crisis occurs in a region, it is imperative that all levels of government work together to find effective solutions,” wrote Chatel.
Pontiac MNA André Fortin was able to put his questions to the Minister of Health face-to-face during Assembly Proceedings on May 23.
“People in Outaouais are already afraid. The patients are afraid. The doctors are afraid. Madam Speaker, as a resident, I am afraid of the services that we will provide in Outaouais this summer,” he said. “What are you waiting for?”
Similar to what was done in Côte-Nord or Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Dubé said solutions would be found. “We couldn’t be doing more work to find solutions.”
Prior to the proceedings, Fortin held a press scrum alongside Conseil des médecins, dentistes et pharmaciens president Dr. Peter Bonneville to share their concerns about the current contingency plan that Bonneville said would endanger the Outaouais population.
“We are doing what we can with what we have, and it is very difficult,” said the Gatineau emergency room doctor. “I am ashamed of the care we are giving in the Outaouais at the moment … I am ashamed to be in a province where there is inaction regarding what is happening in the Outaouais.”
Bonneville reiterated the demand laid out in the Change.org petition he started in late April, calling on Dubé to implement differentiated compensation “to stop the hemorrhage of departures.”
Later that evening, Lacombe took to Facebook to say he had met with Bonneville and assured the more than 23,000 signatories that they could count on their regional caucus to assert their right to quality health care.
“We will not let the population down. It is our responsibility,” wrote Lacombe.
Photo caption: Pontiac MNA André Fortin is joined by Dr. Peter Bonneville in a press scrum to share their concerns about the CISSSO’s contingency plan that Bonneville believes will endanger the Outaouais population.
Photo credit: Screenshot from André Fortin press scrum at the National Assembly of Quebec on May 23
“Mains d’herbes”: Artist Mathilde Benignus Brings Creative Green Spaces to Parc-Extension
Dimitris Ilias-LJI Journalist
The teams from the Hors les murs program of the Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension borough and the University of Montreal Gallery are pleased to announce that the artist selected for the Projet Passerelle is Mathilde Benignus with her project “Mains d’herbes.”
During the summer of 2024, the multidisciplinary artist will explore the Parc-Extension neighborhood, questioning the presence of green spaces, from the most popular parks to the smallest balconies. She will engage with elderly residents and the University of Montreal student community through collaborative zine creation workshops. Zines are small, artist-made books that are easily reproducible and will serve as a medium for sharing ideas on socio-scientific and ecological themes, focusing on participants’ intimate relationships with urban nature. These zines will be distributed throughout the neighborhood at the end of the summer. The project will pause during the colder months and resume in the spring of 2025 with new groups but the same approach, combining participant exchanges and zine production.
Mathilde is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice is deeply rooted in interactions with various communities, creating alongside them. This collaborative approach is what drew us to her work. She has extensive experience in co-creating zines.
In 2021 and 2022, she created two zine collections in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine. “Seules et ensemble” focused on the strong relationships between chosen sisters in the community during the pandemic, while “Pour toi Fiona” involved several zine co-creation workshops with teenagers, addressing inner storms and the challenges we cannot control. In 2023, she led the project “Faire famille,” a collective and intimate reflection on various ways to welcome children, sharing good practices and designing dream spaces with various art center stakeholders, emphasizing the involvement of artists’ children during creative residencies.
Since 2020, Mathilde has actively participated in numerous collective projects connecting elderly individuals with artists across different Montreal neighborhoods. “Mains d’herbes” marks her first foray into Parc-Extension.
Parc-Extension Firefighters Rally for Colleague Battling Brain Cancer
Dimitris Ilias-LJI Journalist
In Parc-Extension, the local fire station is showing remarkable solidarity as they unite to support Gabriel Thibert, a firefighter facing a severe health crisis. Diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain cancer, Thibert’s condition has deeply affected his family and colleagues.
Gabriel Thibert, 39, learned of his diagnosis in February. “Breaking the news to my family, especially my two kids, was incredibly hard,” Thibert recalled. “Emotionally, I felt paralyzed, as if I was hearing someone else’s story.” The announcement also took a heavy toll on his coworkers at the Parc-Extension fire station.
Alex Kheir, a fellow firefighter, was particularly impacted. “We suspected something was wrong after Gabriel had a seizure two weeks earlier,” Kheir said. Seeking a way to cope and support his friend, Kheir went for a run, which sparked an idea. “Gabriel had been talking about running a marathon for the past two years. I realized he might not get that chance,” Kheir explained.
In response, Kheir committed to running the Montreal marathon in September in Thibert’s honour and recruited other firefighters to join him. This initiative quickly gained momentum, with about 50 firefighters from across Quebec signing up to participate.
Kheir also launched a fundraiser with the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation to support glioblastoma research. Dr. Rhian Touyz, chief scientific officer at the MUHC Research Institute, emphasized the challenges in treating this form of cancer. “Glioblastoma is difficult to treat, and we still don’t fully understand its causes, making prevention and treatment challenging,” Dr. Touyz said. The disease affects four in 100,000 Canadians and accounts for up to 15 percent of all brain tumours. Only about five percent of patients survive five years post-diagnosis.
Despite these grim statistics, Thibert draws strength from the overwhelming support of his colleagues. “I’m fortunate to have friends like this; it’s like having a second family,” Thibert said. Kheir echoed this sentiment, praising Thibert’s resilience. “He’s been the strongest of us all through this entire ordeal,” Kheir noted. As Parc-Extension prepares for the marathon, the firefighters’ efforts highlight the power of community and hope. Their collective action not only aims to support Thibert but also to contribute to vital research that could one day improve outcomes for others facing glioblastoma.
AI Software Challenges Educators as School Year Ends
Dimitris Ilias-LJI Journalist
Conversational robots like AI software are presenting significant challenges for educators in Park-Extension and all over Quebec as the school year comes to a close. Students are increasingly using these tools to cheat on assignments and exams, even at the elementary level.
In one local elementary school, a sixth-grade teacher discovered that two of her students had recently admitted to using AI software for homework assignments completed at home. Additionally, her own son, a fifth grader at another school in the borough, reported a classmate using AI software to complete work in class on a computer provided for learning disabilities.
The issue is widespread, with many teachers discussing similar incidents across various classes all over Quebec. Some students are quite knowledgeable about the tool’s capabilities, even going as far as asking AI software to respond using the vocabulary of an 11-year-old to avoid detection.
This presents a cognitive challenge as educators strive to teach students about plagiarism and academic honesty. However, explaining these concepts to young students is complex, and many are quick to justify their actions by pointing out the tool’s availability.
The Wave Reaches High Schools
The problem is even more pronounced in high schools, where more students are using AI software to cheat. In one local high school, a chemistry teacher noticed a significant uptick in April, estimating that 6 or 7 out of his 40 students might have used AI software for a recent assignment completed at home.
Instead of taking a punitive approach, this teacher chose to discuss the issue openly with his students, leading several to admit to using AI software. The teacher expressed concerns about whether young people have the maturity to use such a powerful tool responsibly.
