Lynne Lavery
Local Journalism Initiative

Friday, October 20, members of different community organizations and municipalities gathered at the newly refurbished multi-use courts located near Pontiac High School (PHS).  With funds donated from the Shawville Lions Club ($7,500), the Shawville Rotary Club ($5,000), Muncipalities of Shawville and Clarendon ($5,000 each), the Maison des jeunes ($1,000), with the balance picked up by  the Western Quebec School Board, the project took over 2 years to come to fruition, at a cost of $100,000. The three season courts will allow another option for athletics at the school as well as for the community, including basketball, tennis and pickleball.

Darcy Findlay, a teacher from PHS and the driver behind the project, noted this was another perfect example of a partnership between the school and the community. “We want the community to benefit from our various facilities, which are currently used by many different organizations from the local RA to badminton and basketball teams. Our ultimate goal is to help our community grow, by attracting young families to come here, once they recognize the quality of life that is available to them,” he concluded.

Photo: Present at the opening of the multi-use courts near Pontiac High:  Left to right:  Eric Smith (Mun. Clarendon); Bill McCleary (Mayor Shawville); Frank Frost (WQSB maintenance); Julien Gagnon (Mun. Shawville recreation committee); Chad Davis (PHS teacher); Mary Ann Abrams (Shawville Pickleball Club); Steve Sutton (Shawville Lions); Terry Burns (Principal PHS); Darcy Findlay (PHS teacher); Luke McLaren (Vice-Principal PHS); Albert Armstrong (Shawville Rotary Club).