Local Journalism Initiative

Access to English interpreters not a given in provincial courts

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Access to English interpreters not a given in provincial courts

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

A custody dispute opposing an Oshawa, Ont. area man and a South Shore woman is shedding light on the difficulties that English-speaking litigants face navigating civil cases in Quebec courts.

Mark Abbott and his Quebec-born former fiancée, whom the QCT has not spoken with and is consequently not nam- ing, were living together in the greater Toronto area when their daughter was born in March 2017. The pregnancy was planned, but the implosion of their relationship a few months later was not. In December of that year, Abbott said, his then-fiancée left for Quebec with the baby. Shortly afterward, she emailed him to end the relationship. Ever since, the couple has been in and out of court, mostly in Ontario. In July 2019, an Ontario judge granted custody of the then-two-year-old to her mother and allowed them to move to Quebec permanently. Abbott was told he could see his daughter on weekends in Montreal or in Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse, where the child’s mother lived; he made the nine-and-a-half-hour round trip to and from Montreal at every opportunity. Then came COVID lockdowns and rounds of appeals in Ontario and Quebec courts. Abbott said he has seen his daughter in person 12 times in the past five years. He works full time and drives a 28-year-old car, and his parents sold their Toronto home to help pay his court costs.

On April 9, Abbott will go before a Quebec family court judge in Montmagny. “The goal is to decide if I get full custody of [my daughter] and I can take her to Ontario to live with me,” he said.

There’s one problem – Abbott is worried he won’t be able to fully understand the arguments made against him. Although his lawyer and the judge and court clerk assigned to his case are bilingual and he will be able to testify in English, his ex-fiancée has chosen to testify in French.

Abbott, who last took a French course in Grade 10, said he’s worried about having a barrier to communication in court. “She may say something my lawyer might not catch; if I know what is said, I can tell my lawyer, ‘No, that’s not accurate’ or ‘This is what happened here.’”

If a person is facing criminal charges in Canada, they have the right to a trial in the official language of their choice anywhere in the country, with interpreters paid for by the federal government. However, contrary to popular belief, the same is not true in provincial civil courts. According to infor- mation documents prepared by Éducaloi and the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), litigants in civil cases are expected to pay for certified interpreters out of pocket, with the losing party usually reimbursing the costs. In some cases, a family member or friend may be allowed to trans- late for a litigant, but this is at the judge’s discretion. Abbott has been told he would need two interpreters and $3,000 for two days of proceedings. Deeply in debt after years of legal proceedings, Abbott said, “That’s just not something I can do right now. There’s no money to do it.”

He said he believes requiring civil court litigants to pay out of pocket for interpreter services is just another barrier that prevents people without financial resources from fully accessing the justice system. “These smaller [civil] cases have big ramifications,” he said. “This is my life and my daughter’s life. If my daughter remains in Quebec, there’s not much I can do. I’ll have to find a way to live with it and move on.”

If you are willing to provide interpretation services on a volunteer basis from April 9-11 in Montmagny, please get in touch with Mark Abbott directly (markabbott@mail.com) or through Voice of English-speaking Québec (maria.hoyt@veq.ca).

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BRIEF: Hybrid Blue Metropolis festival celebrates multilingual literature

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Quebec City author Louisa Blair reads from her book The Calf with Two Heads: Transatlantic Natural History in the Canadas at a launch event in Montreal for the spring 2024 issue of the Montreal Review of Books and the 2024 Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival, a longstanding celebration of English and multilingual literature in Quebec. This year’s festival will run from April 25-28, 2024. While in-person events will primarily take place at the Hôtel 10 in downtown Montreal, a range of online events are also scheduled, including a French-language interview with Wendat author Jean Sioui and an English- language conversation between acclaimed Canadian author and filmmaker Sarah Polley and Eleanor Wachtel, the longtime host of CBC’s Writers and Company. Learn more at bluemetropolis.org/online-2024. (RP-LJI)

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ACRE bans bikes on its Chelsea trails

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

By Trevor Greenway

The last thing ACRE wanted to do was ban mountain biking on its trails throughout Chelsea. 

But when its insurance company “refused to cover mountain biking,” the environmental organization said it had no choice but to ban the popular Chelsea sport. 

“When we started the process of acquiring lands, we were under the impression that we were covered for all activities on our lands,” said Action Chelsea for the Respect of the Environment (ACRE) board member Olaf Jensen during a public meeting on March 27. “In February 2023, we were informed by our insurer that we were covered for all activities, except biking – all biking activities.”

Close to 85 mountain biking enthusiasts filled a room on the Meredith Centre’s second floor during the meeting, where they were apprised of ACRE’s short-term plan of placing prohibitive signs along popular mountain biking trails in the Larrimac area, including the Jolicoeur-McMartin, Larrimac and the Dionne-Wilson Forests. 

“This is not like the desired state for ACRE; it’s not something we’ve tried to achieve,” Jensen told the crowd. “We were very surprised by this. I think most of us feel that there’s a misunderstanding [by insurance companies] of what biking is all about. According to Jensen, ACRE pays approximately $500 per year to insure hiking, walking, cross-coutnry skiing and snowshoeing activities on its trails throughout the municipality. However quotes to include mountain biking along these same trails – trails that locals have cycled on for more than 20 years – range between $6,000 and $20,000 per year. Jensen told the crowd that without insurance the organization couldn’t risk a potential lawsuit if a biking accident occurred on one of its properties.

“While the probability of an accident is low, and the probability of being sued for an accident is low, the potential impact is that there are legal fees that would have to be incurred to defend against the lawsuit,” said Jensen. “And if a suit were successful, we would potentially have to sell some or all of our assets to be able to pay for those fees.”

ACRE member Marie-Claude Osterrath told the crowd that mountain biking is not the only activity being targeted, saying insurance companies are “making it impossible” for houseboat owners and other activities they deem “high risk.”

“There is a big change going on in the insurance landscape,” she said. “Less and less insurance companies are willing to invest in what they consider risky activities. It’s not just biking, but it’s kind of across the board a new phenomenon that’s happening with insurance companies.”

Some mountain bikers in attendance expressed their concern with the loss of trails they had been riding for two decades (some spots were formerly technically considered trespassing, while others came with verbal agreements with landowners). But now that ACRE has acquired these lands to conserve in perpetuity, some said they worry that the land-use agreements, which protect activities such as hiking, cross-country skiing and biking, won’t be honoured. 

Chelsea mountain biker Derek Medland told the Low Down that his biggest concern is creating animosity between trail users, especially when the “bikes prohibited” signs go up. While ACRE won’t be actively enforcing the ban, he hopes that all trail users – walkers and cyclists – can remain “civil.”

“I think people are concerned that it’s just going to invite confrontation between user groups, and that’s not right,” said Medland. “A lot of mountain bikers and fat bikers do a lot of the trail work back there but also contributed a lot of money under the understanding that the usage wasn’t going to change.”

Medland said he appreciates the work ACRE has done on the file and feels confident that riders in Chelsea will come together to find a solution to raise money and maintain the trails. However, he agreed that there is still a lot of work to do to get the trails to an insurable level, both from a “functional and governance” perspective.

For ACRE’s part, it told the crowd that it is still committed to “maintaining the existing uses on the trails.” However, for now, mountain biking is prohibited until an insurance solution is found. 

ACRE bans bikes on its Chelsea trails Read More »

Mayoral candidate promises salary to battle homelessness

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Taylor Clark

LJI Reporter

Unofficial mayoral candidate Jacques Bélanger gathered journalists at the Robert-Guertin Centre on April 2 to unveil plans for rejuvenating the centre-ville by addressing homelessness and implementing a low-cost housing program.

“I am convinced that with Itinérance Zéro and a budget, we will change everything you see around here,” said Bélanger, concerning the encampment known as Tent City, which he dubbed a disaster.

The businessman said the situation that had been ravaging the province’s fourth-largest city could be resolved “quite easily” by forgoing his mayoral salary and dedicating what he estimated was $250,000 per year to combatting homelessness alongside Itinérance Zéro.

“With an amount of $250,000, I believe that we are capable of quite easily, not completely resolving, but improving the current situation by at least 50 per cent,” said Bélanger. With the use of four-season trailers, he planned to restore “dignity to the homeless.”

While Bélanger said encampment would remain at the Robert-Guertin site, he planned to have a fair centre take the place of the former arena to host year-round attractions.

Bélanger also shared his plans for a low-cost housing program that would establish a tax credit for each housing unit rented out at a low price.

“To achieve low-cost housing, there is no other alternative. We need to find something to build at a better price.”

With tourism at the forefront of his campaign, the candidate has already committed to bringing the Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport to the next level and 10 tourism projects which he estimated would generate $100 million in revenue for Gatineau.

Bélanger was expected to host another press conference on May 10 to discuss the centre-ville, the environment, and “a very bold program on Gatineau’s infrastructure.” His financial plan for all his commitments was anticipated to follow and be released to the public on May 28.

Photo caption: Gatineau mayoral candidate and business owner Jacques Bélanger expects to

improve the city’s homelessness situation by 50 per cent if elected on June 9.

Photo credit: Taylor Clark

Mayoral candidate promises salary to battle homelessness Read More »

Maison des Apprentis readies to welcome its 24 tenants

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Taylor Clark

LJI Reporter

A project seven years in the making is months away from realization. The Maison des Apprentis, a supervised housing project for people living with intellectual disabilities, will welcome its 24 tenants by the end of the summer.

“For many, it is a lifelong project to have, like everyone else, an apartment of their own. For parents, it is reassuring to know that their children will be safe and that they will be able to flourish in a living environment designed for them,” wrote Auréle Desjardins, general director of Les Apprentis, in a press release.

The community organization kicked off Quebec Intellectual Disability Week by bringing together the tenants and families for the first time on March 17.

“It was beautiful to see in the sense that there were lots of emotions in the air,” said Desjardins.

Steven MacKinnon, Member of Parliament for Gatineau, Mathieu Lévesque, Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for Chapleau, and Daniel Champagne, Gatineau’s acting mayor also joined in celebrating the progress of the unique project.

Before settling into their one-bedroom apartments, the tenants will undergo weeks of preparatory workshops to provide them with the tools to organize their daily lives and increase their independence.

Desjardins stressed the importance of all the players involved in bringing the project to reality. “All the partners collaborated and contributed to this, at all levels. Even the community because we did a fundraising campaign last year. … It really showed the mobilization of people, both businesspeople and residents in the community.”

Photo caption: Member of Parliament for Gatineau, Steven MacKinnon, greets the 24 tenants who will call the Maison des Apprentis home by the end of summer 2024.

Photo credit: Les Apprentis Website

Maison des Apprentis readies to welcome its 24 tenants Read More »

29 new Montreal bike paths and cycling projects planned for 2024

Local Journalism Initiative / /

by Lorraine Carpenter, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Coinciding with the beginning of the spring/summer season for the city’s bicycle-rental service BIXI yesterday, City Hall introduced 29 new projects that will either develop or upgrade existing bike paths across 33.2 kilometres of Montreal’s cycling network in 2024.

Sophie Mauzerolle, the executive committee member responsible for transportation, framed the expansion of the cycling network as part of the city’s plan to improve road safety for everyone.

“By developing its cycling network, the city is working towards meeting the objectives of Vision Zéro, which aims to eliminate serious and fatal collisions by 2024,” says Mauzerolle.

The new projects include:

  • The REV boulevard Henri-Bourassa (a sustainable mobility corridor)
  • The REV Viger/Saint-Antoine/Saint-Jacques (two sections)
  • The REV Jean-Talon (first phase)
  • Maurice-Duplessis Street (first phase)
  • Terrebonne Street

BIXI, which launched across 60% of its network yesterday, is adding 1,300 bikes, 32 stations and 736 anchor spots this season. The bikes will continue to be available year-round after attracting 50,000 users over the course of the winter.

29 new Montreal bike paths and cycling projects planned for 2024 Read More »

Clarendon revokes previous support for incinerator

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Charles Dickson, LJI Reporter

In a unanimous vote last Tuesday evening, the council of the Municipality of Clarendon passed a resolution revoking its support for the proposed incinerator project for the Pontiac.
Last spring, the same council passed a resolution supporting the project.
“We revoked the previous one because, when the warden came and did her presentation last May, it was more for a solution to waste, and now it’s like the incinerator or bust, right?” Clarendon mayor Ed Walsh told THE EQUITY last Thursday.

“We weren’t comfortable with that, so in the fall we voted against the $120,000,” he said, referring to the resolution brought forward at last October’s meeting of the MRC Pontiac Council of Mayors to establish a single-source contract with consulting firm Deloitte to produce a business plan. In that vote, Clarendon was joined by Bristol, Chichester, Litchfield, Otter Lake and Waltham in opposition to the resolution.
“We’re definitely in support of the recycling and finding a solution for the 5,000 tons that we have,” said the mayor, referring to the 5,000 tons produced annually by the 18 municipalities in MRC Pontiac.
“But to bring in another 395,000 from somewhere else, I don’t think it’s an ideal project,” Walsh said.
“We discussed it, and in the resolution we stated that we were revoking our previous support, and it was unanimous for the whole council that we no longer support the incinerator proposal,” he said.
The Clarendon decision follows similar votes held recently by the municipalities of Waltham, Thorne and Otter Lake.

Clarendon revokes previous support for incinerator Read More »

Convoy heads to Ottawa to protest carbon tax

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Charles Dickson, LJI Reporter

Twenty-one people in a nine-vehicle convoy left Shawville just after 9 a.m. on Monday, heading for Ottawa to register a complaint with the federal government over the carbon tax increase which came into force that same day.

“We’re hoping a whole bunch of people will come out and speak their mind about how the carbon tax is affecting their affordability in life,” said convoy organizer Ralph Lang, a farmer based in Clarendon who tills thousands of acres across the Pontiac. “Hopefully, there’s a lot on the Hill,” he said.
Lang said the convoy, which included a tractor, two transport truck cabs, four pickups and two cars, would be escorted by police and parked near the Museum of History in the Hull sector of Gatineau, where the Pontiac delegation would walk across the bridge and up to Parliament Hill.

