Deborah Powell

Deborah Powell
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE

SHAWVILLE – It was a full house at Little Red Wagon Winery in Shawville on February 26 for a talk about reducing greenhouse gases and promoting biodiversity in beef farming. The presentation was delivered by agronomist Nathalie Côté of Quebec Beef Producers (PBQ).

Before the main speaker, Josée Lortie from the Gatineau Chamber of Commerce thanked local partners, including SADC Pontiac, MRC Pontiac, and Gema Villavicencio of Bristol’s Pure Conscience Farm for her organizing efforts. Lortie then introduced advisors from the Quebec Federation of Chambers of Commerce (FCCQ) who spoke about Visées, a personalized program that offers businesses support through subsidized training.

Côté’s presentation began with an overview of national and provincial goals to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and the shared objective of protecting 30% of the territory for biodiversity. She noted that agriculture is responsible for 10% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions and said improving efficiency is key to progress. For beef producers, this means tracking indicators such as the quantities of meat per calf or cow, per kilogram of feed, and per hectare, rather than just the average weight of calves. Herd and feed optimization, better manure management, improved pasture productivity, and the use of trees and shrubs for shade and windbreaks are all effective strategies.

On the topic of beef production and biodiversity, Côté discussed sustainable practices promoted by the Quebec Sustainable Agriculture Plan 2020–2030 and other organizations, including the Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA) in partnership with Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS). This program provides incentives for farmers, PBQ, and environmental groups.

Suggested changes to haying practices aimed at protecting two bird species listed as “threatened” under the Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA) — the Eastern Meadowlark and Bobolink — raised questions from the audience about their importance, particularly since some modifications seemed counterproductive to greenhouse gas reduction efforts.

Two Outaouais farmers who participated in the UPA/ALUS program spoke about the minimal impact biodiversity protection measures had on their operations and the financial benefits they received.

“We need to show we are taking care of nature,” said Stanley Christensen, a cattle farmer from Lac-Sainte-Marie and a member for the Outaouais-Laurentides region on the PBQ board. He emphasized the importance of demonstrating to consumers that farmers are making efforts to protect the environment.

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Photo – PBQ agronomist Nathalie Côté speaks on beef production and biodiversity, Feb. 26, at Little Red Wagon Winery. (DP)

Deborah Powell
Local Journalism Initiative

DUMOINE RIVER VALLEY – The Friends of Dumoine held their first annual general meeting online on January 29.

John McDonnell, executive director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s (CPAWS) Ottawa Valley chapter, chaired the meeting, opening with a welcome and a land acknowledgment.

Wally Schaber, a founding member of Friends of Dumoine and a longtime advocate for the river’s protection, outlined the organization’s beginnings in 2016 and highlighted key accomplishments. Concerned about overused and neglected campsites along the river, the group placed 50 thunderboxes—wooden toilet boxes—within two years, repaired fireplaces, improved canoe landings and portages, and promoted responsible trail use.

In 2024, Friends of Dumoine opened a 26-km hiking trail following the Old Tote Road from the Ottawa River to Grand Chute. “We discovered so much history,” Schaber said, explaining that some artifacts remain along the trail, while others are displayed in the organization’s log cabin at Grand Chute. The Tote Road is part of a larger plan to establish a fully “self-propelled” hiking trail.

Most recently, the organization purchased the lease for land at the Ottawa River trailhead, the site of the original southern ranger base for the Ottawa River Fire Protective Association Ltd. The property includes a cabin built in 1919 to house the rangers and store firefighting equipment for the southern sector.

The meeting saw the approval of the group’s first board of directors, which includes: Wally Schaber, Marc Audet, Mark Stiles, Hugh Christie, Guillaume Rivest, Erin Pehar, John McDonnell, and David Sinclair.

Bylaws for the organization were also approved.

A discussion of the financial report included recognition of grants received, including one from the MRC Pontiac for emergency response equipment. Schaber noted that the group needs a minimum of $25,000 annually to cover basic costs, with additional funding required for special projects. Liability insurance will be an added expense, but formalizing the organization will improve its ability to secure grants.