In another high school in the area, several students using computers with learning aid software resorted to AI software during a writing assessment conducted over multiple class periods. This led the school to organize a retake exam for those students, indicating that undetected cases could become more common.
Another incident involved students using AI software during a writing assessment, despite the test being on a secure platform. This happened in preparation for a ministerial writing test, requiring the students to redo their assessment. The underlying issue, according to the teacher, is intellectual laziness, highlighting the need for proactive measures to address the problem.
Teachers Left to Their Own Devices
As AI software use becomes more prevalent among students, teachers feel increasingly isolated and are calling for clear directives and stronger tools to combat this issue. Many educators rely on online AI detection tools, but these are not always reliable, leading to inconsistencies.
Teachers are left to their own discretion in dealing with AI software-related cheating, adding to their workload and stress. The need for effective tools and guidelines is apparent, as educators struggle to manage this new reality.
Everyone Overwhelmed
This new challenge adds another layer of responsibility for teachers, who must now verify and cross-check the integrity of homework while supervising students using computers in class. There is a growing call for a thorough reflection on the role of digital tools in schools.
The Federation of School Service Centers acknowledges being in a phase of “accelerated learning,” aiming to ensure ethical use of AI software based on critical judgment. As understanding and control of AI software use improves, guidelines similar to those established for social media use will be implemented.
The Quebec Federation of School Management indicates that schools have measures to block these tools but acknowledges that some students might still bypass these controls. Addressing AI software usage issues in class and teaching good work methods are recommended as proactive steps to clarify what is permitted and to foster responsible use of technology.
Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
To ensure maximum safety and the smooth running of the 12th edition of the Laval Firefighters’ Race, streets in some neighbourhoods will be closed to traffic and unavailable for parking on Sunday, June 2, from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The City therefore invites motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to collaborate and plan their trips to avoid any inconvenience.
A detailed schedule of street closures as well as a map illustrating the affected areas on Laval territory are available on the website of the event.
Participants are recommended to get to the site using transportation such as carpooling, public transit, cycling or walking. On the day of the Run, they will be able to use the Société de transport de Laval (STL) bus service free of charge upon presentation of their bib.
On June 2, volunteers and the police force will ensure the security and smooth running of the event. In particular, traffic surveillance will be provided at all intersections along the route.
To learn more about the Firefighters’ Race: coursedespompiers.laval.ca
Fête nationale celebrations June 23 and 24 at Centre de la nature
The City of Laval is planning for a major blowout at the Centre de la nature in Duvernay for Quebec’s Fête nationale celebration. A big night-time stage show will be taking place on Sunday June 23, with day-time activities scheduled for Monday June 24 during the day.
The stage show on the main field at the Centre de la nature will feature a range of musicians and performers, including Qualité Motel, Zachary Richard, Ariane Moffatt, Galaxie, Laurence Jalbert, Marie-Pierre Arthur, Fanny Bloom, Safia Nolin, Kanen Lumière, Connaisseur Ticasso, Ya Cetidon and Sensei H.
The evening will come to a close with a performance by someone whose identity city officials are keeping as a surprise up to the last moment.
They have also announced that there will be no fireworks display this year (which is perhaps not surprising considering that other municipalities have cancelled their fireworks for environmental reasons, as well as fears in recent years of triggering off wildfires).
“I am pleased to be able to share this unique and innovative evening with everyone in Laval so that one and all can come together to have fun during this great and memorable annual concert,” says Mayor Stéphane Boyer.
The Centre de la nature will be accessible beginning at 6 pm and the concert starts at 8:30 pm.
Food trucks will make stops at the site for those who want to have a bite to eat before the evening starts. Free shuttle buses will take those arriving by public transit to the Centre de la nature from the Montmorency Metro every 30 minutes. The buses will make return trips at the end of the evening.
The celebrations continue at the Centre de la nature on Monday June 24, with activities for children, including face painting, music shows, inflatable games and food trucks. The city has given the Société nationale du Québec à Laval a $20,000 subsidy to coordinate this year’s local Fête nationale celebrations.
Laval expands availability of electric scooters
Already well-known and highly-appreciated by many Laval residents, self-service electric scooters are back again in Laval this summer, with up to 400 scooters being made available in various locations.
The city first signed on to allow rentable electric scooters on its territory in 2023. They are now being gradually deployed at 33 stations. There are expected to be twice as many scooters this year.
“Access to scooters this early in the season will allow the service to be tested out over the course of a complete season, and it is very possible this will lead to even more promising results,” says Laval city councillor for L’Abord-à-Plouffe Vasilios Karidogiannis, who is responsible for mobility dossiers on council.
The scooters are being furnished by Bird Canada and Lime. To use them, users need to download an app made available by either company at the App Store for iPhone and Google Play for Android devices.
Those using the scooters must follow certain rules, such as mandatory helmets, minimum age 14, and driving only on bike paths or roadways where the speed limit doesn’t exceed 50 km/h.
All the electric scooters are fitted with GPS geolocation devices, so they can be found at any time by the companies that own them, and they must be returned to any of the 33 stations on Laval’s territory in an upright position.
COVID-19 killed over 53,000 Canadians – reasons enough to put a plan in place for the next time. The appalling thing is that there were plans in place last time — plans that were neglected, outdated, ignored. The Auditor General’s Report #8 to Parliament in 2021 notes that despite nearly two decades of warnings, planning and government spending, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) was not ready for the global pandemic and did not appreciate the threat it posed in its early stages. Moreover, the PHAC failed to improve its information technology after 2003’s SARS epidemic and 2009’s H1N1 pandemic. It took some steps to develop plans and national guidance after H1N1, but, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency failed to update all of the plans or complete a test exercise with provincial and territorial governments. The 1997-established Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN) was supposed to offer alerts and risk assessments. Instead, it offered only links to news articles for its 450 domestic and 520 international subscribers. The auditor general found that no alert from the GPHIN was issued to provide early warning of the virus. Nor were there any risk assessments, data-sharing with the provinces or follow-up on Canadian travellers who were ordered into quarantine. Canada’s auditor general says, “I am discouraged that the Public Health Agency of Canada did not address long-standing issues, some of which were raised repeatedly for more than two decades…”
It has not been easy for the PHAC to own its past performance. In answer to written questions about Canada’s preparedness for the next pandemic, PHAC sent this reporter links to its Canadian Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Planning Guidance for the Health Sector (CPIP), the very one the A-G deemed inadequate in 2021. Originally written in 2004 and intermittently updated, the latest iteration before the pandemic was in 2018. Updates began in 2022, after the A-G’s criticisms and recommendations, but the independent review of the systems that were promised to the auditor general were not included.
Several non-government think tanks have made suggestions for ‘the next time’. Says the non-partisan public-private organization, Public Policy Forum (PPF), “No one wants a repeat of the SARS experience, in which extensive post-mortem recommendations sat on the shelf with limited action taken, leaving Canada to start almost from scratch when confronting COVID. That must not happen again.”