Asked what he sees as an alternative to the carbon tax as a means of tackling the climate change problem, Lang said, “Carbon is sequestered by crops, and they’re trying to cut us back on growing better crops by controlling our nitrogen and every other step of the way. And now they’re saying cattle are the problem. But I’m just a farmer and not a politician.”
“Everything’s kind of come to a head,” said Scott Lemay. “I mean it’s tax, tax, tax, and your rights and freedoms,” he said in the parking lot next to Highway 148 before the convoy set off.
“I think, for us it’s really our kids and our future,” said Ronda Richardson, Lemay’s spouse. “Our kids can barely afford to save money to build a future. The cost of living, it’s just killing us. The gas, the groceries …”

“Something has to change. It affects everyone,” Lemay chimed in. “The only way to fix it is to change the government. That’s a start. I’m not convinced that even changing the government is really going to do a lot, but I guess it’s a start.”
One of the pickup trucks sported a sign across its tailgate bearing the “Axe the tax” slogan popularized by Pierre Poilievre.

“I don’t trust any of them,” Lang said with a laugh at the mention of the Conservative leader. “But it’s a good start, and it got people together. And that’s what today will be about, is getting like-minded people gathered and show that we’re not alone, that people are all fed up.”
“The main thing is the impact on the wallet,” said Clarendon dairy farmer Robbie Beck. “Everybody wants us to make food cheaper and cheaper, but it keeps getting harder and harder to do that. So, we’ll show our side of the story in numbers and see what happens.”
“In farming we face a lot of environmental regulations. We all want to do a good job stewarding the land, but there’s some of them that go a little bit beyond what makes sense and affects the economics of how we can provide our goods affordably.”

Convoy heads to Ottawa to protest carbon tax Read More »

Ducks raced and eggs were hunted at Pontiac Lions Club Easter

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Guillaume Laflamme, LJI Reporter

Five hundred colourful rubber ducks drifted down a small stream in Campbell’s Bay on Saturday afternoon as invested onlookers cheered for the plastic bath toy they had paid to enter in the second annual Pontiac Lions Club duck race.

The race followed a competitive easter egg hunt in which over 50 children and their families participated.
“It’s nice to get the people out there, and especially for the kids, they enjoy it. It’s mostly for the kids,” said Pontiac Lions Club president Terry Frost.

Last year, the first for the Easter event, only 250 ducks competed in the race. This year Frost believed there was potential to grow the race, and decided to double the number of contestants.
After a short five minutes of suspense as the ducks slowly floated towards the finish line, Mike Kavanagh’s duck won the race, followed by Cindy Ireland’s in second place, and Chris Bacuzzi’s in third.
Debbie Frost, the secretary of the Lions Club, elaborated on the event’s dual purpose, explaining that the event was both to fundraise for community needs and to bring people together after the winter season.

“It’s a big fundraiser for us. We also do an Easter time for the kids. They look for eggs, and whoever finds the golden egg gets a big basket of something,” Frost said
Corey Morrison was the lucky egg hunter to find the prized golden egg.
William Ladouceur, one of the people participating at the event, saw the race as a chance to get together with the community.

“You walk around and you don’t see people, you don’t see too much. And so it’s nice when we can all kind of get together and it’s definitely a lot more people than I thought there was going to be.”
For Rebekka Ladouceur, the event was a chance to get out and support the local community.
“I moved to Fort Coulonge a year and a half ago, and I just wanted to do more of the local activities and kind of support the local organizations,” she said.
Debbie Frost said the funds raised by the event will support local organizations and individuals in need, providing essentials like education bursaries and medical equipment.

Ducks raced and eggs were hunted at Pontiac Lions Club Easter Read More »

Climb the cliffs at Venturing Hills

Local Journalism Initiative / / / ,

Farm to offer first outdoor rock climbing
camp in the Outaouais region

Sophie Kuijper Dickson, LJI Reporter

Luskville’s Venturing Hills Farm, known foremost as an equestrian facility but also for its annual classical music festival and its yoga retreats, will add a new activity to the roster of adventures it offers at the foot of the Gatineau Hills this summer – rock climbing.
It’s something Rae Becke, the general manager and head coach of Venturing Hills Farm, also the daughter of the farm’s owners, believes the farm is uniquely positioned to do.

Becke has been offering horseback riding camps on the farm since she was 14 years old.
She fell in love with the animals when her parents bought what was previously the Laframboise farm only a few years earlier. When she was looking for a summer job, she decided to start her own camp, to share this passion with others.

As a young adult, increasing involvement in international competitions drew Becke and her students away from the farm for periods throughout the summer, and so the farm scaled back the camps it offered.
But since the COVID-19 pandemic, Becke has returned to spending more time on farm, regrowing the summer camp programs and farm offerings so that it can be a place for everybody to enjoy horses and the great outdoors.

This year, that mission will include new rock climbing lessons on some faces of the Lusk escarpment that rises directly behind the Becke family’s property.
Becke said the sport, which she first tried in 2021, is in many ways similar to horse back riding.
“Both [sports] help people become more aware of their bodies. These little micromovements happening with your body can make all the difference in what you’re doing,” Becke explained, noting that in her experience, skills developed in one sport are transferable to the other.
“It’s about connecting with your body and with nature.”

When Becke returned from a stint of rock climbing in British Columbia, it hit her that her own farm had an incredible resource right in its backyard.
While several of the rock faces on the eastern side of the farm have been deemed off-limits by the National Capital Commission for conservation reasons, three climbs on the western side of the farm are open for use. “It’s a pretty rare thing to be able to do both of those things, horseback riding and climbing, in one spot. That is not your average farm.”

First of its kind

The rock climbing camp to be offered this summer at Venturing Hills Farm will be the first outdoor rock climbing camp in the entire Outaouais region, according to Becke.
To make it possible on the farm, she joined forces with her friend Alexandre Sauvé, a fully certified climbing instructor who last year started a climbing school in the Outaouais, L’ École d’escalade de l’Outaouais.
Sauvé said that while there is a thriving indoor rock climbing community in the area, as well as several camps hosted by the various climbing gyms in the region, there are no summer camps dedicated to getting beginners out climbing a real rock.

For Becke, being outside is critical to her mission.
“Climbing is about being outside, touching rocks, being in nature, and appreciating nature,” she emphasized. “The more you appreciate nature, the more you want to save nature and preserve the park that we have behind us.”

The farm is offering two separate weeks of rock climbing summer camp this year for kids five to 17 years old: July 29-Aug. 2, and Aug. 5-9.
Each week will offer kids a mix of horseback riding and rock climbing activities. Sauvé and another guide from his company will lead the way when it comes to the rock climbing portion of the camp, while Becke will take the lead on horse back riding instruction.
“Every morning we’ll start with the basics – how to tie a knot, and get them comfortable sitting in a harness, only six feet in the air,” Sauvé said.

Sauvé used to be a very shy teenager. He would stay indoors playing video games, and did not have many friends. When his parents signed him up for a canoe tripping camp, he was forced to spend a month in the woods with people he didn’t know.
“I can still see the impact today of the trajectory change that happened with that camp,” Sauvé saud. “Being away from technology, and nudging me strongly out of my comfort zone, had a great therapeutic impact.”
Sharing that experience with other kids is at the core of what Becke and Sauvé hope to do.
“I’m a strong believer in the benefits of voluntarily stepping out of your comfort zone. We never put any kind of pressure on people, and the backdoor is always open.”

Climb the cliffs at Venturing Hills Read More »

Ladysmith trivia night first event from new recreation committee

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Guillaume Laflamme, LJI Reporter

Dozens of trivia enthusiasts packed into the Thorne Community Recreation Association on Wednesday evening for a trivia night fundraising event hosted by Thorne municipality’s newly formed Ladysmith Recreation Committee.

Teams of five to six players competed in two hours of questions covering 10 different topics, written and delivered by Greg Atkinson, who himself grew up in the Ladysmith area.
“I probably enjoy preparing the questions as much as the audience enjoys answering them,” Atkinson said.
The Clan Davies team, which consisted of Terry Davies, Muriel Davies, Jennifer Davies, Sharon Davies and Karen Davies, won the first place prize.

The event was the first to be organized by the volunteer committee, which was created at the request of the municipality with the mandate to organize activities for Ladysmith residents of all ages.
The committee’s goal was to raise money to be used for hosting future community events, including Thorne’s Canada Day celebrations.

One of the committee’s members, Terri-Lyn Blaskie said volunteering for the committee offered her a chance to give back to the community she grew up in.
“We grew up here as kids and our parents were on the committee back when we were little kids,” Blaskie said. “Our moms did it, and now we’re doing it.”

A handful of local businesses donated door prizes and prizes for trivia winners. The sponsors for the evening were Bretzlaff’s convenience store, Shawville’s Giant Tiger, WePC, Shawville’s UniPrix pharmacy, W.A. Hodgins Home Hardware, Stedmans V&S, Hotel Ladysmith, Renfrew No Frills and Pontiac Home Bakery.
The event was a success according to Monique Atkinson, one of the members of the newly formed recreation committee.

Ladysmith trivia night first event from new recreation committee Read More »

Barking up the right tree?

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Local man raising funds for “dog-friendly, co-working space” in Lennoxville

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Local Roy Patterson wants every dog to have its day and is looking for help to make it happen. His idea is to purchase a property on the outskirts of Lennoxville near the 410 highway and make it into a “dog-friendly, co-working space.” He has already raised $9,000 in the past two weeks towards his $100,000-in-90-days goal.

“I see three dog spaces,” Patterson said, describing his plan as he toured this reporter around the potential location April 2. The first “space” is a large concrete slab at the front of the building. “The inside is all an open dog area and co-working space,” he continued. A little hill behind the building up into the woods leads to a flat third space in the back.

Dogs will stay close to their owners, whether inside or outside, he explained. He sees the building as a good spot for dog-owners with jobs such as graphic designers, architects, or freelancers. Students might like it, too.

The first step will be to pay $5,000 for a contract, which he insisted is fully refundable in case the deal falls through or they end up choosing a different location. The property is worth $200,000, so the money raised will go towards half its cost, with the property’s current owners temporarily covering the other half to get things up and running. “They’re being the bank for a couple years,” Patterson said.

The inside of the building is currently office and warehouse space. It is enough (3,000 square feet) for five to 10 owners and their pets to comfortably fit “on a lousy day.” The doors and windows would eventually need to be redone, he said, but the roof is in good condition. The yard will need to be cleaned up, but there is easily enough time to do so before July.

“We’re not a dog park, we’re a dog-friendly, co-working space,” he explained. He estimates there are 1,000 dog-owners in Lennoxville, easily enough to make it a viable project. He envisages it working on a subscription model. “I see it working as a not-for-profit,” he said.

Patterson has put the word out about the project with the 470-strong Lennoxville dog-owner’s group of which he is a member, Facebook, and The Record. This property was the best among the three locations Patterson scouted for the venture, but it’s still possible they might find an even better one in the future once he meets his funding target.

“Dogs rarely want to leave a dog park,” he explained, it is the owners that need to go to do other things. Here, he said, the owners will be comfortable, so that will not be a problem.    

“We’re looking for donors,” he said with a smile, “we’re looking good, but there’s a long way to go.”

Detailed information and updates on the project can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/roiiiy    

Barking up the right tree? Read More »

Historical shortfalls in health and education continue in Outaouais

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Taylor Clark

LJI Reporter

The Outaouais region continued to trail behind the average investments into health and education, according to an annual study from the Observatoire du développement de l’Outaouais.

Entitled “Outaouais in catch-up mode: Monitoring the region’s progress in health, education, and culture,” the study investigated the region’s shortfalls in funding health, education, and culture but its analysis on culture had yet to be released.

In terms of health and social services, the region was short approximately $181 million to close the gap with the province’s average. For available short-term and long-term beds in 2022-2023, Outaouais ranked last compared to the Estrie, Mauricie et du Centre-du-Québec regions and Quebec as a whole, with 170 more short-term beds and 462 more long-term beds needed to reach Quebec’s average. The region also lacked 1,138 direct care nurses and 264 doctors to meet the province’s average in 2022-2023.

Up from the previous year, Outaouais saw a shortfall of 53 college programs in 2023 to catch up to the average number of programs in comparable regions. The shortage amounted to 24 pre-university programs and 29 training programs. Compared to similar regions, the fall of 2022 saw 63 fewer university programs available, most notably in the fields of pure sciences, health sciences, engineering, and humanities.

The data from the Observatoire du développement de l’Outaouais came as no surprise as the region has been playing a game of catch-up for years. The Société d’aménagement de l’Outaouais highlighted the lack of government intervention in a report from 1977. In 2019, the National Assembly of Quebec adopted an official recognition of Outaouais’ “special situation,” acknowledging how far the region has fallen behind in public funding for health, education, and culture.

With the release of its annual studies, the aim is to give local decision-makers the facts to adjust measures and actions.

Photo caption: Situated on the Université du Québec en Outaouais campus, the Observatoire du

développement de l’Outaouais annually monitors the region’s progress in catching up to

historical delays.

Photo credit: Observatoire du développement de l’Outaouais Facebook

Historical shortfalls in health and education continue in Outaouais Read More »

City reroutes programming and services as work at Bernard-Lonergan Library drags on

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Taylor Clark

LJI Reporter

The temporary closure of the Bernard-Lonergan Library has been extended until July 1 to wrap up the renovation and modernization.

Back in January, the Ville de Gatineau announced improvement projects to the Bernard-Lonergan, Docteur-Jean-Lorrain, and Riviera libraries to facilitate more welcoming and modern spaces.

The Bernard-Lonergan Library was expected to be closed from January 15 to March 31 to upgrade equipment, transforming spaces for young users and families as well as enhanced spaces for reading and studying.