McDonnell provided an update on CPAWS’ continued work to protect the Dumoine, Noire and Coulonge rivers. He noted that the group is also studying the Fildegrand, Kipawa and Poussière rivers and assessing a possible conservation corridor between Algonquin Park and the Dumoine Aquatic Reserve. The society also partners on construction projects and runs an annual Dumoine-themed artists’ retreat.

Friends of Dumoine works closely with ZEC Dumoine, a key partner in conservation and recreational development. The organization also acknowledges Wolf Lake First Nation, whose traditional territory includes the Dumoine River watershed and the Kipawa region, as an integral part of the area’s history and present.

The group has nearly 150 members, with 47 registered for the meeting. Volunteers are always needed, both for on-the-ground work and committee roles. The organization hopes to hold an in-person gathering in the spring. More information can be found on its Facebook page and website at sentierdumoine.ca.

Photo – Artist Maggie Glossop, along with Peter Edmison, Mike Lamothe and singer-songwriter Marc Audet, recently created a sitting bench at the Square Timber campsite—fourth on the Red Pine Portage—using a salvaged squared timber winched from the bay below Red Pine. The log may have been part of the timber slide built in 1871 and dismantled in the 1920s.

In addition to trail work, Glossop donates artwork for fundraising efforts. (Marc Audet)

Deborah Powell
Local Journalism Initiative

BRISTOL – Close to 20 people attended a healthy eating presentation and discussion geared towards seniors at the Jack Graham Community Hall in Bristol on January 11. France Ladouceur, nutritionist at the Pontiac Community Hospital, began by asking participants, “What is healthy eating?” The audience responded that following the Canada Food Guide is healthy eating, which segued nicely into Ladouceur’s guide-based presentation. The guide was updated in 2019 to an easily understandable “plate” format.

Ladouceur emphasized that the health benefits of following the guide become even more important as a person ages, and that what and how you eat can have an effect on such things as sleep and stress management. At the same time, she took a “soft” approach to the discipline of healthy eating. “Choose what you like, but be aware of the differences,” she said, giving the example of choosing between brown and white rice and whole grain vs. white bread.

Ladouceur answered a number of questions from the audience about many aspects of diet including vitamin supplements, and egg and water consumption. “Be mindful of what you’re eating but if you really want that piece of pie, have it!” she said, laughing and admitting that she has a sweet tooth.

Funding for the session and a number of other Bristol activities came through the New Horizons for Seniors grant. “Nutrition was a topic requested 3 years ago by respondents when we first applied for the grants and repeated again recently,” said Bristol Councillor Valerie Twolan Graham.

Photo – Organizers of Bristol seniors activities funded by New Horizons pictured with Saturday’s presenter. L/R: Elaine Findlay, Bonnie Beveridge, Pat Vail, Betty Chamberlain, France Ladouceur, Valerie Twolan Graham and Sue Page. (DP)

Deborah Powell
Local Journalism Initiative

SHAWVILLE – Dr. Marc Bilodeau, president and CEO of the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO), spoke to the press at the Pontiac Community Hospital (PCH), September 30.

“I’m here to visit the Pontiac region, a second tour … trying to connect with my teams and local partners, trying to see how I can learn more about the reality of the region and hopefully do better from a health perspective in partnership with all the key partners here,” explained Bilodeau.

Asked to comment on the $70 million deficit CISSSO projects for this year, Bilodeau noted an ageing population and increased demand for long-term care beds. A big portion of the projected deficit come from providing more home care to ease that situation, he explained. “This is forcing us to look at the efficiency of all services we’re providing and that’s the exercise we’re doing now with our team”. Other factors contributing to the deficit are increased costs of goods and services, the agency’s reliance on private staffing agencies and overtime costs.

When asked about the Pontiac’s situation in particular, Bilodeau mentioned the region’s low socio-economic status, which makes the population more vulnerable from a health perspective. He said he and his team are meeting with economic and educational partners along with other related community organizations to improve the social determinants of health. “If we don’t feed people, if they’re not paid enough and have no place to live, they’re not going to be healthy,” he said.