At this point, it looks like that is exactly what will happen again. “The pandemic laid bare a glaring absence”, PPF says. “Canada lacks an institution to connect a chain of urgent requirements and roles in the face of a health crisis… Other countries — the US, UK, European Union, Japan — are applying this lesson and creating such institutions… The unwavering goal: to address future health threats, even before the extent and impact of a specific threat is known… [In particular,] the new entity must undertake regular updates to Canada’s health security strategic plan, including public reporting on the status of the health security system.” To date, Canada has not gone this route. The Public Health Agency does little public reporting within Canada and has not publicized its strategy or its plans going forward. The federal government has funded $575-million in “preparedness” projects in 14 research institutions. Health security experts say a more sustained investment is needed – without directly taking to task our present departments and agencies, their commentaries make it clear that our standards for health security preparedness are not up to scratch.
Things seem little better on the international stage. Two years ago, all 194 member nations of the WHO sat down to hammer out a binding global accord for how the world might better share scarce resources and stop future viruses from spreading. That accord was to be adopted at the World Health Assembly meeting in Geneva this week. One of the first announcements out of the Assembly was that they had failed to reach consensus on how to share data and information on pathogens and, most contentiously, how to share vaccines and medicines during international health emergencies.
The co-chairs of the negotiating team said they will continue to work toward an agreement on some sort of treaty. They didn’t pinpoint the sticking points, but insiders say it’s still a battle of rich countries versus poor. American critics worried that the agreement “is shredding intellectual property rights” and “supercharging the WHO.” Britain’s department of health said it would only agree to an accord if it was “firmly in the UK national interest and respects national sovereignty.” In answer to a question about WHO’s authority over Canada, a spokesperson for PHAC confirmed that “the WHO has no jurisdiction in Canada, and Canada will remain in control of any future domestic decisions about national restrictions or other measures related to pandemics.” Many developing countries say it’s unfair that they might be expected to provide virus samples to help develop vaccines and treatments, but then be unable to afford them. All this is reminiscent of the COVID-19 debacle that South Africa called “vaccine apartheid,” where countries had vastly unequal access to COVID vaccines and drugs.
It is not at all clear what we’ve learned from our experiences with COVID-19. It is even less clear that ‘the next time’ will not be a replay of our past history. Four years later, there are no known internal plans in the works for federal-provincial-territorial cooperation and response, and no international agreement on sharing.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world in unprecedented ways –we’re still grappling with the short term implications of this and resisting the changes as much as embracing them. Assessing the longer-term implications of the pandemic and building workable policies has a finite window of opportunity: it’s open now and will stay open only until the next public health threat materializes. From the vantage point of the general public, this period is fraught with uncertainty about Canada’s overall wellbeing; many Canadians are dwelling on more immediate issues, not whether those in charge are preparing for the next health emergency. The PPF warns that “Canadians will not be forgiving — nor should they be — if the country is caught ill-prepared in the face of the next health threat.” It is to be hoped that Canadians will demand more and better, and more to the point, demand proof of it well before ‘the next time’.
Bishop’s University on the sunny day of May 30. Photo by Matthew McCully
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
Bishop’s University (BU) Chancellor Daniel Fournier will preside over its 197th Convocation ceremony June 1, where degrees will be conferred upon over 600 graduates from the Class of 2024. At the ceremony, honorary degrees will be bestowed on two eminent individuals for their achievements, and the Community of the Townships for coming together last fall to support BU during the tuition crisis. The Record spoke with BU’s principal and a member of the Townships’ Mobilization Committee on the significance of the latter honour.
Convocation
“Convocation marks an important milestone for all Bishop’s University graduates, a memorable life event for students who have been the heart of our community in recent years,” stated Fournier in a May 27 release.
“They are now ready to face the new challenges that await them, and we are confident that they are well prepared to do so.”
This year’s Doctorates in Civil Law (D.C.L.) honorands include Elisapie, an Inuk singer-songwriter, director, and activist; Dr. George Siber ’66, an internationally recognised vaccine expert; and the Community of the Eastern Townships, represented by the Mobilization Committee, including Claude Belleau, Louise Bourgault, Yannick Crack, Chantal Lessard, and Jean Perrault, created to support BU during the tuition crisis. The ceremony will also highlight the contributions of recipients of academic excellence and community engagement awards.
The convocation ceremonies will take place at 10 a.m. for graduates from the Schools of Business and Education, where Siber will receive an honorary degree. The ceremony for graduates from the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences & Mathematics Divisions of the Faculty of Arts & Science will follow at 2:30 p.m., where Elisapie will receive an honorary degree. Representatives of the Eastern Townships community will be presented with honorary degrees at both ceremonies.
Graduating students Sébastien Élie and Renée Rosteius have been selected as Valedictorians for Convocation 2024 and will deliver their addresses during the morning and afternoon ceremonies, respectively.
Special Indigenous Convocation Ceremony
On Friday, May 31, the Indigenous Student Support Centre will hold a graduation ceremony for Indigenous students and their families, welcoming members of the Indigenous community from Odanak to partake in this significant event.
“The Class of 2024 deserves our esteem and congratulations for successfully completing their respective programmes. Convocation is also an occasion to celebrate those who have gone above and beyond, giving our community the best of themselves,” said BU Principal and Vice-Chancellor Sébastien Lebel-Grenier.
Local and ecological flowers during Convocation
In collaboration with local flower producers Les Jardins d’Etc. (Bury) and Wild Thing (Stanstead), BU is the first university to partner with the Association des productrices et producteurs de fleurs coupées du Québec (APFCQ) as part of its Sustainable Development Plan. Flowers will be available on June 1 at the John H. Price Sports Centre from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Families are encouraged to order in advance by visiting the Bishop’s Local Flowers for Convocation website.
2024 Honorands
Elisapie. Photo Courtesy
Elisapie
Elisapie, born and raised in Salluit, a small village in Nunavik accessible only by plane, is an iconic Canadian Inuk singer-songwriter. Her fourth solo record, “Inuktitut,” won the 2024 Juno Award for Best Contemporary Indigenous Artist. The album features ten covers of classic rock and pop songs from the 1960s to the 1990s, translated into Inuktitut, her mother tongue.
Elisapie’s reimagining of these songs is an act of cultural reappropriation, telling her story through this musical journey. Since winning her first Juno Award in 2005 with her band Taima, her work has garnered critical acclaim, including her 2018 album “The Ballad of the Runaway Girl,” which was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize and earned numerous Félix Awards.
Elisapie has performed with the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, at New York City’s Central Park SummerStage Festival, in NPR’s Tiny Desk Session, and at various venues and festivals globally. Beyond her music career, she is recognised for her acting roles in TV series and experimental films.
As a dedicated activist, she produced the first Canada-wide broadcast TV show to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day, “Le grand solstice” (2021, 2022, 2023), and directed the National Film Board documentary “If the Weather Permits” (2003). Through her company, Sanajik Films, she produces documentaries from Indigenous and Inuit perspectives.