In the meantime, the cultural programming that is usually found in the library will be moved to Manise-Morin Library, which has extended its opening hours to accommodate users.

A temporary service centre will be included in the Buckingham Community Centre and will offer a range of services like the return of documents, picking up reservations, and subscription to the Accès Gatineau card.

Photo caption: Work to revamp the Bernard-Lonergan Library is expected to extend its initial date of completion to July 1.

Photo credit: Ville de Gatineau

City reroutes programming and services as work at Bernard-Lonergan Library drags on Read More »

20 real estate projects in Montreal to move forward with $35-million investment for decontamination

Local Journalism Initiative / /

by Lorraine Carpenter, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Montreal city hall has acquired nearly $30-million from the Quebec government for decontamination of land, particularly in the East End. With an additional investment of nearly $6-million from the city itself, this decontamination will allow approximately 20 real estate projects — that were previously on hold — to move forward.

Luc Rabouin, the president of the city’s executive committee and head of finance, explained that most of these projects are housing projects, along with daycares and community spaces.

“That represents several hundred housing units. Everyone must be aligned on housing, that’s the priority.”

In November of 2023, the provincial government established a land development committee specifically to acquire, decontaminate and resell contaminated industrial land. The administration of Mayor Valérie Plante has been criticized by the opposition for not acting quickly enough to take advantage of this program.

Plante commented on today’s news, saying, “We are taking action to house Montrealers.”

20 real estate projects in Montreal to move forward with $35-million investment for decontamination Read More »

Farnham students raise funds and awareness for epilepsy

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

By Ruby Pratka

Local Journalism Initiative

Three Farnham Elementary School students with epilepsy and their families and classmates raised nearly $300 for Épilepsie Montérégie with a cupcake sale on Epilepsy Awareness Day, March 26.

Epilepsy is a chronic brain condition characterized by seizures, which affects about 300,000 people in Canada and as many as 50 million people around the world. People with epilepsy can experience seizures – sudden, temporary, bursts of electrical activity in the brain which can lead to jerking movements or loss of situational awareness – triggered by sleep deprivation, low blood sugar, flashing lights or other environmental factors.

Lilianne de la Ronde, a Grade 4 student at Farnham Elementary, was diagnosed with epilepsy after suffering a seizure in class late last year.

“I came from outside to inside and I was having a hard time breathing – that’s not unusual, but it was kind of hardcore. I thought it was my asthma but then my stomach started feeling weird – not like I was going to vomit but like a feeling I hadn’t felt before.” She got up to tell her teacher she didn’t feel well, and fell down. “I was kind of in the moon,” she remembered.

Lilianne’s classmate, Keira Trahan, and a Grade 6 student at the school, Kassandra Sanschagrin, also have epilepsy. Keira and Kassandra helped Lilianne process her experience. “I told them that I felt like I couldn’t speak or move [during and right after the seizure],” Lilianne said. “They said it was normal, because it takes a lot of energy and when it’s over you don’t have any energy left.”

When a person has a seizure, Lilianne explained, there’s “not a whole lot you can do,” except for moving sharp or dangerous objects out of the way and making sure the person doesn’t hit their head. An ambulance should be called if the person is having a seizure for the first time or if it lasts for more than five minutes.

Lilianne’s mom, Julie Guay, said her first seizure was a “very scary experience,”  but that she is learning to live with the condition and manage it with medication. She has to be very careful when skiing or skating – both of which she enjoys – but can otherwise do “pretty much anything anyone else can do.”

The Epilepsy Awareness Day initiative at Farnham Elementary School was the brainchild of “three kids with epilepsy and their moms,” and school staff eagerly got on board, allowing Lilianne, Keira and Kassandra to use the school kitchens to make cupcakes for sale, and to miss a bit of class time to speak to their fellow students about epilepsy. They raised $274 for epilepsy research, and perhaps more importantly, spoke to nearly 100 students about epilepsy and seizure safety. 

Farnham students raise funds and awareness for epilepsy Read More »

Cowansville launches city bus pilot project

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

By Ruby Pratka

Local Journalism Initiative

On April 2, Cowansville commuters got their first taste of something many people in larger cities take for granted – taking a city bus to work.

The MRC Brome-Missisquoi and the Ville de Cowansville, with funding from the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs, have launched a public transport pilot project that will see a city bus circulating on a loop covering a wide swath of downtown Cowansville. Brome-Missisquoi-Perkins Hospital, Massey-Vanier High School and several parks and supermarkets are along the bus route.

Bus service is on the hour from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with two additional departures at 3:30 and 4:30 p.m, Monday to Friday. The $4 fare can be paid in cash on the bus or with tickets bought from the MRC office at 749, rue Principale. Children under 14 accompanied by an adult ride free. A full schedule and a route map are available on the MRC website (mrcbm.qc.ca/actualites/projet-pilote-en-transport-a-cowansville; in French only.) Seats do not need to be reserved in advance, although riders are advised to be at their bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive, to ensure they don’t miss their bus.

For Mayor Sylvie Beauregard, the transit pilot project offers “an accessible, sustainable and efficient transportation solution that meets the mobility needs of the community.”

Khalil El Fatmi is the transport services co-ordinator at the MRC Brome-Missisquoi. He said the MRC wanted to provide “more complete rush-hour service” for commuters in Cowansville, complementing the existing on-demand transit service. “It won’t just benefit people in Cowansville – because Cowansville is the central point for the MRC, it will benefit people from around the region.”

The route and the schedule, he said, were designed to accommodate “workers, students, older people … and anyone who wants an alternative” to driving everywhere. The main challenge for the project, according to El Fatmi, is making sure people know it exists. “Naturally, if we want people to use the service, we need to talk about it and make sure people know it’s there.”

The pilot project will run until Oct. 1. The MRC would not provide specific ridership targets. However, El Fatmi said if the project was successful, it could be expanded, with a second loop potentially added.

Cowansville launches city bus pilot project Read More »

City employees inadvertently drain Bromont marsh

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

By Ruby Pratka

Local Journalism Initiative

Several acres of marshland in the Parc scientifique de Bromont nature reserve have been inadvertently drained as a result of city employees carrying out unauthorized work to dismantle a beaver dam, city officials and conservation groups have said.

“The water was overflowing onto industrial land outside the conservation area. So [the employees] created a breach. But unfortunately, this is not the intervention they should have made, and no one within the general management and the city council was aware of this,” Bromont director general Francis Dorion, who was not available to speak to the BCN before the Easter holiday, told Radio-Canada. Local birdwatchers brought the damage to the attention of city officials early last week.

“No one at the city is happy about this,” said Dorion, adding that the city “will do everything possible” to repair the damage.

He said the municipality had the legal right to dismantle beaver dams that threaten human safety or property, but “additional analysis” should have been done before the decision to dismantle the dam was made.

“It’s a deplorable situation, but we don’t want to cast blame,” said Mélanie Lelièvre, president of the local conservation nonprofit Appalachian Corridor, who learned about the damage to the marsh from media reports. “We know the city is on the case – it’s human error and we know they’re looking into it.”

Lelièvre explained that the marsh, which covers about three acres of the 200-hectare park, represents a small but ecologically important part of the reserve. “It’s a really important natural milieu, where we find a lot of plants and animals. There are tortoises and least bitterns [a wetland bird; a rare, tiny member of the heron family].”

According to Parks Canada, beavers create wetlands by building dams and allowing water to pool in ponds. When water builds up to the point where it threatens human activity, tools such as Morency cubes – metal cages which redirect water flow – can help control water levels while keeping dams largely intact, Lelièvre said. In general, Lelièvre said, wetlands “do us a lot of favours ecologically.” Wetlands filter pollutants, reduce erosion and act as natural sponges, absorbing water in wet weather or high tide and retaining it during drought. In light of climate change, she said they are “more important than ever.”

Lelièvre said water levels in the marsh should return to normal over time if the weather co-operates, but that the medium- and longer-term consequences of the breach, if there are any, would not be known for some time. “If we get normal rain in the next few weeks, the water level should be back to where it was, or close to it, but if there’s no precipitation, that will complicate things. If we get the water level back to normal, there should not be consequences for the area as a whole – we should still have a proper nesting area [for birds]. We don’t know about the impact for the amphibians and reptiles who spend the winter in the surrounding mud – did they have the time to dig deeper or find another place? We don’t have the data yet, so we don’t know.”

City employees inadvertently drain Bromont marsh Read More »

Gatineau man flees collision at Aylmer intersection

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Taylor Clark

LJI Reporter

A 31-year-old man from Gatineau could face charges of hit and run on top of driving while impaired after his vehicle veered off the roadway at the intersection of Front Street and Eardley Road on March 26. The traffic lights went out as a result of the accident, causing a lengthy disruption at the intersection.

Shortly before 12:30 am, officers with the Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau were sent to the scene after an automated message from a cell phone was received by emergency services regarding an accident. The police had also received several other calls related to the incident and had been informed that an individual had left the scene of the accident.

Upon arrival, the police noticed the vehicle had struck a pole at the intersection and flipped onto its roof. With the driver absent, police immediately worked to locate the individual. A man was found a few minutes later in a taxi not far from the collision.

According to a Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau press release, the driver exhibited signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication during their interactions. The man was arrested and transported to the hospital as a preventive measure.

The man was later released and, once the investigation wraps up, he could face charges for driving while impaired by alcohol as well as for the hit and run.

The Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau invited the public to report worrying situations on the road or erratic driving to the police by calling 911.

Photo caption: The Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau tended to the scene of a hit and run

in the Aylmer sector following a single car collision at an intersection on March 26.

Photo credit: Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau Facebook

Gatineau man flees collision at Aylmer intersection Read More »

Marquis-Bissonnette embarks on race for mayor

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Maude Marquis-Bissonnette is the fifth person to run for the 2024 Gatineau mayoral by-election which will be held on June 9. The four other candidates are Councillor Olive Kamanyana, Jacques Bélanger, Daniel Feeny and Mathieu Saint-Jean.

Djeneba Dosso

LJI Reporter

During a press conference held on Monday Mar. 25, Maude Marquis-Bissonnette announced she

will run for the leadership of municipal political party Action Gatineau. The former councillor

also used this opportunity to confirm her intentions to present her candidacy for the mayor of

Gatineau, following her defeat to France Bélisle in 2021.

Her announcement was made with the support of former mayor of Gatineau, Maxime Pedneaud-

Jobin, the executive vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress, Larry Rousseau and the

current councillor of the Plateau district, Bettyna Bélizaire, who all stood by her side.

Action Gatineau chiefdom candidate Maude Marquis-Bissonnette (middle) announced she would be running for mayor of Gatineau on Monday morning. Her candidacy was supported by Action Gatineau members, former mayor of Gatineau, Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, the executive vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress, Larry Rousseau and the current councillor of the Plateau district Bettyna Bélizaire, who all stood by her side. (DD) Photo: Djeneba Dosso

In the last election, Marquis-Bissonnette finished second with 38% of the vote against 43% of

the vote for the former mayor. After taking a step back, she admits she struggled to pitch strong

policies toward day-to-day administration to the people of Gatineau. With this in mind, she listed

the city’s infrastructure, police system, sports and leisure complex as matters she wishes to

prioritize—adding they will be detailed during the campaign.

“It has to be said that we won’t make a revolution in 16 months, but people want things to move,

people want us to move forward, and I feel I’m the right person to do so quickly.”

Before embarking on the mayoral race, Marquis-Bissonnette will first have to win over the

Action Gatineau party that announced just five days prior the conditions for their race to

chiefdom. Anyone who wishes to apply for the role must be a current member of Action

Gatineau, eligible in the name of Electoral Law and have completed the party’s candidacy

questionnaire. Additionally, candidates are required to raise a minimum of $2,000 in funding and

obtain at least 100 support signatures—50 in the West and 50 in the East of Gatineau by April 8.

The new party leader will be the candidate for mayor in the by-election on June 9.

For Marquis-Bissonnette, running for the mayoral race alongside Action Gatineau is a no-brainer.

“When you’re serious about capitalizing on the different identities that exist from Buckingham to

Aylmer,” she said, “you need a team.”

Although Action Gatineau has thrived to cultivate good electoral results in the city’s West end,

concerns about their lack of presence in the East of Gatineau were raised. Marquis-Bissonnette

says she has heard these doubts and is working closely with councillor for the Touraine district

Tiffany-Lee Norris-Parent and councillor for de Bellevue district Alicia Lacasse-Brunet to “be

more attentive,” highlighting once more the role of teamwork within her party and campaign.

“It’s unthinkable to expect results on all these fronts when you’re on your own,” she said. “I

wouldn’t do it if it weren’t for working as a team: [with] the Action Gatineau members, of

course, but also all the councillors around the municipal council floor.”

If elected as leader on April 8, her focus will turn to the race for City Hall. Marquis-Bissonnette

is the fifth person to apply for the 2024 Gatineau mayoral by-election. The four other candidates include

Councillor Olive Kamanyana and businessmen Jacques Bélanger, Daniel Feeny and Mathieu Saint-Jean.

While she took a break from political life following her defeat, the former councillor affirmed

she “understands the complexities of municipalities throughout Quebec and the tools that are

available to move the city forward.” Adding this makes her the right candidate to run “the

municipal machine.”

“I want to demonstrate that I am able to be an effective elected municipal official to advance the

concerns of the citizens I represent, as well as the challenges facing the city of Gatineau to make

it more beautiful, more attractive and more sustainable,” she said.