While Bilodeau was unwilling to project any dates for the re-establishment of obstetrics at the PCH, he said it’s an ultimate goal and there are good midwife services locally to help things along in the meantime.

Bilodeau was also asked about the committee, including the minister of health and the treasury board, that is looking at human resource challenges province-wide. The phasing out of agency personnel is one of the big challenges. “We need to figure out ways to bring these people back into the system,” he said, to lower costs and improve continuity of care. Bilodeau also mentioned it’s an added challenge to recruit certain types of personnel, like physiotherapists, when there are no local training programs. “I’m confident we’re going to figure out a real solution for the long run,” he said.

Bilodeau became president and CEO of CISSSO in January 2024. He comes from a long career in military healthcare, most recently serving as Surgeon General and Head of Health Services for the Canadian Armed Forces since 2020.

Photo – CISSSO President and CEO, Dr. Marc Bilodeau, visited the Pontiac Community Hospital and met with the press, Sept. 30. (DP)

DEBORAH POWELL

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE

BRISTOL – Bristol’s seniors have three weekly opportunities to work together on staying fit and healthy at the Jack Graham Community Centre, with a good number taking advantage.

Free bi-weekly exercise classes run Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9 to 10 am. This program has been running for “easily 15 years”, according to Dorothy Cowley, who takes turns with Valerie Henderson leading the class over the last few years on a volunteer basis. “It’s through Val’s leadership that we have this program that leaves us all wiped at the end,” Cowley laughed.

Henderson originally received volunteer certification training through the VieActive program that promotes gentle exercise for those 50+. “But here we do our own thing, which includes cardio, weights and bands,” she said. Participants are reminded to respect their own limitations and not to overdo it, making the class a comfortable place for a wide range of abilities. No registration is required.

“I like to exercise and be with other people. It’s good incentive,” explained Cowley when asked why she leads the classes. Henderson’s motivation is similar: “I do it for my own well-being and everybody else’s,” she said.

Free yoga classes started September 11 and will run for 16 weeks. Instructor Peggy Hodgins-Macgregor offers gentle yoga for beginners and seniors or chair yoga for those with balance or mobility concerns. Registration was first opened to Bristol residents and then to others.

The municipality provides use of the hall for the activities and applied to the federal New Horizons for Seniors Program that provided funding for the yoga classes as well as additional equipment for the bi-weekly exercise program.  

Photo – Dorothy Cowley (left) and Val Henderson lead free exercise classes for seniors in Bristol. (DP)

DEBORAH POWELL

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE

SHAWVILLE – The anger, incomprehension and frustration of local citizens groups and elected officials was clearly expressed in two press conferences held June 13 and 14 at the Pontiac Community Hospital following a government announcement excluding medical imaging technicians here and at the Wakefield Hospital from receiving a bonus aimed at keeping technicians at their current institutions. The situation is indeed dire, as the loss of imaging capacity would result in the closure of operating rooms and could even force the closure of the hospital itself.

In May, the Quebec government came to an agreement with the Professional and Technical Health and Social Services Staff Alliance (APTS), offering a $22,000 per year bonus to medical imaging technicians at the Hull and Gatineau Hospitals in an effort to stem the exodus to Ontario where payrates are higher. The agreement is for two years and technicians had to commit to work an additional two and a half hours per week to qualify. In addition, they will receive a 10% salary increase for the summer months when maintaining adequate staff levels is challenging due to vacations.

Following this announcement, a number of technicians at the hospitals in Buckingham and Maniwaki made clear their intentions to apply for the job vacancies in the city hospitals, where technicians had already announced their departure for Ontario. In an effort to counter the exodus from the outlying hospitals, the government announced on Wednesday, June 12, that the bonuses would be extended to medical imaging technicians in Buckingham and Maniwaki but not to those in Wakefield and Shawville.

“It appears that the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) has understood nothing at all,” said Liberal MNA, André Fortin during a press conference held Thursday at the Shawville Hospital.

“They are fixing last month’s mistake by making the same one again. For the technicians in Wakefield and Shawville, it is disrespectful; for the health care of the population, it is irresponsible; and, in sum, the decision is incomprehensible,” he concluded.