Dr. George Siber. Photo Courtesy
George Siber, MD
Siber is an infectious disease-trained physician with over 40 years of experience in developing vaccines and antibody products. He is an adjunct professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins Medical School, a visiting researcher at the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and president of Siber Biotechnologies LLC.
From 1996 to 2007, Siber served as executive vice president and chief scientific officer of Wyeth Vaccines (now Pfizer), leading the development and approval of innovative childhood vaccines, including the first pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevenar 7 and 13), the first rotavirus diarrhoea vaccine (Rotashield), the first meningococcal meningitis conjugate vaccine (Meningitec), and the first nasal influenza vaccine (FluMist).
Before his work in big pharma, Siber was Harvard Medical School Associate Professor of Medicine at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and director of the Massachusetts Public Health Biologic Laboratories, where he developed several vaccines and immune globulins, including the first antibody licensed for respiratory syncytial virus (Respigam), leading to the development of monoclonal antibodies to RSV (Synagis and Beyfortus).
Currently, Siber is a vaccine consultant to biotechnology companies, NGOs, and government bodies. He co-founded and served on the Board of Affinivax, which developed a 24-valent pneumococcal vaccine acquired by GSK in 2022. Dr. Siber serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of AdVaccine, CanSino, Clover, ILiAD, Valneva, Vaxart, and Vaxxinity and has consulted for NIH, EU, WHO, and the Gates Foundation.
He was a trustee of the International Vaccine Institute and received multiple awards, including the 2016 Albert Sabin Gold Medal in vaccinology. Siber holds a BSc from BU, an MD from McGill University, and completed post-doctoral training in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at institutions affiliated with Harvard Medical School.
BU Principal talks Townships’ honorary degree, state of BU after tuition crisis
In a historic first, BU is set to award an honorary degree in recognition of the extraordinary support provided by the Townships’ community. This initiative was conceived through discussions between Chancellor Fournier and Principal Lebel-Grenier.
“This is the first time the university has ever done anything like this,” Lebel-Grenier confirmed to The Record May 29.
“It really came out of discussions between the Chancellor and me, as a recognition and appreciation for the extraordinary support of the Eastern Townships’ community, which really came together in our time of need.”
The “time of need” was last fall’s tuition crisis, which had the provincial government initially planning to legislate a major hike to Quebec’s English university tuition models, especially concerning Canadian out-of-province students. At the time, Lebel-Grenier described the potential move as a an “existential threat” to BU. BU was eventually granted a partial exemption. The CAQ government justified the measures as meant to protect the French language.
On Convocation Day, the honorary degree will be accepted by the members of the Mobilization Committee, who were instrumental in garnering volunteer support.
“The members of the Mobilization Committee are all going to be there,” Lebel-Grenier explained.
“We have two ceremonies, and they will share the burden, with some attending in the morning and others in the afternoon.”
Regarding BU’s current situation, Lebel-Grenier provided an update on the institution’s status following the challenges faced in the fall.
“We achieved an extraordinary victory last December, which gave us confidence in our ability to look forward to the future with some optimism. The mere fact of the announcement has had an impact on our ability to recruit, especially Canadian students from outside Quebec,” he noted.
The university is currently experiencing a lag of about 10 per cent in recruitment, a significant figure impacting its finances, leading to a projected deficit.
Despite these challenges, the university has implemented several measures to counteract the negative effects. Increased activity on social media, additional visits by recruitment officers both domestically and internationally, and enhanced communication with alumni are among the strategies employed.
“Thanks to the generosity of donors, we’ve been able to increase awards specifically for Canadian out-of-province students,” Lebel-Grenier stated.
When asked if the situation might improve over time, Lebel-Grenier was cautiously optimistic.
“Nothing really bounces back on its own,” he said.
“We are being very intentional and will continue the measures we have implemented for recruitment, making sure prospective students understand the unique opportunities our university offers.”
Regarding the potential advantage over Concordia and McGill universities, which were not given an exemption and have faced their own challenges, Lebel-Grenier was clear:
“We could have tried to take advantage of our position, but we deliberately refused to do that. We see ourselves as three different universities within the same ecosystem, facing great challenges together. We’ve worked closely with both McGill and Concordia to limit the effects of these announcements and advocate to the Quebec government.”
Lebel-Grenier expressed his anticipation for the upcoming convocation.
“We are looking forward to an incredible convocation,” he said.
“It’s going to be very exciting. This is all about the students and their achievements. It’s going to be a great weekend.”
Mobilization Committee member talks tuition crisis, significance of honorary degree
The Record spoke with Claude Belleau May 30, a key figure in the Mobilization Committee, to understand the efforts behind these honours and their broader implications for the community.
The formation of the committee was spearheaded by former Sherbrooke mayor Jean Perrault, known for his dedication to serving the community.
“Jean Perrault is always looking for ways to be useful and address important community issues,” Belleau remarked.
Perrault contacted several individuals in the fall who shared his vision, including Yannick Crack, a lawyer from Therrien Couture Joli-Coeur in Sherbrooke, Louise Bourgault, the former director general of the Chamber of Commerce of Sherbrooke, and Belleau himself. Belleau stressed that all committee members participated in their personal capacities, emphasizing their commitment as community members rather than representatives of any organizations.
The initiative was driven by concerns over provincial government measures that the committee believed did not reflect the community’s reality.
“What the provincial government was doing didn’t resonate with us as being right or reflective of our daily experiences,” Belleau explained. The committee swiftly mobilised support from the community, reaching out to elected officials at all levels of government to question the rationale behind the proposed measures.
“We called every elected member, whether federal, provincial, or municipal, and asked if they shared this view. The overwhelming response was that Bishop’s University is not a threat to the French language in Sherbrooke or Quebec,” Belleau emphasized.
This widespread agreement played a crucial role in preventing the imposition of unfavourable measures on BU.
“The community’s support was crucial in making the government reconsider. The message was clear: Bishop’s is not a threat,” Belleau stated. He noted that the community’s swift and united response was instrumental in protecting the institution.
Belleau highlighted the significant contributions of BU to the local community, emphasizing its role as a major employer and its economic impact.
“Bishop’s is a huge employer, contributing $180 million in business activities and salaries. It’s a vital part of our community,” he said.
Additionally, the historical significance of the university, which predates the founding of Sherbrooke, underscores its longstanding influence.
“Bishop’s has been a cornerstone of our community for 180 years, bringing in perspectives and fostering cultural exchange,” Belleau added.
While the community’s efforts successfully protected BU, Belleau expressed concern for other anglophone institutions like McGill and Concordia, which continue to face government scrutiny.
“It’s disheartening to see that similar measures are still being imposed on McGill and Concordia. It’s no more justifiable for them than it was for Bishop’s,” he commented.
Belleau stressed the importance of distinguishing between the support for educational institutions and the broader debate over the decline of the French language in Quebec.
“There is a real concern for the French language, but targeting our universities is not the solution. These institutions are not the problem,” he asserted.
Reflecting on the community’s efforts, Belleau voiced his pride and determination to continue supporting BU.