Photo cap

Photo #1: Maude Marquis-Bissonnette announced she will run for leader of Action Gatineau and

mayor of Gatineau during a press conference held on Monday, March 25 at 315 Saint-Joseph

Boulevard. The former councillor previously lost to France Bélisle in 2021 being short of just

3,000 votes. (DD) Photo: Djeneba Dosso

Photo #2: Action Gatineau chiefdom candidate Maude Marquis-Bissonnette (middle) announced

she would be running for mayor of Gatineau on Monday morning. Her candidacy was supported

by Action Gatineau members, former mayor of Gatineau, Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, the executive

vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress, Larry Rousseau and the current councillor of

the Plateau district Bettyna Bélizaire, who all stood by her side. (DD) Photo: Djeneba Dosso

Marquis-Bissonnette embarks on race for mayor Read More »

Youth mentoring program suspends operations

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Djeneba Dosso

LJI Reporter

The Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Outaouais announced they would be ceasing all youth

services last week.

On March 19, the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Outaouais announced the suspension of all

operations. This decision came following the assessment of “the many challenges that lie ahead,”

notably the lack of funding to carry out their operations in accordance with national branch’s

standards, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Canada.

The pandemic and a decrease in donations put the non-profit organization at a disadvantage,

pushing them $140,000 in mortgage debt. However, vice-president Benoit Chrétien said it was

the loss of an expected contract that put “the nail in the coffin.”

Following the receipt of an emergency grant from the Community Organization Support

Program, the youth organization was able to pay off their debts. However, even with the aid of

the grant, the repayment came at a steep price. To raise their chances of survival, all active

employees, without exception, were laid off. The building from which they operated was put up

for sale along with any other assets (trucks, cars, equipment, etc.) and all summer and winter

camp projects were cancelled.

The Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Outaouais’ absence will be felt throughout the

community. Arriving in the region in 1983, the organization has maintained its focus on helping

children and teens aged six to 17 reach their full potential. The mentoring programs they equip youth with

better self-esteem and mental health, all within the framework of developing tools for a better future. In

2024, they created 125 mentoring matches with young people, a 32 per cent increase in less than a year.

While the success stories are abundant, funding remains a roadblock as the non-profit has hundreds of

young people still waiting to be matched to a mentorship program.

President Pierre Deschamps and vice-president Benoit Chrétien have called on local

organizations, politicians and the business community for donations in hopes of giving their

organization “a second life,” stating, they have a plan but need the funds to execute it.

“We’re going to concentrate our efforts on raising $1.2 million over 3 years,” explains Chrétien.

“We will be approaching the public, businesspeople, municipalities and both levels of

government.” The hope is for this funding to give the non-profit a chance to restart from the

ground up.

While their goal is still far in sight, the community is responding. At the press conference held on

March 19, BBL Construction generously donated $50,000 to help the organization reach their

target. The construction company’s president Sylvain Bertrand says he hopes this initiative will

“solicit the business community.”

“The Big Brothers and Big Sisters makes a difference in the lives of many children and youth in

all sectors of the Outaouais, and positively promotes their social and academic involvement,” he

added. “We’re proud to get involved. Just think of the long-term effects on the children.”

Vice-president Chrétien, who benefitted from the Big Brothers and Big Sisters services years

ago, has hope in the revival of the organization. In the future, he plans on finding “less

expensive” headquarters and reducing the organization’s overall expenses. His hope is to begin

hiring staff again once the non-profit is equipped with the funds to pay their employees a salary.

In the meantime, he advised the community to stay tuned for the launch of their upcoming socio-

financing campaign.

“Hear us out and make a difference,” he said. “Together, we can make a difference for children.”

Youth mentoring program suspends operations Read More »

City of Montreal to inspect 10,000 rental housing units thought to be unsafe or unsanitary

Local Journalism Initiative / /

by Lorraine Carpenter, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

The City of Montreal has launched the Responsible Landlord project, which includes the inspection of 10,000 rental housing units by the end of 2024. Inspectors will identify any unsafe or unsanitary conditions, such as toxicity, infestations and structural problems, and hold landlords to account if they don’t fix them — with fines ranging from $500 to $10,000.

“Having a clean home is not a luxury. Our Responsible Landlord project will help to better defend tenants’ rights and ensure housing in Montreal is healthier and safer.”

Inspectors will prioritize buildings with more than 100 rental housing units, particularly buildings where there have been complaints, as well as apartments in “vulnerable sectors” of the city.

The Responsible Landlord project also includes an investment in the Vivre en ville rent registry, which the city has encouraged Montrealers to participate in in order to collect data that could help the city deal with abusive rent increases.

City of Montreal to inspect 10,000 rental housing units thought to be unsafe or unsanitary Read More »

Fatal collisions down across Quebec

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Taylor Clark

LJI Reporter

Along with the rest of Quebec, the Outaouais and Laurentides regions saw a drop in fatal collisions in 2023, according to the Sûreté du Québec’s annual report on road safety.

“Although each death is one too many, the Sûreté du Québec is pleased to see an improvement in the road toll compared to last year,” read the report.

The Sûreté du Québec recorded 240 fatal accidents, resulting in 269 deaths across the province in 2023. For the Outaouais-Laurentides regions, 25 fatal collisions were documented, marking a 34 per cent decrease.

Reckless driving and speeding were cited as the top main causes of fatal collisions at 31 per cent, followed by impaired driving at 16 per cent and inattention or distraction at 9 per cent.

“These main causes remind us that human behaviour is at the origin of a majority of fatal and serious injury collisions. The continuation of the work of police officers in the field and the adoption of safe behaviours by motorists are therefore essential to reduce the number of road collisions.”

Among those who died in road collisions, 20 per cent were not wearing a seatbelt.

Photo caption: According to the annual road safety report by the Sûreté du Québec, human

behaviour is at the heart of fatal and serious injury collisions.

Photo credit: Sûreté du Québec Facebook

Fatal collisions down across Quebec Read More »

Classes cancelled for April 8 solar eclipse

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Greg Newing – Local Journalism Initiative

PONTIAC – The Western Quebec School Board (WQSB) and the Centre de services scolaire des Hauts-Bois-de-l’Outaouais (CSSHBO) cancelled all classes and daycare services scheduled for April 8 due to safety concerns surrounding a solar eclipse that day.

The decision was made to prevent students from inadvertently looking into the sun during the eclipse, which will take place in the afternoon while students are usually outside taking the bus, getting picked up, or walking home.

The day will be treated by both institutions as a PD day and will replace PD days originally scheduled by the CSSHBO for June 7 and by the WQSB for April 5. While adult and professional education classes will also be cancelled for schools under the WQSB, the CSSHBO announced these classes will continue as scheduled for all associated schools in the region.

How to safely view a solar eclipse

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, blocking the view of the sun for a small portion of the planet. The eclipse on April 8 will be partial, with about 90% of the sun obscured by the moon. It will be visible throughout the Pontiac from 2:11 p.m. to 4:33 p.m. with the maximum eclipse at 3:23 p.m.

While it’s possible for residents to view the eclipse, it’s important to take proper safety precautions. The Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) warns about the impact of viewing a solar eclipse without proper protection; “Staring at the sun without protection may cause damage to one’s retina (the tissue at the back of your eye) called ‘solar retinopathy.’ This damage can occur without any sensation of pain. The injury can be temporary or permanent.”

According to the CAO, regular sunglasses – even those with high UV protection – are not sufficient for safely viewing a solar eclipse. It can only be safely viewed with special purpose solar glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 safety standard, available for free from public libraries in the Pontiac. Contact your local library to confirm availability.

Further information on how to safely view a solar eclipse can be found at: https://opto.ca/eye-healthlibrary/ solar-eclipse-safety.

Classes cancelled for April 8 solar eclipse Read More »

“Nobody has any rights in Canada anymore”

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Local school board chair blasts recent court ruling on Bill 21 at monthly meeting

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

Eastern Townships School Board (ETSB) Chair Michael Murray has criticized in strong terms the recent ruling by Quebec’s Appeal Court to uphold Bill 21, which bans public officials from wearing religious symbols on the job.

“There are many rights that have been handed down by various levels of court, including the Supreme Court, since the 1990s,” Murray said to those gathered at a virtual board meeting March 26.

“So basically, to paraphrase the judgment, it was a decision that nobody has any rights in Canada anymore.”

The remarks came in the context of an update on the Quebec English School Board Association (QESBA). QESBA is an “intervener” in the case, Murray said, so all nine English school boards in the province are parties to a potential appeal of the ruling. QESBA is consulting its legal counsel to see if another appeal is worth pursuing.

The court rejected the appeal against Bill 21, ruling the notwithstanding clause supersedes any legislation. The court explained that the legislature holds supremacy over the judicial system, allowing it to invoke the notwithstanding clause without judicial intervention.

Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, also called the notwithstanding or override clause, permits federal, provincial, or territorial governments to temporarily bypass certain Charter rights. Governments must renew these overrides every five years.

Murray further noted that he did not think the central question, whether teachers count as “influential people” and fall under Bill 21’s purview, was properly addressed.

Another piece of legislation, Bill 40, was discussed. Bill 40, if fully passed, would eliminate all school boards and replace them with “service centres.” It was ruled unconstitutional in its application to English school boards, but the Quebec government is currently appealing the decision.

Murray reported that QESBA has revived its fundraising efforts under the theme “Every Dollar Counts,” urging everyone to donate personally, even if it’s just one dollar. He highlighted the symbolic importance of these contributions alongside the financial goal.

QESBA estimates needing about three quarters of a million dollars more to support the potential appeal of Bill 21 and Bill 40 to the Supreme Court. This anticipation comes in light of potential unfavorable appellate court judgments or government contestations of favorable ones.

“Fundraising will begin soon, and we will move forward with it as energetically as possible,” Murray explained.

Secretary General Éric Campbell announced the ETSB received a thank you letter from QESBA, expressing gratitude for a previous generous contribution towards challenging Bill 40 legally. This donation is expected to boost the momentum for the legal fund campaign, with the letter signed by David Meloche, QESBA’s new executive director.

Campbell clarified that the donation came from personal resources of all 16 commissioners, including the chair, rather than school board funds.

Commissioner Gordon Barnett said at the meeting he recently attended two conferences on the effects of Bill 21 and Bill 40 on the English community.  

“I would say that really there’s quite a dark cloud on the horizon as far as the community is concerned,” he said.

“Nobody has any rights in Canada anymore” Read More »

QC’s 2024-2025 budget presents challenges and opportunities for Pontiac

Local Journalism Initiative / / / ,

Carl Hager & Tashi Farmilo – Local Journalism Initiative

QUEBEC – The Quebec government’s 2024-2025 budget has sparked a debate in the Pontiac region, with concerns raised about its impact on local economic development, government operations, and community support. André Fortin, Pontiac Liberal MNA, expressed his apprehensions regarding the budget, which represents the largest deficit in Quebec’s history and a government attempt to tighten its budgetary belt.

Fortin criticized the budget for a lack of new measures to enhance productivity and support for the agricultural sector, which is crucial for rural Pontiac. He also expressed disappointment in the government’s plan to phase out subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles and the anticipated reduction in infrastructure spending in the Outaouais.

“Organizations expecting grant money will be hard pressed to get anything from the government as it will be tightening its budgetary belt, making it very difficult for local communities to access funds for their projects. This is the result of the Quebec government posting its largest budgetary deficit ever. Grants for housing, roads, and special projects will be difficult to obtain,” Fortin told the Journal.

“The budget counts the largest deficit in Quebec’s history at $11 billion. This is the direct result of bad decisions and excessive spending by the CAQ [Coalition Avenir Québec],” Fortin stated. “The Outaouais will receive only 3.6% of the province’s infrastructure spending over the next few years, meaning we’ll be able to build or improve fewer schools and roads than other regions,” he added.

Despite these concerns, the budget does contain some positive aspects, such as enhanced pensions for seniors with disabilities.

Suzanne Tremblay, Hull MNA, expressed pride in the government’s budget, highlighting its focus on health and education as the top priorities for Quebecers. “We’re making the necessary choices: $2.9 billion in savings by 2028-2029 by optimizing state action, and a prudent financial framework, which includes $7.5 billion in provisions to deal with economic uncertainty,” Tremblay said.

The budget outlines a plan to generate $2.9 billion in savings over five years through the optimization of government action, with significant investments in health, education, and environmental sustainability.

It also proposes a review of government interventions to improve efficiency and generate additional revenue.

Fortin emphasized the need for a real plan to recruit, attract, and retain personnel in education and healthcare to ensure the effective use of the budget’s allocations for these sectors.

QC’s 2024-2025 budget presents challenges and opportunities for Pontiac Read More »

Innovative greenhouse technology comes to the Pontiac 

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Clifford Welsh – Local Journalism Initiative

LITCHFIELD – Pontiac food producers attracted the attention of government representatives and federal farm assistance organizations during Farm Safety Week. On March 12, Pontiac MP Sophie Chatel, MRC Pontiac Warden Jane Toller and Farm Credit Canada representative Carole-Anne Nadeau toured Bryson Farms and the new greenhouse project Jean Zhang, a local businessman and Bryson councillor, is pursuing behind the Ultramar gas bar.

Zhang and his nephew Ryan, with the help of local labour, have been working for the last two years on the greenhouse. Zhang adapted the 50’ x 200’ Chinese-designed passive solar building using as many local materials and workers as possible. He’s also experimenting with a system of compost-generated heat for the cooler months using European technology called Biomeiler with the help of Cathy Fox, a Bryson resident and composting advocate.

A Chinese passive solar greenhouse provides constant, year-round temperatures, naturally and passively, with little reliance on the heating and cooling systems seen in many conventional greenhouses. Originally designed in China to feed millions of people, the design cleverly uses nature itself to produce the ingredients to fuel the inside of the greenhouse with minimal effort – even in the winter. The earthen mound on the back wall absorbs heat from the sun and radiates it into the building and the retractable tarpaulin can be rolled down at night to retain accumulated heat from the daylight hours.

Chatel explained how it’s critical that Canada increase food production as increasing pressures on US food production due to climate change and water issues make America less reliable as a source of import.

Stuart Collins of Bryson Farms hopes federal representatives can assist in attracting foreign seasonal workers to fill the gap in the local labour force. 