Jane Toller, also present Thursday, along with several Pontiac mayors, expressed her shock at the exclusion of Pontiac and Wakefield from the bonus agreement. “It’s true that we have loyal workers in Shawville, but they expect to be paid the same as those in Hull and Gatineau,” she said, adding that there is competition for medical personnel with at least three Ontario hospitals – Pembroke, Renfrew and Ottawa.

At another press conference held Friday outside the Shawville Hospital, Pontiac Voice spokesperson Josey Bouchard expressed her frustration: “The decision must be reversed so that technicians anywhere in the Outaouais have access to this bonus. That is non-negotiable. It doesn’t make sense (to do otherwise).” Pontiac Voice has been speaking out since 2016 on the need for better health services in the area.

Jean Pigeon, from the new SOS Outaouais coalition advocating for health and social services, echoed the exasperation of all those concerned and went a step further saying: “A bonus isn’t enough. We need to have salaries competitive with those of Ontario. Without that, we’re just putting off the problem for a couple of years.”

Sophie Pieschke, an imaging technician currently on maternity leave, was also present at the event with her baby. “I find this (decision) unfair and disgusting. It doesn’t make sense… We, as technicians, feel that the government is not giving us any recognition for our work with the population,” she told Radio Canada. Pieschke admitted she would have to think carefully about whether she would return to work in Quebec if the situation does not improve.

Photo – MNA André Fortin and Pontiac Warden Jane Toller expressed their frustration with the provincial government’s failure to include Shawville and Wakefield medical imaging technicians in a retainment deal. (BJ)  

DEBORAH POWELL

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE

OTTAWA RIVER – The Ottawa River Concertation Table (TCO) held a water stakeholders’ assembly online, May 28, bringing together close to 30 participants. The targeted zone associated with the TCO’s work begins upstream of the Première-Chute dam in Notre- Dame-du-Nord, Témiscamingue, and ends downstream of the Carillon dam in Saint-André-d’Argenteuil. The zone includes the waterway and a 1,500 m strip of land adjacent to the river on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River.

TCO’s mission is to “promote discussion and consultation between stakeholders to attain concerted objectives related to issues concerning the Ottawa River”, with the vision to “place the Ottawa River back at the heart of the decisions and concerns of stakeholders who have an influence on its integrity”.

The TCO is currently working on creating an integrated management plan for the Ottawa River. Prioritized issues are: floods, impairment of water quality, degradation of wetlands, degradation of wildlife and plant habitats.

Janie Larivière, TCO coordinator, summarized the specific objectives identified for each issue, explaining that work is underway with the Minister of Environment to establish measurable indicators for each objective. The action plan is scheduled to be ready in December 2024. Between July and October 2024, the TCO will take a draft of the plan on a regional tour of stakeholders for further consultation.

Four short presentations were part of the meeting. Larissa Holman, Ottawa Riverkeeper’s director of science and policy, provided a rundown of the new Watershed Report Card the organization recently released that gave a “C” for the health of the river. Holman emphasized the inter-relationship of indicators used to determine the result, but bottom line, human-driven changes are degrading the Ottawa River.

Jacob Demers, L’Isle-aux- Allumettes native and conservation programs specialist at Ducks Unlimited Canada, described conservation and protection measures taken in the area of the Grand Marais on Calumet Island through land purchases and private conservation. He underlined the importance of the Outaouais as home to some of the greatest biodiversity in the province. The Grand Marais has great ecological value, particularly because of its strategic location on the periphery of the Ottawa River, a high-priority area for the conservation of waterfowl and their habitats.