“I’m very proud of our community for standing up against something that made no sense. We are determined to preserve Bishop’s and recognize its importance,” he stated.
Belleau highlighted the importance of making a clear distinction between educational support and language preservation.
“Let’s not confuse our support for these institutions with the separate issue of the French language’s decline. These are distinct debates,” he affirmed.
Construction workers digging away in front of Lennoxville’s Maxi grocery store. Photo by William Crooks
The curious case of construction work in front of Lennoxville’s Maxi
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
Lennoxvillians may have noticed the big hole being excavated out in front of Lennoxville’s Maxi grocery store, right where the bus stop used to be. The Record has been digging into the issue itself to find out more since early last week. However, no definitive explanation from a decision-maker has arisen, despite numerous phone calls and emails sent out to related relevant groups.
Recent discussions during the May 28 Lennoxville monthly borough council meeting shed some light on the ongoing construction and possible decontamination efforts; the site in question, councillors confirmed, was formerly occupied by a garage and a gas station.
Claude Charron, borough president, said he reached out to the town for updates on the construction project. He said despite attempts to contact project leads, information remains limited due to confidentiality.
Signs have been posted at the site, indicating potential active decontamination processes. They read:
“Valusol – RBQ 5581-7431-01 | ISO 9001-2015 – RÉHABILITATION DÉFINITIVE, SOLUTIONS SÉCURITAIRES -Retrait de réservoirs • Sols contaminés • Pieux & murs de soutènement – 450 653-2000 | valusol.ca”
Some residents have expressed interest in understanding the full scope of the project and its implications. The council said it is committed to keeping the community informed as more details become available.
The Société de transport de Sherbrooke (STS) has been queried regarding transport services during the construction period. A council member said a signpost was installed on the morning of May 28 marking the temporary bus stop location for the duration of the construction. Commuters are advised to use this interim stop until the project is completed.
The Record visited the Maxi early last week to speak with Store Manager Robert Lafond on the issue, but he was not present at the time. Unconfirmed rumours swirled about decontamination.
The Record eventually contacted Lafond over the phone May 27, but he said he could not speak on the issue. Instead, he gave The Record the names of two Loblaw Montreal (Maxi’s parent company) contacts that might be able to help. The Record called but was redirected to Loblaw’s public relations email address. An email asking for comment on the issue was sent out May 27, but The Record has yet to receive a response.
The Record contacted the City of Sherbrooke on the issue, but was told by Communications Officer Alexane Bégin in a May 29 email:
“After verification, the City of Sherbrooke does not have information on the land in front of the Maxi in Lennoxville since it is a private project.”
Finally, The Record contacted the provincial ministry of the environment May 23. On May 27, Communications Officer Ghizlane Behdaoui responded:
“According to the available information, the ongoing work is related to a characterization conducted by a consultant. The regional office of the MELCCFP is continuing its investigations to obtain additional information about the nature of the ongoing work and to ensure that the management of contaminated soils, if any, complies with current environmental regulations.”
Martin C. Barry, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Students at Jules Verne Elementary School succeeded in raising more than $9,000 for the Pink in the City breast cancer cause during the second annual ‘Spring Raise Craze’ head shave event held at the school in Laval’s Pont-Viau district on May 24.
Jules Verne Elementary was just one of eight Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board schools that took part in head shaving events for Pink in the City in recent weeks. The goal was to help provide support for research into finding a cure for metastatic breast cancer.
Shave and a haircut
In all, several of the Jules Verne Elementary students agreed to have their heads shaved completely, although some agreed only to a haircut or partial hair removal.
The students whose heads were shaved were Michael D’Angelo, Nico Marandola, Mark Macovetchi, Shakir and Rahim Michelot. Students who received haircuts were Evelyn Grande, Jenylee L’Heureux Plouffe and Paisley McGovern. Teacher Lisa Morello also agreed to get her hair cut.
“We have a hairdresser for everybody,” Jules Verne Elementary principal Melissa Roux said in an interview with The Laval News. She was among the many staff members, parents, and school children who wore pink as a sign of their solidarity with the cause.
Volunteers turned away
So many students at the school were keen on signing up to be cut or shaved, that the administration had to set up a short list, with some students going ahead with it immediately, while others will be taking part in the third Jules Verne Elementary ‘Spring Raise Craze’ in the spring next year.
According to Daniel Johnson, a longtime SWLSB spiritual animator with an extensive background in student leadership development, the board’s schools raised at least $130,000 for Pink in the City through head shaving events this year alone.
Win for Pink in the City
Pink in the City succeeded in raising $120,000 from the EMSB’s Raise Craze last year, said Denise Vourtzoumis, a Chomedey resident who is president of Pink in the City. She expected there to be even more momentum this year.
Resource teacher Lisa Morello, who sat for a haircut, donated eight inches of her cut tresses. Ten years ago, she found out she had the breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA2), which makes her more at risk of developing breast cancer. She said she wanted the students to learn about the need to be proactive when it comes to health.
by Lorraine Carpenter, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
SPVM Chief Fady Dagher has announced that the Montreal police force will ban the controversial “thin blue line” badges on uniforms. The badges have been associated with white supremacist and other racist groups in recent years, and were adopted by a number of police forces across North America in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.
In a closed-door presentation to the Public Safety Commission, Dagher also introduced a replacement badge to honour officers killed in the line of duty.
The SPVM’s ban — which will reportedly not be enforced with “disciplinary sanctions” — will come into effect in the fall. The thin blue line badges have already been banned by police forces in other Canadian cities. Earlier this year, Québec Solidaire advocated for a province-wide ban of the badge for police, a request that was rejected by the CAQ.
The scientific and medical wins that came out of the pandemic are clear – vaccine development and virtual care most prominent. Of course, they aren’t without detractors – we’ll get to them as well.
The COVID-19 vaccines were the fastest vaccines ever created. From identifying a new pathogen — the novel coronavirus formally known as SARS-CoV-2 and colloquially called COVID-19 — to discovering an immune response against it to developing and testing a safe and effective vaccine for it, all in less than 12 months. Typically, vaccine development is 5 to 10 years or more because the process is so rigorous: first find something that works, then test whether it’s safe and effective in clinical trials, then pass the regulatory approval processes, then manufacture enough doses for widespread distribution and finally roll it out to the population. Before this spectacular cooperative win, the fastest vaccine to go from development to deployment was the mumps vaccine in the 1960s — it took four years.
It’s hard to identify a public health tool that has had a more positive impact than vaccination, or one that has done more to promote health equity. Vaccination coverage for COVID-19 is high in Canada, with more than 80 per cent of the population having received at least one dose. Coverage for other preventable childhood killer viruses is high too — 77 per cent for diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus to 92 per cent for polio and measles.
Still, a palpable downside has emerged. Before the pandemic, 70 per cent of survey respondents agreed that before children attended daycare or school, they had to be vaccinated. Now 38 per cent of respondents say vaccination should be the parent’s choice and fully 17 per cent say they are “really against” vaccinating their children. Regionally, support for mandatory vaccination is highest in Ontario and lowest in Quebec. This anti-vaccination movement poses a threat to public health and could help trigger an outbreak of preventable diseases that were once thought to be all but eradicated in much of the developed world – for example, we have seen 29 cases of measles this year, compared to 3 cases last year.