Joanne Labadie, Chatel’s assistant, noted municipalities need to create local infrastructure through the TECQ (gas tax) grant to facilitate housing for foreign workers.

Canadian Agricultural Safety Week (CASW) is a public awareness campaign focusing on the importance of farm safety. It takes place every year during the third week of March; this year from March 10 to 16.

Innovative greenhouse technology comes to the Pontiac  Read More »

Looking to renovate? The government may be able to help

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Taylor Clark – Local Journalism Initiative

MRC PONTIAC – Whether you’re looking to be more energy efficient, shrink your energy bill, improve your home comfort level, or set your sights on a new home build, various loans and grants can help offset the costs.

While the MRC Pontiac itself doesn’t offer grants or loans, a memorandum of understanding with the Société d’Habitation du Québec allows them to offer the RénoRégion and the Residential Adaption Assistance programs.

RénoRégion offers financial assistance to low-income homeowners or occupiers in rural areas to fix major home defects such as structural, plumbing, or heating issues. Those interested in applying have to wait until early 2025 as the budget allocated for 2023 to 2025 has been maxed due to the high number of eligible pending files.

The Residential Adaption Assistance Program ensures people with permanent disabilities can continue daily routines and reside in their own homes.

For more details on either program, visit: https://mrcpontiac.qc.ca/en/residents/renovation-programs/.

The Government of Quebec also provides financial assistance for eligible projects. In Quebec, the only way to access the Canada Greener Homes Grant is through the Rénoclimat program, which offers grants to improve home energy performance. After May 1, the grant amounts are expected to increase.

If you’re planning on replacing your heating system or water heater, you may qualify for financial assistance under Chauffez vert. A single-family home could see $1,275 in assistance to convert an oil heating system and $850 for propane. For water heaters, a single-family home could receive $250 for swapping out an oil heater and $200 for propane.

Whether you’re an owner or tenant, the Éconologis program offers free individualized advice and minor work to improve the comfort level and energy use of your home. To qualify, the total income of all occupants must be below the eligible income threshold laid out by the program.

If you’re starting from scratch, insist your home be built to Novoclimat standards for $2,000 in financial assistance or $4,000 for first-time home buyers. Along with providing healthier indoor air and efficient heating, it’s estimated a Novoclimat home saves 20% on energy costs compared to others.

Quebec residents can also claim partial tax refunds of the provincial and federal sales tax paid on construction materials, services, and other costs for substantial renovations; 90% or more of the building is removed or replaced. The rebate can reach up to $6,300 for GST and up to $9,975 for QST.

The Canada Greener Homes Loan program offers 10 years of interest-free financing to assist Canadians in making their home more energy-efficient and comfortable. Loans range from $5,000 to $40,000 and are calculated based on the selected retrofits as well as quotes for the work.

Certain private energy companies provide customers with incentives for home improvement projects like replacing heating systems, water heaters, or air exchangers. Reach out to your provider to learn more about which incentives you may qualify for.  

Looking to renovate? The government may be able to help Read More »

New Director of Economic Development for MRC Pontiac

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Bonnie James – Local Journalism Initiative

LITCHFIELD – The Council of Mayors appointed Pierre Cadieux as the new Director of Economic Development at a special council sitting held March 13 at the MRC headquarters in Litchfield.

Cadieux took the mic to introduce himself and thanked the mayors for their vote of confidence. He explained that he started his career as an assistant to a member of parliament which gave him knowledge of and respect for the sphere of elected officials.

Cadieux said that he is a government relations expert with a background in industry associations facilitating partnerships between industry and government. He closed by saying that he looked forward to starting work the next morning.

Cadieux declined all interview requests from local media saying that he wanted to first meet with his team and familiarize himself with the MRC’s current economic development files and priorities before discussing them directly with journalists.

In a statement sent through the MRC’s communications department, Cadieux said that the job is: “a task I approach with seriousness and enthusiasm, as I recognize the great strategic responsibility it entails. I am fortunate to be able to count on a team of nine economic development commissioners and support staff who work hard every day to develop Pontiac’s economic potential and support local businesses in all spheres of economic activity…I come to the MRC with relevant experience and I’m ready to take on this exciting challenge with enthusiasm and energy. I join all those who are committed to the socio-economic success of the MRC Pontiac.”

Cadieux replaces Guillaume Boudreau, who left the position in December 2023.  

New Director of Economic Development for MRC Pontiac Read More »

Woman found unconscious in SQ interrogation room has died

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

François Carrier – Local Journalism Initiative

CAMPBELL’S BAY – On March 11, the Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) announced that the woman who was found unconscious in the interrogation room of the Campbell’s Bay Sûreté du Québec (SQ) station has died.

Friday, March 1, around 2:30 p.m., the BEI launched an investigation into the circumstances of a detention involving the SQ station. According to information released by the BEI, around 8:40 a.m., SQ police officers arrested a woman at her home. Later in the day, around 11:15 a.m., she was allegedly found unconscious on the floor of the SQ station’s interrogation room. First aid was provided to her, and she was then transported to a hospital where her condition was considered serious. No further information has been made available at this time by the BEI.

According to procedure in this type of case, no theory can be mentioned, nor any element of the investigation made public before the conclusion, which can take several months. Contacted by CHIP FM, the BEI nevertheless confirmed that the interrogation room is monitored by cameras, and they are in possession of the footage.

Five BEI investigators were tasked with investigating the circumstances surrounding the intervention; given normal procedures in this type of case, the Montreal police are taking over the original criminal investigation that led to the arrest, as the SQ cannot continue the investigation while they are under investigation. The BEI is asking anyone who may have witnessed this event to contact them via their website: www.bei.gouv.qc.ca. BEI investigations take on average just over five months.

The BEI’s mission is to shed complete light on the facts surrounding the police intervention. The BEI investigates all cases where a person, other than a police officer on duty, dies, suffers serious injury or is injured by a firearm used by a police officer during a police intervention or while in police custody.

Both the SQ and the Montreal City Police Service declined to comment due to the ongoing BEI investigation.

Woman found unconscious in SQ interrogation room has died Read More »

MRC bids on slaughterhouse

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Bonnie James – Local Journalism Initiative

MRC PONTIAC – On March 15, the MRC placed a bid to purchase the assets including the building, equipment, machinery, and five lots, of Abattoir les Viandes du Pontiac. The slaughterhouse is in the process of filing for bankruptcy and the assets were up for sale.

MRC Communications Advisor Francis Beausoleil said the bid was made in an effort to keep the slaughterhouse in the Pontiac. Warden Jane Toller and Director General Kim Lesage both stressed that the move was in support of Pontiac agriculture.

Funds for the bid came from the third and fourth streams of the Regions and Rurality Fund (FRR) after a special sitting of the Council of Mayors held March 13 to authorize use of the funds. The resolution stated that the financing was aimed at maintaining the slaughterhouse’s activities on the territory.

MRC Economic Development Commissioner for Agriculture, Shanna Armstrong, and DG Kim Lesage held several meetings leading up to the bid with the Agrisaveur Committee, Warden Toller, the SADC, UPA, MAMH, MAPAQ, CDROL, local agronomist Roger St-Cyr, MRC lawyers, and key Pontiac agricultural producers to evaluate how the Agrisaveur agri-food processing project could be incorporated with the slaughterhouse.

Lesage said that a market study was still underway to determine how the Agrisaveur project could best meet the needs of local producers, but the imminent sale of the slaughterhouse has forced the MRC and stakeholders to speed up the process and consider what could be done to avoid losing the important facility.

On March 20, Lesage said that she hadn’t yet received any information regarding the MRC’s bid from the firm responsible for the sale, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, other than that it could take some time because of the number of stakeholders involved in the situation. “On that end, we don’t know what’s going on and they couldn’t give us a timeframe to expect an answer.” she said.

Lesage also mentioned while the MRC had placed the bid, if successful, the MRC will not be involved in the slaughterhouse operations and the exact configuration is still to be determined.

MRC bids on slaughterhouse Read More »

Pontiac council adopts new bylaws and names permanent DG

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Mo Laidlaw – Local Journalism Initiative

MUNICIPALITY OF PONTIAC – Council’s monthly meeting was held March 12 at the Luskville Community Centre with four residents present. Councillor McCann was absent.

Administration
Mario Allen was named director general and director of public works (DPW) after two years as the acting DG and DPW. He was originally hired for four months in April 2022.

Bylaw 08-24 to update the fee schedule for supplying goods and services was adopted.

The contract with Centre de services partagés du Québec (CSPQ) to supply printers, photocopiers, office supplies and paper for the Town Hall and the Luskville library was extended for 24 months.

Councillor McCann was named as municipal representative on the Pontiac Housing Office (OHP) administration committee.

A daily labourer was hired for a maximum of 1,000 hours.

Public works
The DPW was authorized to bid up to $25,000 each on used equipment at auction at Les Encans Ritchie Bros: a roll-off trailer and containers for the eco centre. At a special meeting on March 19, a small garbage truck was added to the list to simplify collection from private roads in winter and support snow removal, with a bid up to $50,000 authorized.

Planning
Bylaws 05-24, 06-24 and 07-24 on minor variances, public nuisances and the planning committee (CCU) were adopted.

More time was requested from the MRC des Collines to revise the urban plan and bylaws.

Pontiac and other municipalities of the MRC made a collective request to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAMH) for more time to make various bylaws conform to the revised land use and development plan of the MRC des Collines.

A surveyor will be contacted to replace survey markers at 1863 ch de la Montagne.

A municipal “flood lot” at 447 ch Clavelle will be leased to a neighbouring owner.

Volunteers are requested to sit on the planning committee (CCU).

Recreation and culture
The 2024 Pontiac Country Music Festival (Festival Country de Pontiac) was advanced $35,000 for expenses, to be refunded by sales.

Cabinets for storing dishes, etc. at the Luskville and Quyon Community centres will be purchased: two cabinets for each location for $699 plus tax each.

Pontiac council adopts new bylaws and names permanent DG Read More »

MRC meeting: Standing room only against EFW; plenary to stay private

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Bonnie James – Local Journalism Initiative

MRC PONTIAC – The MRC Pontiac’s Council of Mayors’ monthly meeting was held March 20 at the MRC headquarters in Litchfield.

EFW townhall meetings
The narrow Elsie Gibbons Room at the MRC headquarters was packed to standing room only with around 30 residents concerned about the proposed Energy from Waste (EFW) incinerator project.

Ahead of the public question period, MRC Warden Jane Toller announced that a series of 5 townhall meetings would be held to reveal the EFW business plan to the public. The first meeting was to be held the following Monday, March 25, in L’Isle-aux-Allumettes.

Some residents expressed concern that not enough advance notice had been given for the meetings. Amy Taylor of the Pontiac Independent Facebook group later posted a segment of the Quebec Municipal Code that states public notices regarding public meetings must be published at least seven days before the meeting. In response, Toller contacted the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and the MRC’s legal counsel for advice but did not hear back from either. Toller said the meetings would proceed as planned, adding: “We just think it’s best to get this information out.”

 All meetings will be held at 7:00 p.m. on the following dates:

  • March 27 – Fort-Coulonge – Club de l’Âge d’Or
  • April 3 – Shawville – United Church Hall
  • April 9 – Campbell’s Bay RA
  • April 10 – Otter Lake RA

L’Isle-aux-Allumettes Mayor Corey Spence will be giving the presentation at the meetings. Toller said that she asked Spence to help because he has worked closely with her on the Energy from Waste Business Plan Committee and is well-versed on the topic. Toller will also be present at all the meetings and she and Spence will both be available to answer questions.

Spence said that the presentation will be balanced considering both pros and cons of the project, saying: “We’re going to look at everything, both sides.” He said that the same presentation will be given at each location.

Public Question Period
Opening the public question period, Toller said that 30 minutes is usually allocated for questions. She asked for a show of hands of those who wished to speak or ask a question, and nine citizens raised their hands. Toller said that they would be given three minutes each to speak.

The most hotly debated question of the evening was that of when the business plan would be available to the public. The question was asked by Christine Anderson on behalf of Friends of the Pontiac, who said that they’d like to review the business plan ahead of the townhall meetings.

Toller responded that the business plan will not be given to any member of the public or media ahead of the townhall meetings as the MRC wants the opportunity to present the plan to the public before the citizens’ groups have the chance to review and comment on it.

Other citizens in attendance raised concerns about pollution and economic impact. Judith Spence of Citizens of the Pontiac asked if health and environmental considerations are addressed in the initial business plan. Toller said that they are, and Corey Spence said that health considerations will be presented at the townhall meetings.

Judith Spence also mentioned that she is setting up a private Zoom presentation with incineration critic Dr. Paul Connett for interested mayors and municipal councillors.

Plenary meetings
A resolution was presented to modify the existing structure for plenary meetings by holding part of them in public.

Ahead of the reading of the motion, Director General Kim Lesage read a letter from Mélanie Guénette, a consultant with the union representing the MRC’s employees (SFPQ), stating: “Our members are not elected representatives accountable to the public. We do not accept that they find themselves in the political arena in front of the citizens they deal with on a regular basis.”

MRC employees are unionized, but the management team is not.

The mayors voted down the resolution, 15 to 3, with only Shawville Mayor Bill McCleary, Litchfield Mayor Colleen Larivière, and Waltham Mayor Odette Godin voting in favour of opening the plenary sessions to the public.

The next Council of Mayors meeting will be held April 17.

MRC meeting: Standing room only against EFW; plenary to stay private Read More »

New Canadian Renters’ Bill of Rights will make rent payment count towards credit score

Local Journalism Initiative / /

by Lorraine Carpenter, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that the federal government will implement a Canadian Renters’ Bill of Rights as part of the upcoming budget. The measure would amend the Canadian Mortgage Charter to allow prompt rent payments to apply towards a tenant’s credit score, unlocking future home ownership and borrowing ability.

