Brandy Killeen

Kaz councillor wants to see locals R.I.S.E. and shine

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / September 17, 2025 / Brandy Killeen, Community hub, Kazabazua, Kazabazua municipal counillor, Rêver Imaginer Surmonter Exécuter R.I.S.E

By Madeline Kerr

Brandy Killeen wants to give her community a lift.

The Kazabazua municipal councillor recently purchased the former Desjardins building on Hwy 105 in Kaz and is turning it into a hub for the community. She’s calling it Rêver Imaginer Surmonter Exécuter or R.I.S.E., which translates to Dream Imagine Overcome Execute in English.

Killeen recently told the Low Down that she envisions a space where the community can come together, connect with essential services and find the resources they need – something that is often a challenge in rural areas.

The trained paralegal and mother of five told the Low Down she is motivated by her own life experiences.

“I grew up in difficult circumstances,” she said. “There are people in my life who have struggled, who continue to struggle, with things like addiction.”

She added, “I have a big heart. I love to see people succeed. I want to see the people in this community work to lift each other up.”

Killeen explained she plans to outfit the basement of the building with an air hockey table, dart board, games and craft supplies, transforming it into a safe and fun space for local youth to hang out.

The main floor of the building is currently being renovated to include a flexible meeting space where Killeen said workshops and functions, including regular addiction recovery meetings, can be held.

“There’s drug and alcohol abuse happening in our community but not necessarily anywhere to go for help,” Killeen said.

She also plans on providing a closed office space where individuals can meet privately with therapists or other professionals. And there will be a space with tables and chairs for locals to come and drink tea or coffee and connect with one another.

Killeen said she wants to help residents who need support to find work, make doctor appointments, connect with social workers or physiologists or apply for official documents by connecting them with the right resources to get what they need.

“I don’t provide the service itself but I can connect you to it,” she explained. “I’m just here to link everybody together.”

Killeen told the Low Down that she has had support from a number of local individuals and businesses, and she has put her sons to work painting and helping renovate. But she admitted that so far she’s funding this project “with faith and minimal savings.”

“Donations are welcome but not expected,” she said, adding, “The more that I’m able to provide to the community, the more doors will open for funding opportunities.”

Killeen took possession of the building in July and got straight to work making the space her own. The former bank has not been in use for about four years, she explained. She added that she has arranged with Desjardins to continue to maintain a bank machine in the vestibule of the building. This was important because, according to Killeen, it’s the only wheelchair accessible bank machine in the region.

Killeen said that the hairdressing studio, Studio de Coiffure Danyka, which has been running out of the building for about 12 years, will continue to operate. Although R.I.S.E. is not officially open, Killeen said, “If someone walks in here, I won’t turn them away.”

She plans to hold an opening event on Sept. 30, with the caveat that “things are very much still a work in progress.”

To find more information about R.I.S.E. visit risequebec.com.

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Kaz councillor wants youth to ‘dream big’

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

Brandy Killeen feels like the kids in Kazabazua aren’t dreaming big enough.

The municipality’s newest councillor says that there aren’t enough resources for up-the-line youth – especially those aged 18 to 34 – and she’s working with the region’s Be and Become Youth Centre to change that.

“In this area, I find there’s a disconnect between high school-aged kids and those who are 34 years old,” said Killeen. “We have resources for everyone in the two schools, but then, when they’re out of school or when they’re getting to an age when they are leaving high school, for example, there’s that drop off where a lot of youth don’t get anywhere – they don’t get the resources they need.”

Some of these “resources” she referred to are simple things like giving youth access to computers and Wi-Fi, helping older students or fresh graduates apply for college or university, walking students through how to get a driver’s licence or applying for rewarding jobs in a field they enjoy.

“I feel like we don’t dream big enough around here,” said Killeen. “You know, if you ask the kids what they want to be when they grow up, they’re not saying the same things as … kids who go to Ashbury College. There’s a drop off, and there’s no reason for it. Just because we maybe don’t have as much financially doesn’t mean you can’t have more, [that] you can’t be something more.”

And while Killeen has only been in the councillor seat since October, it hasn’t taken her long to become a part of the fabric up the line – although she said she’s always been a part of the community, even before she moved from Chelsea a year ago.

The mother of five has children aged nine to 28 and many of them attended St. Mike’s while she was a Chelsea resident. As such, she’s been volunteering at the Low arena, the Be and Become Youth Centre, the Gatineau Valley Retirement Village and, lately, flooding the ice in sub-zero temperatures at the Kazabazua Community Centre so kids will have a place to skate.

“I’m in that area of my life where I believe that I need to focus on doing what I love and giving myself the opportunity to work in the areas that I volunteer in, rather than work full time and do hours of volunteering,” she said. Since taking office in October, Killeen has become the chair of several committees, and is the social agent for the Table de Development for the MRC Vallée-de-la-Gatineau, where she works on mental health, youth and seniors.

As for politics, she said she’s still getting to know her way around various municipal files, but one thing she said she wants to improve on are ambulance response times in the La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau region.

While she didn’t have official stats and was clear that she was basing her research on anecdotal evidence, she said most people have reported waiting an average of 45 minutes for an ambulance to arrive at an emergency.

Hockey fans in Low can verify that it took an ambulance close to an hour to show up to an emergency, which occurred during a Paugan Falls Rapids game last year, involving an opposing player, who got slammed into the boards and broke his neck. Killeen said she’s aware of the challenges rural municipalities face with limited health resources, and while she hopes to improve response times, she knows it won’t happen overnight.