‘Long COVID’ is another downside. More than a million Canadians are still waiting for a medical advance to provide relief for their symptoms. One in nine people who contracted COVID-19 still suffers from cognitive impairment, fatigue, shortness of breath and other ailments that affect their health and ability to pick up their lives from before the pandemic. The medical community is still working to understand it — there is no agreed-on definition of the condition or its diagnosis and few if any clinical practice guidelines.
Increased accessibility to healthcare through telehealth — predominantly by telephone, but also by video and text messaging has been a significant win. Before the pandemic, fewer than 1 in 4 primary care doctors offered their patients online appointment scheduling or the ability to ask a medical question through a secure website. And with good reason – Canada’s healthcare system had no fee codes that allowed doctors to be paid for virtual consultations. That changed quickly. By early 2021, all Canadian jurisdictions had instituted a variety of fee codes to support virtual care. The rate of virtual consultations rose from 20 per cent to 60 per cent. Half of all Canadians reported to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) that they had been offered a virtual visit alongside other non-virtual modes.
The benefits of virtual care are crystal clear — improved access to healthcare services anywhere, but especially for those who live in rural or remote areas.
Virtual care, however, is not without resistance and concerns. Some downsides require that healthcare providers learn to practice in different ways: they may not be able to palpate an abdomen as they do in an in-person physical exam, but they can take vital signs and listen to the heart and lungs over a virtual platform. Of course, they have to invest in the technology — only 5 per cent of physicians outside hospitals have done so. In addition, virtual consultations lack the personal touch that comes with in-person visits, so healthcare providers have to find other ways to build a relationship with their patients.
Other downsides are significant: patients who don’t have a reliable internet connection, a computer, and a camera may be excluded, raising equity concerns. Storage and sharing of personal health information raises privacy and security issues. Then there are issues surrounding private companies offering virtual care services outside of the publicly funded health care system. If you visit a doctor virtually through a commercial app, there is no continuity of care — you know neither the doctor nor the quality of his/her competency. Moreover, the information you submit in the app could be used as a promotional tool.
For whichever of these reasons, our uptake of telehealth has been significantly less than other G7 countries, and the proportion of visits that are virtual today has decreased from the days when many in-person health services were unavailable. It is not a stretch to believe that the healthcare system itself is a victim of COVID: it is in worse shape and less universal than it used to be.
When COVID-19 was scaring us all, virtual formats almost overnight became a dominant means of delivering care. With the waning of the pandemic, the “virtual first” approach was challenged in favor of delivering care the old-fashioned way — in-person. Only a few provinces have indicated that the virtual consultation fee codes in the public system are permanent. New data shows that we are still struggling to clear surgical backlogs created during the pandemic, with Canadians needing joint replacements and cancer surgeries facing some of the longest wait times. The doctor shortage is worse — health professionals who are suffering from pandemic-related burnout and/or low-grade PTSD are retiring early. New graduates are shying away from family medicine. The aging population, along with its younger relatives face fast-degrading access to and quality of healthcare.
Yet the possibilities of telemedicine and virtual care are endless. Our mindsets are simply not yet attuned to embracing the wins that accompany it. Incorporating telehealth permanently into the Canadian health sector requires a champion. The federal/provincial/territorial governments and national organizations need to embrace its positive features to relieve the strain of people without doctors going to emergency rooms. They need to agree on the principles of virtual care design, deployment and governance across all jurisdictions of the country. Without question, it would be an improvement over the system we have now.
Tomorrow, wins, losses and lessons learned four years later.
Fire in a Dufferin Street apartment building in Stanstead May 20. Photo courtesy Régie Incendie Memphrémagog Est
Eyewitness talks May 20 Stanstead fire
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
On the night of May 20, 16 residents lost their homes due to a fire in a Stanstead apartment building on Dufferin Street.
One of those unfortunate people was Paul Nahirniak, who spoke with The Record May 28 to tell his story of that night and the daring escapes some tenants had to make from the burning building before firefighters arrived. He is still trying to find and thank one nearby local, an unnamed hero with a ladder that proved crucial to the rescue.
Nahirniak’s account begins with him watching a hockey game with his wife. His nephew, who was visiting, came in from outside and said he saw a tree on fire. Nahirniak pictured a tree outside burning, and prompted his wife to check. She discovered that it was a Christmas tree on her upstairs neighbour’s apartment’s balcony, “blazing and sparking away.”
Nahirniak, knowing his neighbour upstairs was inside their apartment, immediately ran out, yelling at them and calling 911 around 10:16 p.m. He also banged on a nearby neighbour’s door to wake her up, as she was asleep.
“I hammered and banged on that door like bloody murder to get her up,” he said.
The neighbours upstairs were in a panic, unable to escape as the balcony was blocked. A woman inside tried to douse the flames with water. A man in the apartment eventually managed to get a child out of a window, and another man, who Nahirniak referred to as the “ladder guy,” helped to lower both children there down.
Nahirniak noted the serendipitous placement of a ladder by a neighbour the day before, which proved crucial during the emergency. Subsequently, the “ladder guy” went back, fetched the ladder, and helped the two adults come down safely.
Nahirniak expressed a strong desire to meet and thank the “ladder guy,” who he described as a regular citizen who helped in the crisis, and whose quick action with the ladder likely prevented a dire situation.
“I need to see this man. I need to give him a hug. I haven’t met him yet since that night,” Nahirniak said. The trapped family would have had to jump from the second story without his help, he insisted.
When asked about his current situation, Nahirniak mentioned that he has family support but is dealing with significant psychological problems, including anxiety and panic attacks, and is seeking an English-speaking psychologist. He expressed concern about his insurance, but said his family is managing.
“The adjusters came yesterday and took 360-degree pictures and everything,” he said, “and we’re waiting for them to come and remove all the content now.”
His neighbour, “Carol,” missed out on some Red Cross support because she had to leave due to exhaustion. She also had to put down her dog due to smoke inhalation, adding to her distress.
In the aftermath, Nahirniak is advocating for greater awareness of fire safety regulations, particularly regarding the prohibition of barbecues on wooden balconies in multi-storey buildings. He has been taking photographs of such violations around town and plans to bring these issues to the next town hall meeting to raise awareness and prevent future incidents.