As Trudeau explained during a press conference in Vancouver today, the Canadian Renters’ Bill of Rights would also create “a nationwide standard for lease agreements giving renters a clear history of apartment pricing so they can bargain fairly.”

The federal government will also invest $15-million in provincial legal aid organizations to better protect tenants against unfair rent payments, renovictions and bad landlords.

The 2024 federal budget will be tabled on April 16.

New Canadian Renters’ Bill of Rights will make rent payment count towards credit score Read More »

Montreal will dig 200 new plots in April for planting trees to combat heat islands

Local Journalism Initiative / /

by Lorraine Carpenter, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

The Plateau Mont-Royal borough announced today that 200 new plots will be excavated in April to make space to plant trees in order to combat heat islands in Montreal. The city is asking drivers to respect the temporary parking bans next to these plots during the short-term road work project.

In 2022, the City of Montreal launched a study on heat islands and the impact of urban development on heat. The data on air temperature and humidity is being collected at 10 sites across the city over the course of 10 summers, through 2031.

Montreal will dig 200 new plots in April for planting trees to combat heat islands Read More »

Live to 120 – and beyond

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

By Trevor Greenway
editor@lowdownonline.com

When 69-year-old Ed Chicoine works out with his family, his children – all six of them – can’t keep up with him.

There never really was a day when Chicoine’s kids – Tanya, Ben, Dayna, Karina, Jake or Whitney – could ever best their dad in physical work. He’s been in tip-top shape since his 20s and doesn’t see himself slowing down anytime soon – perhaps not for another five decades. 

“It’s all about the mindset,” said the Wakefield chiropractor, speaking with the Low Down from his village practice. “That was what I was exposed to when I was in my 20s and that really was my guiding light the whole time.”

Chicoine said he has been doing a “deep dive” on aging and longevity and exploring geriatric scientists and their work on aging. He’s hosting a workshop on aging on April 2, called Decoding the Aging Process, and says that humans are gaining the ability to live longer and longer.

“I’ve been following this stuff from these researchers called Geroscientists, and we’re at the point where people can live to 120,” said Chicoine. “That’s doable now.”

During Chicoine’s aging event at the Wakefield community centre, which is a fundraiser for Wakefield’s palliative care home, La Maison des Collines, the Wakefield chiropractor, who has been serving Hills patients for over 30 years, will discuss the “hallmarks of aging” and give aging residents tools and tricks to stay active and healthy well into their 80s, 90s and beyond. Tickets for the April 2 event are $10 and can be purchased through Chicoine’s website at www.chirochicoine.com. 

“What happens at the hallmarks of aging is that you’re screwing up your communication system from cell to cell and from different parts of your body,” said Chicoine, explaining that dead cells pile up in the body and become “totally useless.” 

“They’re called zombie cells,” said Chicoine. You know zombies in the movies? Well, that’s really what is happening – you have these cells that are not dead yet, but they are totally useless, and they need to be cleaned up.”

Chicoine is aware of the technical, medical jargon that often confuses regular folks – terms like “genomic instability” and “epigenetic alterations”,  which are usually only understood by those with a medical background. While these are some of the new 15 hallmarks of aging, Chicoine feels it’s integral for people to understand what’s happening in their bodies. 

“I’m going to tell a story,” said Chicoine. “I am going to compare it to owning a manufacturing plant and what happens in that plant. If you had a manufacturing plant and all these things that are happening in our body were happening in a factory, there’s no way you’d ever let it go that bad. But we don’t see it [in our bodies], and by the time symptoms occur,  you’re close to a crisis moment.”

Chicoine, who is close to retiring and handing his Wakefield chiropractic business off to his daughter, Whitney, will also unveil his “next adventure” at the workshop, which – he hints – will empower aging citizens to become as fit as he is. 

Just don’t try to keep up with him.

Live to 120 – and beyond Read More »

Don’t be blinded by the light

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

By Trevor Greenway

Wakefield optometrist Dr. Barbara Kurtz knows her patients are smarter than Donald Trump, but she still worries that people may damage their eyes during the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8.

“Well, we know we should never look up at the sun, but this event is going to attract people to want to look up, so that’s why we say it’s potentially dangerous, unless you’re wearing the proper eclipse glasses,” Kurtz told the Low Down. “It can be really dangerous” – even for presidents.

Former president Donald Trump made headlines in 2017 after he directly stared at the sun during a solar eclipse without protective glasses. 

On April 8, a total eclipse will darken Quebec skies along the St. Lawrence Valley and across southern Quebec, including most of Montreal. The eclipse’s path of totality can be seen in the skies of Montérégie, the Eastern Townships, Centre-du-Québec, the Beauce and the Magdalen Islands.

But here in Western Quebec, just outside the path of totality, viewers will only be able to see partial phases of the eclipse, not witness the moon completely blocking the sun. 

Despite not seeing the full eclipse here, Kurtz still recommended that residents protect themselves and said the damage could be permanent.

“So the part of the eye that light will focus on is called the retina, and if you stare up at the sun, you can damage the cells there, and they remain damaged permanently,” added Kurtz. There’s no treatment, so you basically have to live with a big blind spot in your vision.”

Eclipse viewers are encouraged to use eclipse glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard, which blocks out harmful ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) radiation, as well as intense visible light. 

Réseau BIBLIO de l’Outaouais has sent 75 pairs of solar glasses to the Wakefield, Masham and Lac-des-Loups libraries for rental – all of which have since been rented out. 

School board concerned, switches PD Day

In the Hills, the Western Quebec School Board (WQSB) was so concerned with children’s safety that it switched a PD day to coincide with the eclipse so that students wouldn’t be exposed to the sun while travelling home from school. 

“Complicating the situation is the fact that the eclipse will take place in our region between 2:10 p.m. to 4:35 p.m. This is the period of time our students will be boarding buses, travelling home by bus, being picked up by parents or walking home,” wrote WQSB director-general George Singfield in a recent letter to parents. 

He explained in the letter that former PD days Tuesday, April 2, and Friday, April 5, will now be regular school days to make up for the loss of an “eclipse day” on April 8, adding: “This ensures students are not at risk during the eclipse and avoids any loss of class time and learning for our students.”

According to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Canadians will have to wait 20 years for the next total eclipse and that will be mainly visible in the Northwest Territories and Alberta. In Quebec, the CSA says it won’t be visible again until 2106, however, partial solar eclipses, as well as total and partial lunar eclipses, can be viewed regularly in Canada. 

Don’t be blinded by the light Read More »

No camping at Lac Philippe for second summer

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

By Trevor Greenway

For the second consecutive season, camping at Lac Philippe will remain shuttered.

National Capital Commission (NCC) communications advisor Benoît Desjardins told the Low Down that “labour shortages and high inflation” continue to delay the campground’s $20 million renovation. The NCC said that the original planned opening of summer 2024 is no longer realistic. 

“The completion of the work is now scheduled for the fall of 2024, with a reopening planned for late spring 2025,” wrote Desjardins in an email on March 25.  “Most of the construction work has stopped for the winter season to ensure winter activities can continue to be offered in the park.”

He added that campsites and ready-to-camp units at Philippe, Taylor and Renaud lakes will be closed from April to November 2024 to allow construction to resume. Desjardins said the company doing the work, Pomerleau, demolished the existing buildings in the fall of 2022 and began construction on a new camp store, outdoor amphitheater and pavilion, along with 10 new, ready-to-camp cabins in May 2023. 

While the Lac Philippe modernization project will be a boon for campers in the area once complete, the loss of close to 300 local campers will certainly be felt in the Hills. In 2021, Gatineau Park booked more than 17,000 nights of camping and the only other alternative for Gatineau Park camping this summer is at Lac La Pêche, which requires a canoe to access. The NCC did not confirm if the lake’s two beaches – Parent and Breton – would remain open for the summer. 

While the loss of camping will certainly be felt by local businesses, including Marché Masham and La Patate À Carlo, the owners of  Ti-Ray , which is a few kilometres away and past the entrance to Lac Philippe, say they have their “loyal customers” to rely on and aren’t too concerned about a loss of revenue this summer. Because the Ti-Ray burger joint is further away from Lac Philippe, much of their customer base in the summer comes from either locals or cottagers, who own property in Lac des Loups. 

The Lac Philippe renovation project will see the entire campground upgraded, with increased access to water and electricity and improved accessibility for campers who have mobility issues. The NCC received $228.6 million in federal funding for “critical repairs of high impact and high-value assets,” and the NCC used just over $20 million of that on the Lac Philippe rehabilitation project. 

No camping at Lac Philippe for second summer Read More »

Wakefield pizzeria serves up last slice

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

By Madeline Kerr

Luigi’s Pizza in Wakefield is closing for good, but it still needs your money.

In an interview with the Low Down on March 22, Pizza de Luigi co-owner Marie-Josée Baril confirmed that despite a GoFundMe call to the community for donations to “Save Luigi’s Pizza!,” the shop will serve its last slice at the end of the month.

She told the Low Down that she still needs $35,000 to pay suppliers and her 10 employees who she called “troopers.”

“It’s a question of integrity…it’s the right thing to do and the only option, really,” Baril said. “My suppliers have been there for me over the years and I need to back them up.” She added, “And most importantly, I need to look after my employees.”

The $35,000 she is asking for – down from the original ask of $75,000 – will go towards supplier debts and vacation pay for her soon-to-be former employees.

Baril said that she is devastated to say goodbye to her family business, admitting that the hardest part was breaking the news to her workers.

“It was so hard, but I had to be honest with them,” said an emotional Baril.

She told the Low Down that “a complication of factors” have led to the business being forced to close its doors on March 31.

Baril explained that sales have taken a serious hit in the last year, which she believes is the result of Canadians’ collective belt-tightening as the cost of living soars. She said that she’s also struggled to find enough staff and can’t afford the minimum wage pay increase of 50 cents per hour that is coming into effect in Quebec on May 1. 

On top of that, the cost of making a pizza has skyrocketed since the pandemic: before, Baril said that one shipment of pepperoni would cost her $90; just a few years later, the cost has doubled to $180 for the same volume. 

Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loans that were offered to small businesses during the pandemic are now being called in by the federal government at five per cent interest – another expense that Pizza de Luigi can’t absorb, Baril explained.

Last year, Luigi’s moved from its home of nearly 10 years at 12 Ch. de la Vallée-de-Wakefield and now rents the former home of Sur la Lune Ice Cream Shop just a few doors down and across the street. At the same time, Luigi’s took over the ice cream parlour and began offering both sweet and savoury treats. 

The move was an effort to save the business, which Baril said was already facing financial difficulties, but ultimately, it didn’t pay off. 

Baril, who works a full-time job besides managing Luigi’s, said that she’s faced criticism from some for not being open on certain days of the week. But she said that she doesn’t regret staying closed, even on profitable days like Sunday, because it meant she could spend time with her family. 

“There will always be some people who are quick to judge, but until you’ve been in this business, until you’ve done this kind of work, you really can’t say anything…[because] you have no idea what it’s like,” she said.  

In recent years, Baril worked alongside her daughter, Kassandra McNeill, and son-in-law, Michel Houle, who she said “make an amazing team.” She watched with pride as the two worked together to churn out a whopping 50 pizzas every Thursday morning in order to supply lunch for the Wakefield Elementary School. 

Across the province, too, the situation is bleak: In September last year The Suburban reported that 20 per cent of Quebec restaurants have closed since the start of the pandemic. 

“I’m hopeful that other businesses can keep thriving in Wakefield because we have some amazing eateries here,” said Baril.  

“I really want to say a big thank you to [the community] for the continued support, the memories, and the laughs over the years,” she added. “I’ve always fought to keep going, even maybe, in retrospect, when I shouldn’t have,” Baril said, holding back tears. “I know that when one door closes, another opens…there is something else out there for me, and this has been an amazing experience in a lot of ways.”

Baril’s GoFundMe has received $1,375 in donations by the time of publication. Luigi’s will officially close its doors March 31.

Wakefield pizzeria serves up last slice Read More »

Acting mayor aims to establish next steps for future police headquarters

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Taylor Clark

LJI Reporter

Interim Gatineau mayor Daniel Champagne hopes to set the future headquarters for the Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau on a clear path by the end of his mandate.

“The headquarters subject has been around for quite a while,” Champagne told reporters during a press scrum following a Comité exécutif meeting on February 28. “We’ve been talking about it for over 10 years. We have taken this issue head-on in recent months. I think we need to deliver this once and for all.”

Champagne ascended to the position after former mayor France Bélisle abruptly resigned from her role on February 22. With over 100 days to his mandate, Champagne set the headquarters among his list of priorities, along with the tramway and housing and homelessness.

“I have heard several colleagues over the last few months and weeks being concerned about the issue of centralization. Naturally, centralization is closely linked with the next steps on the location,” said Champagne.

While the property at 975 Saint-Joseph Boulevard remained on the table, Champagne said he currently had no new details about the matter.

Photo caption: After years of discussions, acting Gatineau mayor Daniel Champagne aims to bring some decisions on the plans for a future police headquarters by the end of his mandate.

Photo credit: Google Maps Screenshot

Acting mayor aims to establish next steps for future police headquarters Read More »

Spence launches series of town hall presentations on incinerator project

Local Journalism Initiative / / / ,

Charles Dickson, LJI Reporter

It was close to a capacity crowd at St. Joseph’s Hall in Allumette Island on Monday evening with almost 100 people in attendance for an information meeting on the garbage incinerator project proposed for the Pontiac.

The gathering was the first of a series of town hall-styled public information sessions to be convened across the Pontiac over the coming weeks. Announced by Pontiac warden Jane Toller just five days prior at last Wednesday evening’s public meeting of mayors, the hastily-called series follows a tide of public concern over the proposed project that has been growing over recent weeks.