Jean-François Houle, conservation and education manager, Parc national de Plaisance, provided an overview of actions taken in response to challenges facing the park such as blue-green algae, invasive species and loss of tree cover due to ash die-off. He emphasized the relationship between the park’s health and what’s happening in surrounding areas, noting they have great collaboration with municipalities on that front. Maintaining forested corridors leading to other protected areas is also a concern. From the MRC d’Argenteuil, Josée Lapointe and Geneviève Grenier spoke about the Argenteuil Digital History Trail that invites users to discover the history of the area between Grenville and Carillon on the Ottawa River that was once a 21 km long series of rapids called Quenechouan (big rapids) by the Algonquin people. Renamed Long- Sault by the French, the rapids were swallowed up by tons of water in 1962 with the flooding of more than 825 hectares of land when the Carillon power station was built. The project offers a digital journey of the Long- Sault corridor from pre-contact times to today, using texts, maps, and photos.

Deborah Powell – Local Journalism Initiative

 GATINEAU – The fifth Rencontres du Patrimoine took place at the Université du Québec en Outaouais in Gatineau, April 6. Two of the dozen presentations given were about the Pontiac.

The Archéo-Pontiac project was presented by Ingrid Khol, daughter of historian Maude-Emmanuelle Lambert, who was also on stage along with teacher Audrey Lapointe.

“Les Rencontres seemed like a great opportunity to introduce this Pontiac project to the wider Outaouais heritage community, and to invite them to come and wield the trowel with us next autumn. What’s special about this project is it was developed by volunteers and brought together people of all ages who lived and shared a very concrete experience with the history of our region. Ingrid’s testimony made this clear. She spoke of the pleasure of searching for these traces and of the discussions between participants at the digs. The presentation also touched on the history of the Chats trading post and shared preliminary findings from the public digs,” explained Lambert.

Later, John McDonnell from Canadian Parks and Wilderness Association accompanied by Wally Schaber of the Friends of the Dumoine, spoke about the preservation and interpretation of the forestry history along the Dumoine River.

“We spent 5 years preparing the Dumoine Tote Road Trail for the public, and now that it’s open, we fear ‘we’re throwing a party and no one will come’. Talks like this to explain our vision are essential to getting the public to share our excitement and lend us their support,” explained Schaber. A wealth of information on the history of the river, going back more than a thousand years, can be found at www.sentierdumoine.ca

In the afternoon, at the open mic session, Mike Lamothe from L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet spoke about his project to reintroduce the Early Rose variety of heritage potato to the Pontiac. The variety is mentioned in the popular song “The Chapeau Boys” written in the 1880s, in the line “and good early roses full six inches long”. Another Pontiac resident, Sebastien Beaudoin, also used the open mic session to talk about First Nation history in the region.

The Rencontres du patrimoine is a biennial, bilingual event organized by the Société Pièce sur pièce that brings together lovers of regional history, provides a forum for research and projects, motivates those interested in looking into local history and fosters networking between participants. This year’s edition received financial support from the City of Gatineau as well as the government of Québec.

DEBORAH POWELL – LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE

BRISTOL – Council’s monthly meeting was held April 2 at the town hall.

Swim docks

Bristol Municipal Council agreed to pay close to $25,000 to purchase new swim docks. Due to the closure of the Norway Bay pier for safety reasons, the Norway Bay Municipal Association (NBMA) would not be able to set up their swim docks alongside the pier as they normally would. The NBMA worked closely with Bristol staff and council to determine how to continue to facilitate deeper-water swimming program activities and plan for community use in time for the summer season. The plan is to purchase a supported linked dock system from Fendocks and connect it to the road portion of the pier. NBMA president Pat Byrne was at the council meeting to explain the proposed dock configuration and express the NBMA’s gratitude to the municipality for their cooperation and financial support.

EFW update

Mayor Brent Orr announced the townhall meeting regarding the Energy from Waste (EFW) project to be held in Shawville, April 3, and mentioned that some municipalities had rescinded their support of the project. Bristol council agreed to do the same in light of information that has come out over the past year since the project first received municipal support.

Councillor Archie Greer, a member of the MRC Waste Management Committee, who proposed the motion of support last year, agreed to rescinding support saying that they’d “looked at one side only” at the time.

Earlier in the meeting, Bristol resident Remo Pasteris presented council with a motion opposing the EFW project using the same wording as the Friends of Pontiac petition that has been circulating both on and offline. Mayor Orr said that council would consider the motion and put it on next month’s agenda.