Non-profit working to create safe backcountry experience
Sophie Kuijper Dickson, LJI Reporter
Late last August, a group of canoe enthusiasts, some paddling veterans and others total beginners, piled into two dozen canoes and spent the day meandering their way down the Dumoine, MRC Pontiac’s western-most river. The river traces the border between MRC Pontiac and MRC Temiscamingue, running south from Machin Lake near La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve for 129 kilometres before dumping itself into the Ottawa River, just upstream of Rapides des Joachims. The group of paddlers made the trip to celebrate the completion of a project that a team of volunteers had been working away at for seven years – the creation of the Tote Road backcountry hiking trail, which had officially opened as an outdoor attraction that August but which has existed in fragments for much, much longer. For thousands of years, Anishinaabe communities and later, European settlers working the timber trade on the Dumoine River have trodden narrow footpaths up and down its banks. In 2016, a group of volunteers and longtime lovers of the river set to work clearing these various segments of path, and joining them together where there was no path, to build one long continuous 26 kilometre hiking trail, equipped with trail signs, hand painted outhouse toilets and 22 backcountry camping sites. The extended network of volunteers is organized under the non-profit group Friends of Dumoine, created by avid outdoorsmen Wally Schaber. “Our mandate is to promote wilderness conservation and self-propelled recreation in the Dumoine watershed,” Schaber said. His goal was to create a unified group of people who could advocate for and develop opportunities for non-motorized recreational use of the Dumoine Valley, be it in canoe, as has done for decades, or by foot, as is now possible by way of this trail. A rich history Of importance to Schaber in his vision of how the Dumoine be used is that anybody passing through the valley, by foot or canoe or all-terrain vehicle or motorboat, have opportunities to learn about the rich history of the river. “There’s just an amazing history in the Dumoine Valley – Indigenous history as well as logging history,” Schaber said. “And that history is a real binding factor, no matter how you enjoy the recreation, and at the moment, it seems like everybody loves history.” While the Tote Road is only open to walkers, too narrow to host four-wheelers, a car can bring you right to its trailhead. Following Chemin Dumoine north out of Rapides des Joachims will bring you to the northern end of the trail at Grand Chute, just after the road crosses the Dumoine River. At the Grand Chute trailhead, an old log cabin, originally the offices of ZEC Dumoine, is being used by Friends of Dumoine as an unofficial basecamp for volunteers while they’re working on the trail, and for emergency responders needing to rescue somebody in the surrounding wilderness. But over the years, it has also evolved into a history centre, displaying artifacts found in the Dumoine watershed or in neighbouring Noire, Coulonge and Ottawa rivers. Axe heads, saws and other remnants of the timber trade have been mounted to the outside of the cabin, while historic maps, photos and other more valuable items can be viewed inside when the cabin is open. Gord Black, owner of Bristol’s Logs End timber business, has donated many of the items he’s found in the thousands of dives he’s made to the bottoms of the region’s rivers. He usually goes down to find old timber that’s been preserved underwater since the height of the Ottawa Valley logging industry, that he then retrieves and planes to be used as flooring. This year he donated a hundred-year-old pointer boat he found years ago at the bottom of the Noire River. The 10-foot long, flat bottomed boat was used by a cook for the logging camps that would make their way down the Noire during the log drives. “I’d originally thought I was going to open a museum,” Black said. “But this boat sitting in the back of my warehouse gathering dust is not doing anything for anybody.” He donated it to Friends of Dumoine because he supports the group’s vision. “It makes people aware of the history that we have right in our own backyard,” Black said. “This river played an important part in the timber trade. A lot of wood came down that river over the 150 years of logging.” Schaber, for his part, was thrilled by Black’s donation. “If a group of canoe students came by, for them to actually see what a pointer boat was and how it worked would be an amazing experience,” Schaber said. “So that’s the type of thing that gets us in trouble. We say yes, right away, and now I have to find volunteers to [restore it] and money to do it. But opportunity and resources don’t always line up.” The Friends of Dumoine is not only concerned with the logging history on the river. The Dumoine watershed remains the traditional, unceded territory of the Wolf Lake First Nation, based at Hunters Point in Kipawa. The territory is unceded in that no treaty between Canada or Quebec and the Algonquin Nation was ever signed. A timeline on the Tote Rode website details the history of human use of the Dumoine River. It shows that for more than 5,000 years before the timber trade began in the mid-1800s, Anishinaabe people used the river to hunt, trade, and socialize. “As the logging went up the river, the ability of the families that lived on the river to hunt and trap just completely disappeared,” Schaber said. “They had to migrate either north to Kipawa, or south to the Ottawa River to make a new life for themselves. So the majority went north and eventually joined the Wolf Lake Band at Hunter’s Point.” This year, a group of youth from Wolf Lake First Nation will spend a week camping at Robinson Lake, just south of the Grand Chute cabin. “It’s very encouraging to have these descendants of the original Dumoine families come and learn canoeing and different things right there on the Dumoine,” Schaber said. Looking for partners to ‘take it to next level’ Schaber said between the 1200 or so canoeists he figures descend the river every year, and the people who visit the cabin by other means, the cabin has become a hotspot for adventurers who are curious about the people who used the Dumoine River for hundreds and thousands of years before them. “Everybody tends to stop and ask the same type of questions, and so we get a chance to sort of socialize with all types of users,” Schaber said. “Our idea would be to find enough budget to hire somebody to act as the host at that cabin and continue the work of researching the history and clearing the trail. That’s the long term goal,” he added. Eventually, Schaber would like to see the cabin become a place that can be rented out by artist groups, or youth camps or archaeologists or wilderness first aid trainees – anybody, really, who would like to spend some dedicated time on the river and needs more infrastructure than the tent on their back. But Schaber said to get there, the group of volunteers needs funding support from local and provincial governments. “It is now the responsibility of the MRCs and the Quebec government to step forward and grab this treasure that we created and do something with it that benefits some businesses in Swisha and people in Pontiac,” Schaber said. “I’m all for helping and doing everything I can but somebody bigger than us needs to step forward. Our goal is to keep the trail clean and clear, and to promote it and to find bigger partners to help us take it to the next level.” In the meantime, the non-profit is doing what it can to increase safety in the watershed, most of which is very difficult to reach by vehicle. Schaber attended the MRC Pontiac’s Apr. 10 plenary meeting of the mayors to request funding to help the Friends of Dumoine purchase emergency rescue equipment. The MRCs director general Kim Lesage confirmed Schaber made a presentation on a search and rescue plan for the Dumoine Valley and requested funding to support his efforts. She said this request would be brought to the next plenary meeting for a discussion between the mayors. Julien Gagnon, public safety coordinator with the MRC, said the MRC is in very early stages of looking into whether a team of search and rescue volunteers from the Ontario side could be contracted to provide first aid and rescue services to the lower Dumoine River area. This would improve response time to accidents on the river because as it is, the MRC’s fire departments in Mansfield and Otter Lake are the only two able to respond to emergency calls in the county’s backcountry areas. “We definitely need some form of intervening on the west end, we just don’t have a population there, other than Rapides des Joachims, which doesn’t even have a fire department,” Gagnon said. This summer, Friends of Dumoine is also working to formalize itself, which will help protect it from liability in the event of accidents on the river. It will host its first annual general meeting in December, where members of the group will elect its first board of directors. Ahead of this, Schaber is encouraging anybody interested in the project to become a member of the group, and support its efforts to put the Dumoine on the map for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts who don’t yet know about it.