Allumette Island mayor Corey Spence made the presentation on behalf of MRC Pontiac. He began by showing a series of videos on the circular economy and the zero-waste concept whereby waste can be minimized through the reduction of consumption, repairing and reusing products instead of disposing of them, and recycling materials, arriving at the conclusion that, with the addition of composting, municipal waste can be reduced by up to 90 per cent.

Spence provided a favourable review of points made by Dr. Paul Connett, one of the presenters at the public information session convened by Citizens of the Pontiac in Campbell’s Bay on Mar. 2, whose video, which is highly critical of garbage incineration, has been circulating locally via social media over recent weeks. The mayor provided an overview of how landfill and energy-from-waste systems work, before turning to a presentation of what has been called the initial business case (IBC) developed by consulting firms Deloitte and Ramboll. At this point, the presentation took the form of a rapid succession of text-intensive slides, with words far too numerous and too small to read from the audience, with Spence reading passages from the screen so quickly and without benefit of a microphone that it was often impossible to discern what he was saying.

What came through was that the essential question addressed by the IBC is how the energy-from-waste (EFW) option compares to disposing of garbage in landfills, based on a volume of 400,000 tons of waste. Spence took the audience through several points of comparison between the two waste management systems, including long-run cost and carbon neutrality, among others, from which the IBC analysis concluded that the EFW option was superior to a landfill.

The IBC also considered three options regarding the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the envisioned EFW plant, with implications for the extent to which the resulting facility would be privately versus publicly owned. On this question, the report recommends that the facility should neither be completely privately owned nor completely publicly owned but rather the goldilocks option of 75 per cent public and 25 per cent private. Fundamental to this conclusion is the requirement for hundreds of millions of dollars to finance the project, making it clear that very significant public investment will be necessary for the project to be viable.

According to the IBC, total capital costs for the facility, which would include the use of technology to capture carbon dioxide it produces, would be $605 million, 25 per cent more than the $450 million price previously envisioned for the project. Spence said this would obviously be an impossible expense for Pontiac’s population of just 14,000 people without multi-million-dollar grants from the federal government and the provinces of Quebec and Ontario.

He said if we start now, the facility could be up and running by 2032.
In the question-and-answer session that followed, Spence asked whether anyone knew why so many incinerators were being shut down in Europe, and said it’s because countries have moved to zero waste and the incinerators are too big for the volume of garbage now available.

He said that the 400,000-ton target used in planning Pontiac’s incinerator project might have been wrong, in light of the significant reduction in the volume of garbage being generated in Ottawa due to the adoption of zero waste strategies. Warden Jane Toller, who attended the meeting, said she had learned that Ottawa’s waste has gone from a volume of 300,000 tons per year to probably 100,000 tons.
Asked by Judith Spence of Citizens of the Pontiac whether there was any documentation still available of an effort by Denzil Spence, a previous mayor of Allumette Island, to launch a garbage incinerator project, Warden Toller recalled that in 2012 Pontiac had expressed to Gatineau its interest in an incinerator project but that the project was stopped due to insufficient waste.

When asked why Deloitte and Ramboll, working under a contract in excess of $100,000, was not redirected by MRC Pontiac to shift its analysis to a lower tonnage figure, Spence said something to the effect that the project was too far along to change course.
Linda Davis of the group Stop the Pontiac Incinerator asked how the question of whether or not to proceed with the EFW project can be decided until an environmental assessment has been completed, which, in the case of the Durham York facility, she says cost $29 million. Spence agreed and said that such an assessment would be conducted.

A woman who identified herself as a long-time farmer described toxins coming out of incinerator smokestacks, landing on fields and being eaten by animals that we raise, and asked, “Why didn’t we start with an environmental assessment long before we began with the business case?”
Jordan Evans, farmer in Waltham, recalled Spence saying that remediation would be required as part of the project but that cleanup costs were not included in the IBC study, and asked, “How can you identify a winner without remediation costs?”

A woman from Thorne asked why the IBC basis of comparison is between incinerating 400,000 tons of garbage and landfilling the same volume, arguing that Pontiac produces only 5,000 tons of garbage each year and that it was never an option to landfill Ottawa’s 400,000 tons of garbage here.
Jennifer Quaile, a councillor in Otter Lake and member of Friends of the Pontiac, asked about the outcome of the warden’s recent meeting with the minister of environment, and whether he is receptive to bringing Ontario’s garbage into Quebec. The warden said “Waste from Ontario is not allowed if it is destined to a landfill, nor do they support incineration if it is just burned into the air, that it must be part of a circular economy.”

The turnout of some 100 people to Monday evening’s information session follows the attendance of approximately 40 people at last Wednesday’s meeting of MRC Pontiac’s Council of Mayors to voice their concerns regarding the environmental and health implications of the proposed incinerator, among other aspects of the project. In response, Warden Toller provided assurances that “MRC Pontiac will never move forward with a project that is unhealthy for our residents, animals, or environment.”
At last week’s Council of Mayors meeting, Linda Davis asked why the Deloitte/Ramboll business plan is not being released. “We’ve paid for it, why will you not allow us to have that?”
“It’s going to be available on a screen,” said Warden Toller, referring to the plan to project excerpts from the business plan on screens at the public information sessions.
“I don’t know that you’re going to be walking out with your own copy, but take good notes, you know, you can analyse it all you like,” the warden said.

In an interview aired by CHIP-FM last Thursday, reporter Caleb Nickerson asked the warden why the document was not being made publicly available.
“It’s very technical and some people are going to read it and not get much out of it,” Toller said.
“I think to have it presented and be able to have explanations and have questions answered is important,” she added.

Pressed by Nickerson on why the document could not be released, Toller asked him to turn off his recorder, which Nickerson declined to do. The warden later offered another response.
“This has been extremely challenging, with some information that has been given that has caused a lot of people to be fearful, and that is regrettable,” she said. “And we would like to reassure people with our information, and we would like the chance to have well-attended town hall meetings. If we just put it online and everybody reads it, nobody will be coming to the meetings.”
The other four town halls will be:

  • Mar. 27 – Fort Coulonge,
    Club de l’Age d’Or, 566 rue Baume
  • April 3 – Shawville,
    United Church Hall, 410 Main St.
  • April 9 – Campbell’s Bay,
    RA centre, 2 Second St.
  • April 10 – Otter Lake,
    RA centre, 394 Tessier St.

Spence launches series of town hall presentations on incinerator project Read More »

Municipality of Pontiac seeks public input on park revitalization project

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Guillaume Laflamme, LJI Reporter

The Municipality of Pontiac held a series of community consultation sessions over the weekend to gather input from residents of all ages about how the parks in Quyon and Luskville should be improved.
This was one of the first steps in the municipality’s plan to revitalize its parks in both communities, a project which is anticipated to take several years.

“The purpose of the exercise was to survey the population regarding their current experience of the parks,” said Nathalie Larose, recreation coordinator for the municipality.
The municipality plans on gathering further public feedback by way of a survey, which will be available in May. Survey questions will aim to build on comments received during last weekend’s meetings.
The municipality hopes to apply for a grant for the revitalization project from Loisir sport Outaouais, representatives of which were also present at the meetings.
Despite the potential for additional funding, Larose said securing grants can take time, and that for now the project will be financed with public funds.
Long-time Quyon resident Laura Stewart has been bringing her kids to activities in the town’s park for years.

She attended the consultation event on Saturday because she believes that the Quyon park is a staple of the community, and desperately needs to be upgraded.
“The Quyon park is a diamond in the rough,” she said. “The potential for it is endless with proper management.”

Stewart said she thought improvements could be made to the softball field, which she believes has been a “backbone in the community forever”, as well as to the dugouts where the teams hang out when not up to bat, and to the bathroom facilities.
She noted that Saturday’s discussion also touched on the possibility of introducing a camping section along the Quyon waterfront, an idea that has been discussed since the area was damaged by a recent spring flood. The municipality has hired the firm A4 Architecture to develop a project based on community’s feedback.

Municipality of Pontiac seeks public input on park revitalization project Read More »

‘Let’s kick some ash!’

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Bryson and Calumet Island
Fireman’s Ball a ‘roaring success’

Camilla Faragalli, LJI Reporter

Nearly 200 people crowded into the Calumet Island municipal hall on Saturday evening for the Bryson Grand Calumet Pompiers (BGCP) Fireman’s Ball.
The foot-stompin’ good time could be heard from the street, as family and friends of the firefighters gathered to celebrate the squad and raise funds for new equipment.
Shawn Bowie, fire chief of the BGCP which serves both Bryson and Calumet Island, called the fireman’s ball, the first since 2019, a “roaring success.”

“It’s a good opportunity for the public to come out and see what we do and talk about what we do a little bit, and we get to honour our firefighters at the same time,” Bowie said.
Lisa Fletcher was part of the team that organized the event. Her boyfriend is a firefighter with the BGCP and several of her family members have served as firefighters with various Pontiac squads.
“Our firefighters have to put a lot of extra work in to raise money on top of the firefighting,” Fletcher said. “It’s just a thank you for them and letting them know that the community sees them.”
“Good turnout, nice crowd,” said Tyler Toupin, who has attended the event many times to support the family members he has on the squad. “It’s just nice that the community here can get together and give back to the firefighters. I think it’s great.”

Guests sang and danced the night away to the sound of the band Rewd featuring Louis Schryer, and local young country singer Ben Chabot.
In an awards presentation frequently interjected with the phrase, “let’s kick some ash!”, special recognition was given to long-serving firefighters on the squad, most notably Wayne Cameron and Gerald Stewart, each celebrating 40 years of service.
“Those are some pretty big numbers,” commented Fletcher. “That’s some pretty big dedication.”
Gerald Stewart, one of the two firefighters marking 40 years of service, said the event was just as much about welcoming the squad’s seven new recruits as it was marking its long-serving members.
“They are our future,” he told THE EQUITY.

Assistant fire chief Jason Beaudoin co-hosted the event, and took the time to recognize someone who, though not on the squad herself, has contributed to it substantially over the years: his mother in-law, 86-year-old Constance St-Pierre.
“The special lady standing in front of me raised a lot of firefighters [ . . . ]
he explained to the crowd, standing at the front of the hall alongside the five other squad members raised by St-Pierre.

“Everybody that you see here, she’s responsible for,” Beaudoin said.
“In these small communities it’s you and your neighbours and your family all going in or going to burning or dangerous situations together,” Fletcher said. “So this [event] kind of just brings everybody together, hopefully as a team, and shows the community that these guys got them.”
The event also included a 50/50 draw, door prize, and “midnight lunch.”

The event celebrated many of the firemen who have been there for decades, including, from left, Gerald Stewart (40 years), Jason Beaudoin (20 years) and fire chief Shawn Bowie (20 years).

‘Let’s kick some ash!’ Read More »

FIQ nurses reach deal with province

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Union members to vote on deal mid-April

Sophie Kuijper Dickson, LJI Reporter

After 16 months of negotiations, Quebec’s largest nurses union has reached an agreement in principle with the province.

The Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec, known as the FIQ, reached the agreement late on Mar. 19, according to a FIQ news release.
Union delegates voted to approve the tentative contract agreement with the provincial government on Mar. 21, according to a separate release.
This tentative agreement came after several different mobilization actions, including eight days of strikes late last year.

“We believe we have negotiated an offer that reflects and respects the specificities of our members’ daily lives,” said Julie Bouchard, President of the FIQ, in the news release.
According to the FIQ, the negotiated agreement includes a salary increase of 17.4 per cent.
The tentative deal also includes a new framework for mandatory overtime, which is only to be used in emergencies, funds dedicated to relieving the surgery backlog across the province, a commitment by the government to gradually implement patient-worker ratios, as well as bonuses for the critical holiday and summer periods.

The next step will be presenting the details of the agreement to the union’s 80,000 or so members, who will then vote on the deal in an electronic referendum scheduled for April 10, 11 and 12.

FIQ nurses reach deal with province Read More »

Flying Elbows hockey tournament celebrates 25 years

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Guillaume Laflamme, LJI Reporter

The Flying Elbows Hockey Tournament returned to the Shawville arena last week for its 25th year of bringing together hockey players from across the greater Pontiac community.
What started as a small memorial for the beloved coach James A. Smith in 1999 has since grown into a three-day, 18-team tournament, which sometimes brings in players from as far as Calgary and Montreal.
This year, after three days of fierce competition between the tournament’s 18 teams, the Danford Lakers team beat the O’Brien team to take home the James A. Smith memorial trophy and the bragging rights for the A bracket, winning the finals in a 2-0 shutout.

The Benders were the victors of the B bracket against the Puck Pirates, winning the Bryan Murray trophy.
Will Armitage has been organizing the fundraising event for the last eight years. “It started with a group of guys . . . and now, here we are today,” Armitage said. “It’s kind of a fundraiser. Whatever we can raise, it’s going to go towards arena upgrades and different things like that.”

The tournament plays an important role in helping the local community, both economically and socially. “It’s a big thing for the community,” Armitage said, “It helps restaurants and the town and everything like that.”
For players like Matthew Dandy, who has made the journey to Shawville for the tournament since 2006, the event serves as a reunion of sorts, bringing together old friends and reigniting a shared passion for hockey.
“You’ve got to appreciate the guys that put it together. If you don’t have them, you don’t have a tournament,” Dandy said. “A lot of us don’t play anymore, and it’s our once-a-year hockey for the year so it means a lot for them to organise it.

The event included live entertainment and refreshments in the Lions Club hall above the rink to keep the players’ spirits up while the tournament took place.
Valley Mountain Band, featuring Rory and Julia Mayhew, kept the Lion’s hall entertained during the tournament’s final games on Saturday night.

“I love getting to play in Shawville because I’m from here,” Rory Mayhew said.
“We’re primarily a country band, so in the city we play more rock and stuff like that, so we kind of push to play out this way a little bit more, so we can play more country music.”
For this year, Armitage expects the money raised will be used to upgrade the arena’s water and plumbing systems.

In previous years, the tournament fundraiser has helped purchase new boards as well as a new score clock for the arena.

Flying Elbows hockey tournament celebrates 25 years Read More »

Carbon Tax cheapest way to reduce carbon emissions, McGill prof says

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiative

McGill Professor of Economics Christopher Ragan says the federal Carbon Tax is the least expensive method for incentivizing reduced carbon use and contributes minimally to inflation. His comments come amid a raging war of words on the topic between the federal Liberal government (pro) and the Conservative official opposition (con).

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said recently that all it would take is a “five-minute discussion” for him to convince Canadians of the tax’s merits, while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has made “axe the tax,” and “spike the hike,” referring to its planned increase on April 1, central tenets of his platform.

Every jurisdiction in Canada since 2019 has had a price on carbon pollution, according to the government’s official website. The federal Carbon Tax and its related rebates are not in effect in Quebec, which has its own provincial cap and trade system in place.

“Quebec’ [carbon pricing] system is driving up the price of gas, natural gas and diesel,” Ragan said in a March 26 interview with The Record, “but there are no rebates.” There is an overall cap set for provincial emissions that declines three or four per cent per year, he continued, which has caused emissions to fall at about the same rate.

Quebec’s system involves tradeable allowances, allowing companies to “pollute for a price,” set at approximately $50 per tonne. The price has been rising over the past few years. Quebec and California’s carbon pricing systems are linked, allowing international trading between firms in the two locations.

At the individual level, all we see is that fossil fuels are a little more expensive, he said. This provides an incentive for people to change their behaviour over time. Every $10 per tonne in carbon pricing translates to about two cents extra per litre at the gas tank, he explained.

Both sides of the political debate “are saying what they want to say,” said Ragan. Those opposed will never discuss the rebates, and will focus on how it is making life unaffordable. Proponents will highlight the tax as a low-cost way to reduce emissions to help fight climate change. “There is truth, of course, in both sides,” he said.

Greenhouse gas emissions, he went on, are measured by calculating how much fossil fuel we use. They have fallen in Canada by about eight per cent since 2019. This, he insisted, is due to carbon pricing and other climate policies. “It does work,” he said, “just not suddenly and dramatically.”

Carbon pricing has a “miniscule” effect on inflation, according to Ragan. He cited a recent University of Calgary study that argued about five per cent of inflation over the past few years has been caused by carbon pricing. “Pretty close to nothing,” he said. The recent spike in inflation was due partly to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, he said, and also happened in countries without carbon pricing.

The “logic” of carbon pricing is not to make people poor, which is why the rebates make sense. They return 90 per cent of individuals’ purchasing power, he said.

If you want to reduce carbon emissions, carbon pricing is the best among available alternatives, he insisted. “Intrusive regulations” and “very expensive subsidies” are worse options, a point on which he said every economist he knows would be in agreement.

“It may not make you feel good, but any other method, at the end of the day, will make you poorer,” he said. Ragan signed a March 26 open letter on carbon pricing along with many other Canadian economists that goes further into detail on his views. It can be found here: https://sites.google.com/view/open-letter-carbon-pricing

Carbon Tax cheapest way to reduce carbon emissions, McGill prof says Read More »

Pro-Palestinian protesters continue demanding for a ceasefire

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Speakers commence the demonstration at Dorchester Square on March 24, 2024. Photo by Ellie Wand

Ellie Wand & Finn Tennyson Lean
Local Journalism Initiative

On March 23, hundreds of protesters gathered in Dorchester Square to protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza.

The demonstration was the first protest organized by la Coalition du Québec URGENCE Palestine, a newly formed coalition of pro-Palestinian organizations from Quebec. The coalition was supported by 228 organizations, including The Confédération des syndicats nationaux and the FTQ, as well as political parties such as Québec Solidaire and the Communist Party of Québec.

“We thought that it was important that we do something to express our ideas, to express our solidarity with the Palestinian people, and to protest against the action or inaction of our government,” said Diane Lamoureux, an administration committee member of the Ligue des droits et libertés, one of the member organizations of the coalition.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 32,000 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023. Humanitarian aid is still facing blockades and is unable to reach many Palestinians, despite funding from countries around the world, including Turkey, the U.A.E, and Egypt. Canada pledged $40 million in aid for Gaza in January 2024, shortly after pausing funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, known as UNRWA. In February, the United Nations (UN) warned that a quarter of Gaza’s population is at risk of imminent famine.

The coalition’s focus at the protest was to call for an immediate ceasefire and the safe passage of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Ellen Gabriel, a Mohawk activist, spoke at the demonstration to urge Quebecers to stand for Palestine in the same way they should stand for Indigenous people. 

“As Indigenous people, we have always known there exists double standards,” said Gabriel. “We see the cracks that Gaza has revealed. When we see something as horrific as is happening in Gaza—the murder, the psychopaths with weapons killing innocent people and children and maiming them—to me, there are no more words to describe the evil that they have been unleashing against the Palestinians.”

Gabriel also spoke about the illegality of the situation in Gaza. “It’s really important for people to show up and call out the hypocrisy of Western states,” she Gabriel. “What they’re doing is not only against the Geneva Convention, but international human rights law, and I think they should be held to account not just by the people who are here.”

On March 23, the secretary-general of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, visited Cairo, Egypt, where he restated the UN’s support for a ceasefire in Palestine. Despite international pressure, Israel rejected ceasefire terms proposed by Hamas in February.

On March 25, the UN Security Council voted in favour of a ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan. 14 votes were cast in support, including Canada. The United States abstained. 

According to The Associated Press, around 80 per cent of people in Gaza have had to leave their homes since Oct. 7, 2023. Following military operations in the northern part of Gaza, people have fled south towards Egypt. 

Ghida, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Youth Movement, who did not wish to reveal her last name for safety reasons, has been organizing weekly protests in Montreal since October. She said that sustained pressure—in any form—is essential for change. “We should always be demanding more,” she said. “I would never underestimate any form of action. Everything is important because a movement needs different action to be a movement.”

Just two weeks ago, on March 9, protestors gathered on Parliament Hill in Ottawa for the National March for Gaza, which was said to have been one of the largest pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the city.

“You shouldn’t be an activist by yourself,” said Ghida. “Join a movement, join your local neighbourhood organization, because we can only put pressure as a collective.”

Hélène Denoncourt, who has been active in different forms of protests since she was a teenager, attended the demonstration with her friend, Johanne Laplante. While they both believe protests help to show solidarity and build community, they think politicians have the real power to affect change. 

“It’s to be together,” said Denocourt when asked why she was attending the protest. “It’s to feel that you’re not alone.”

Pro-Palestinian protesters continue demanding for a ceasefire Read More »

Mulroney honoured at state funeral in Montreal

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Mulroney honoured at state funeral in Montreal

Ruby Pratka

Local Journalism Initiative reporter & Montreal correspondent

editor@qctonline.com

As a contingent of RCMP officers in red serge dress uniforms bore former prime minister Brian Mulroney’s flag-draped coffin into Basilique Notre-Dame in downtown Montreal on March 23, the wind howled and a late-season snowstorm lashed the soldiers and police officers gathered in the vicinity of the church – a storm any Nord-Côtier would have felt right at home in.

“It’s perfect for Mr. Mulroney – he always loved winter!” Green Party Leader Elizabeth May quipped in front of the church.

May attended the ceremony alongside her four federal party counterparts – Prime Minister and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet. The premiers of all 10 provinces and three territories attended, as did several former prime ministers and premiers, Indigenous leaders, and many federal and provincial cabinet ministers and mayors, including Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand and Michel Desbiens, mayor of Mulroney’s native Baie-Comeau.

Politicians of all party affiliations stopped to briefly share Mulroney stories with reporters before hurrying into the church. Official Languages Minister Randy Boissonneault was a young tour guide at Parliament in 1990 when Mulroney, a vocal opponent of the apartheid regime in South Africa, was hosting Nelson Mandela. As Boissonneault recalled, Mulroney and Mandela were walking down a staircase when Mulroney spotted a camera in the young guide’s hands and said, “Make sure to take a good picture!”

For Boissonneault, Mulroney “was a great man … who wanted Canada to take its place in the world” and had a rare gift for creating consensus among different parties. “There’s less of that today, but it still exists,” he added. “We’re all in politics to fight for our ideas, but also to improve the country.”

Mulroney, who served as prime minister from 1984-1993, died in Florida on Feb. 29 at age 84. In the week leading up to his funeral, he briefly lay in state in Ottawa and at St. Patrick’s Basilica in Montreal before his casket was taken to Basilique Notre-Dame on the morning of his funeral. The ceremony itself was filled with references to Mulroney’s working-class roots in Baie-Comeau, his Irish heritage, his devotion to his family and his love of music. His daughter, Ontario cabinet minister Caroline Mulroney, who delivered the eulogy, said, “The prophet Isaiah said, ‘Consider the rock from which you are cut, the quarry from which you are dug.’ While my dad’s Irish heritage was the rock from which his character was cut, Baie-Comeau, Quebec, his hometown, was the quarry from which it was dug.”

Pierre-Karl Péladeau, CEO of Quebecor, for which Mulroney served as board chair until his death, also spoke at the funeral, as did hockey leg- end Wayne Gretzky and former Quebec premier Jean Charest. Tenor Marc Hervieux, who performed a breathtaking rendition of “Quand les hommes vivront d’amour” and harmonized with 18-year-old singer Elizabeth Theodora Lapham, Mulroney’s granddaughter, on “When Irish Eyes are Smiling,” was one of several musical luminaries who performed. A recording of Mulroney himself singing the Second World War-era song “We’ll Meet Again” was played during the recessional, at the former prime minister’s request.

Mulroney honoured at state funeral in Montreal Read More »

BRIEF: Nurses’ union reaches tentative agreement

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Members of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ), the province’s largest nurses’ union, protested in front of the Musée national des Beaux-Arts du Québec earlier this month before marching to the National Assembly. On March 23, the federation announced that it had reached an agreement-in-principle with the government after 15 months of negotiations and several days of non-continuous strikes. According to the FIQ, the tentative agreement includes a salary increase of 17.4 per cent, bonuses for “critical periods” during the summer and winter holidays and stricter rules around forced overtime, which “should only be used in emergencies.” The federation’s 80,000 members will vote on the agreement from April 10-12. “Our members will decide whether we accept [the agreement] or not,” FIQ president Julie Bouchard said in a statement. (RP-LJI) (Photo by Shirley Nadeau from QCT archives)

BRIEF: Nurses’ union reaches tentative agreement Read More »

Petition circulates in last effort to save historic Alexandra Bridge

Local Journalism Initiative / / /

Taylor Clark

LJI Reporter

A citizens’ petition is attempting to overthrow the federal government’s decision to replace the iconic Alexandra Bridge that has connected Ottawa and Gatineau for over 120 years.

“The structure of this bridge is the last beacon for the people of Hull to locate and remember,” said André Cadieux, author of the petition.

From 1898 to 1900, the Alexandra Bridge was constructed to accommodate the rail system and became the first interprovincial bridge in the National Capital Region, linking Ottawa and Gatineau. The bridge now annually serves thousands of pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.

A national staple, the bridge has been recognized for its iconic beauty and world-class workmanship, but decades of natural elements, salt, and usage have taken their toll. In 2018, a life cycle cost analysis found that replacing the bridge would be more cost-effective and less disruptive to the public than keeping up the maintenance of the existing bridge. The following year, the Government of Canada ordered the replacement of the bridge within a 10-year timeframe.

Despite its inclusion in the National Trust for Canada’s Endangered Places List in 2021, the replacement project currently sits in the planning and design phase, where it will remain until 2025. Repairs will remain ongoing until the start of deconstruction in 2028 and the bridge will be expected to be operational in 2032.

The new bridge was expected to be wider than its current counterpart with two lanes for vehicle traffic in each direction that could later be modified for a tramway or light rail system. Plans also included a two-way lane with clear separation for pedestrians and cyclists on the west side of the bridge. Seating will also be incorporated to provide safe and unstructured rest points or viewing locations.

According to the Government of Canada’s summary of the project, the bridge’s new design will address the history and unique setting of the existing structure.

“We’re collaborating with heritage specialists and other stakeholders to preserve and commemorate the legacy of the bridge,” reads the webpage. But this nod to the Alexandra Bridge’s iconic past meant little to the citizens who do not wish to see the structure disappear from the Ottawa-Gatineau skyline.

Hoping to sway the federal government’s decision, André Cadieux started a petition to preserve the 124-year-old bridge and cease the “further (disfiguration of) the centre-ville of Hull.”

“Almost all the heritage of old Hull has disappeared,” said Cadieux. “There remains one that is already condemned, the Alexandra Bridge. And it is on this bridge that several citizens decided to raise their heads and demand to be heard.” As of March 22, the petition has collected 1,846 signatures and over 850 comments citing the structure’s significance.

“These people who signed the petition want to preserve this link with the past, restore its luster, its place in the region’s heritage, and make it an attraction by using it as the largest promenade between two banks,” said Cadieux.

Helping to circulate the petition was the Alexandra Bridge Coalition that was formed in 2021 by advocates from the heritage, transportation, and environmental sectors to protect the future of the historic bridge. Among the members of the coalition was the Association des Résidants de l’Île de Hull. Vice president of the association and spokesperson for the coalition Claude Royer said that, rather than ridding the region of this heritage and leaving another carbon footprint, the bridge should be used for sustainable transport. “It’s cheaper in carbon costs to maintain infrastructure like the Alexandra Bridge than trying to replace it with a new one,” said Royer.

The National Capital Commission must conduct a minimum of five rounds of public consultation throughout the three phases of the project. The first round of consultation occurred in the fall of 2020 and the next round was anticipated to launch this year in late spring or early summer.

Photo caption: Repairs to the historic Alexandra Bridge will be ongoing until deconstruction begins in 2028.

Photo credit: Taylor Clark

Petition circulates in last effort to save historic Alexandra Bridge Read More »

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