Outaouais’s healthcare network, the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO), has prepared contingency plans to deal with anticipated staffing shortages over the summer that may, in the worst case scenario, see the region’s rural operating rooms shut down, with services moved to Hull and Gatineau hospitals, Le Droit reported last week. The contingency plans, a copy of which was obtained by Le Droit but which has not yet been seen by THE EQUITY, detail a few different scenarios for the period of June 17 to Sept. 8, to deal with repercussions of greater staffing shortages that may arise when currently employed healthcare workers take their vacations. These plans map out how CISSSO will reorganize personnel in rural and urban hospitals across its network, which even without the added pressure from summer vacations, is already understaffed. According to Le Droit, one series of plans addresses various scenarios of shortages in the health network’s imaging sector, and the other series of plans deals with shortages in the network’s operating services. In the worst case scenario, the Gatineau hospital would offer only limited emergency services, as well as mental health services and long-term care beds, and its entire radiology department could close completely, forcing the relocation of essential services including childbirth, intensive care and pediatrics, to the Hull hospital. Also in this worst case scenario, the Hull hospital alone would take on the bulk of operations for the 400,000 people in the Outaouais, with operating rooms in Pontiac, Maniwaki and Papineau hospitals shutting down so that staff could be relocated to work in the operating room in the Hull Hospital. THE EQUITY requested an interview with CISSSO president and CEO Marc Bilodeau on Thursday last week, and has been scheduled to speak with him this Wednesday. Pontiac officials speak out Last week provincial and federal elected officials for the Pontiac added their voices to the growing cries for immediate assistance in the Outaouais. Pontiac MP Sophie Chatel wrote a letter to Quebec’s Minister of Health Christian Dubé and to Minister of Culture and Communication, Mathieu Lacombe, expressing her concerns surrounding the state of health care in the region. “It is imperative that the Quebec government take urgent measures to prevent a breakdown in healthcare services in our region,” Chatel wrote, in French. “Although health comes under provincial jurisdiction, I would nevertheless like to express the urgency of the situation in the Outaouais.” Her letter went on to cite several statistics that highlight the urgency of resolving the healthcare staffing shortage across the Outaouais region. One set of statistics showed that in 2021, lung cancer patients in the region had the lowest survival rate in the province, in large part due to delays in requests for CT scans. She said the situation worsened when magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was discontinued at the Gatineau hospital due to a shortage of technologists. Chatel pointed to the region’s proximity to Ontario as the leading cause of the staffing shortage, and said while the bonuses offered by the Quebec government to staff in Hull and Gatineau hospitals is appreciated, this initiative needs to be extended to staff in rural hospitals. “This measure must apply to healthcare staff in hospitals in rural regions of the Outaouais, such as Maniwaki, Buckingham, and Shawville, which are already weakened by the trend towards urbanization and over-specialisation in healthcare in Quebec and Canada,” the letter said. Pontiac MNA and health critic for the official opposition André Fortin also continued to push for immediate solutions to address the growing crisis in the Outaouais. “This is not a contingency plan. This is an announced catastrophe. What is the premier going to do about this?” Fortin asked in a question directed to Premier François Legault on May 22, regarding CISSSO’s contingency plans. Minister of Health Christian Dubé responded to the question, explaining that the ministry asks every healthcare network across the province to come up with contingency plans going into the summer for best and worst-case scenarios. Minister Dubé said his government is aware of the challenges posed by the competition with Ontario, and will do what it can to improve the situation, without providing specific details as to what immediate measures it would take. Also last week, Fortin requested the province’s health and social services commission visit the Outaouais so they can see for themselves the urgency with which immediate and greater support from the province is needed.
There were strikes and spares aplenty at Pontiac Pride’s first bowling event, hosted Saturday afternoon at Chapeau’s Harrington Community Hall. Participants, mostly members of the Pontiac Pride group, laughed and joked with each other as they tried their hand at Chapeau’s retro five-pin lanes. The soundtrack to the afternoon was set by member Erica Ouimet, who is known as DJ Erica Energy behind the turntables. The hall’s bowling alley is a blast from the past. The two edge-grain lanes have been around since 1964, according to bowling employee Yogi Brisard. They feature pink art-deco pinsetter machines and orange, space-age looking ball returners. Brisard said they are the only bowling lanes in the upper Pontiac, and he is “pretty sure” the closest operational alleys are in Aylmer, near Gatineau. The bowling event was the third put on by Pontiac Pride this year, after a square dance in February and a drag show earlier this month. According to Pontiac Pride’s Facebook page, they are a county-wide organization that “aims to grow 2SLGBTQAI+ representation and visibility within our community.” The group is still relatively young, founded in 2022. Chapeau resident Darlene Pashak started the group. Living close to the Ontario border, Pashak had seen other municipalities in the Ottawa Valley like Pembroke and Renfrew raise Pride flags in the streets, and she wanted to see the same in the Pontiac. “We wrote letters to the municipalities and said, ‘why don’t you fly the Pride flag?’, and had great success.” Alongside Ouimet, who uses they/them pronouns, and their partner Mitch Gagnon, Pashak continued that momentum forward. The new organization held the Pontiac’s first-ever Pride festival in 2022, with about 250 people in attendance. But the second festival didn’t go as smoothly. Ouimet said they had to hire security because they were receiving hate from the community. Le Patro, the community organization that hosted the festival in its first year, was “facing harassment almost daily for hosting us there,” Ouimet said. “They were getting threats. There was talk of protests.” Pashak said attendance at their Pride events has since dropped. Ouimet says many people are scared of coming to events like these, for fear of backlash. “It’s a pretty difficult environment right now,” they said. “There’s a lot of hate being spewed across the U.S. and Canada, and we’re finding that a lot of the queer community is fearful of being in an open environment.” Ouimet is part of the events committee, and they say they just want to create inclusive spaces where people can feel safe expressing themselves. “We simply have events. We invite anybody. We’re happy to have anybody come bowling with us, or check out our festival. But we’re not telling anyone they have to participate.” Being a smaller Pride community, they take inspiration from communities in Pembroke, Renfrew and Deep River. Ouimet said seeing these groups thrive gives them hope for what Pontiac Pride could become. “Those are also small rural communities that are fighting the same uphill battles that we are,” they said. “I would like to bring representation for kids who are facing the same things that I did, and as an adult I’m still facing, because of backlash in my community and just wanting a space of our own.” Saturday’s event at the bowling lanes in Chapeau was just that — a space of their own. Maybe, in part, because nobody seems to know the lanes are there. Ouimet said they chose bowling for the event because the committee had only recently learned about the lanes, and thought it would be a perfect opportunity to help people discover a hidden gem. Going forward, Pashak wants to expand Pontiac Pride’s offerings. She wants the group to be doing more advocacy, but said first it needs more members to help with outreach. “The committee is pretty much the same people as it was at the beginning,” she said. “We are always accepting new members.” She says geography is one of their biggest challenges in pulling together events. “We’re having our event in Chapeau today, and I’m the only one in the committee in Chapeau. The next closest is Coulonge, and the bulk of our committee members are from Shawville. It’s hard to get the feeling like we’re servicing the whole area.”
