Low

Low mayor candidate wants to build ‘covenant’ of values

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By Trevor Greenway

If Patrick Beaudry has his way, he will freeze taxes in Low and do a “deep dive” into the municipality’s finances to ensure every dollar spent is worth it for residents. 

The farmer, carpenter, butcher, general store owner, husband and father of four is promising to bring a “sober second look” to Low’s finances if elected as mayor in the upcoming November election.

“On a strategic or operational level, I would freeze the budget – no increases for next year – and I would do a deep dive into every regulation and every expense,” said Beaudry. “Are we getting more value for each dollar spent? Taxes have increased exponentially in the last 10 years. The cost of living is out of control. People need a break.”

Before delving into the municipality’s finances, Beaudry said if elected he will launch a municipal-wide consultation to establish a “community covenant,” which he explained would recognize Low’s rich Irish-Catholic heritage and the values of the families who live in the region, and that would build trust between the community and those who make decisions at town council. He said there seems to be a “trust crisis” in Canada among constituents and government leaders. 

“It’s a charter of values and principles that people identify with. The heritage of the community is so strong, and I would put it in a living document that becomes sort of the template against which all the decisions would be taken,” he explained. 

The next mayor of Low will be dealing with some significant files that could change the face of the municipality. These changes include: the constant threat to close the town’s only CLSC, the fight brewing against mining companies looking to extract precious metals and minerals from the ground and the never-ending battle against the CAQ over French and English services. 

Low saw a 12 per cent increase in English speakers and a seven per cent increase in French speakers from 2016 to 2021, according to the latest Census data from 2021. Of the 1,020 respondents, 575 said English was their first language, while 430 said French was their first language. The remaining respondents identified themselves as fully bilingual. 

Low has official bilingual status, meaning it is permitted to offer services in both official languages. However it’s a constant battle for anglophones in the province to get served in English. Many have to prove that they are a “historic anglophone” by showing they or their parents went to high school in English in Canada. 

Beaudry, who is a francophone, said he will fight for English rights. 

“I am French and I’m speaking to you in English. I do not like the idea of giving the state control of my tongue,” said Beaudry, “especially when you have people … who are unilingual English. It is a disservice. It creates chaos and it is unnecessary.”

Beaudry said he will fight against mining companies – including the claim on his own property – and added that he isn’t so sure it’s worth it to get cozy with mining companies, despite the benefits that municipalities could glean from mining claims, namely revenue sources.

“The only benefit that I could see is that for small municipalities with a small tax base, it becomes a potential additional source of revenue,” said Beaudry. “But in Low’s case, you’re destroying the very foundation upon which the community was built, which is homesteading, farming, cattle, forestry, logging. It destroys everything.”

Beaudry will be up against incumbent Carol Robert, who has been at the helm of Low since 2017. Quebecers head to the polls Nov. 2.

Low mayor candidate wants to build ‘covenant’ of values Read More »

Rapids equip 43 kids for next hockey season

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By Trevor Greenway

Forty-three kids from the Hills will try ice hockey for the first time this year – and it’s all thanks to the Paugan Falls Rapids and Next Shift Hockey. 

The Rapids, Low’s senior men’s team, hosted its second annual Gear for Kids event July 12 at the Low arena and broke last year’s record of equipping 41 kids. This year, 43 kids got outfitted with new or used hockey gear at no cost. 

“We were really happy to have kind of the same level of impact and even a little bigger,” said Rapids captain Ryan Peck. “We’re proud to be heavily involved in the community, and it’s the community support that allows us to continue doing stuff like this.”

The event wouldn’t be possible without Next Shift Hockey, a non-profit organization that aims to remove barriers to participation in hockey by providing equipment, financial assistance and coaching to lower-income families. 

Rapids director of Sponsorships, John Peck, told the Low Down that he was moved when he saw how many kids showed up to not only get free hockey gear but to mingle with their Rapids heroes, many of whom were at the gear event helping fit kids to helmets, gloves, pants and skates. 

“We do have a pretty rich history of hockey up here,” said John. “And just seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces and their eyes lighting up, it’s incredible.”

Having Rapids players like overtime hero Bryan Kealey on hand for the event always helps, he added. 

John said that, while many of these families likely would have found a way to get their kids into hockey with or without the free gear, he said it “eases the burden” on families whose children want to play an expensive sport. Some, though, he agreed, never would have had the chance to play ice hockey without the free equipment. 

“You can see it in their eyes. It’s like, ‘Wow, anything’s possible,’” said John about the kids’ reaction to being outfitted with hockey gear. “Things that I don’t think they thought were ever going to happen, they are possible.”

The Rapids season gets underway in October.

Rapids equip 43 kids for next hockey season Read More »

Gatineau River receives ‘green’ bill of health

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By Trevor Greenway

The Gatineau River has a green light — 21 of them, actually. 

Or dots.

If you look at the latest water quality results, you will see that the Gatineau River, from Chelsea to Low, has a clean bill of health with every testing site showing either a bright green or darker forest green dot to mark it as “excellent” or “good.” Just one site – the McClinton Creek in Wakefield – has been labelled not recommended for swimming by Friends of the Gatineau River (FOG).

FOG, the organization responsible for testing the Gatineau River yearly, told the Low Down that, while they aren’t concerned about the McLinton Creek area, as it typically tests high in e-coli, they are curious to know why. The McLinton Creek is north of Wakefield, between the village and Alcove. 

“We’re getting involved with Carleton University on a way to identify whether it is human-caused or not,” said FOG director Stephen Ferguson, who tested the river on June 24 and July 1. 

“We want to try and sort of figure out what’s the source of it, but it’s a tricky creek, though,” said Ferguson. “First of all, it’s hard to get out even to take the measurement. And then secondly, it winds through the woods and who knows what’s going into it, and where.”

There are several farms and fields above the creek that could play a factor, but FOG wants to know definitively before it speculates on what’s causing the high e-coli measurements. 

Ferguson said that FOG was pleasantly surprised to see such favourable results, namely in the Mill Road area of Chelsea.  

“All of the sites are in the ‘good’ to ‘excellent’ category, even down in Mill Road, which is where the sewage treatment plant puts out its effluent,” said Ferguson. “That’s kind of the problem there, it’s episodic – sometimes it’s okay, and sometimes it’s not okay. It’s hard to monitor on a continuous basis, but generally the places where people swim and so on, it seems pretty good.”

The Mill Road site this year, as well as a spot near the Alonzo Wright Bridge, came in as “good,” meaning that FOG found between 21–100 fecal coliforms per 100 millilitres of water. 

Last year, both of those sites were deemed unswimmable after results came in at over 200 coliforms per 100 millilitres. 

HOW CAN I PROTECT THE RIVER?

FOG encourages riverfront residents to refrain from using household toxins like herbicides, pesticides and exfoliating cosmetics, as they promote algae growth, affect animal biodiversity and can be found in the fish that residents catch and eat from the river. 

Maintain good septic systems 

FOG encourages residents to “use healthy products” like biodegradable detergents and solutions that can break down in your system. 

Residents should also save water as much as they can, as increased consumption of water speeds up the circulation of the tank and stops the separation of sludge and scum. 

FOG also recommends keeping septic systems away from sheds and swimming pools to promote air circulation. 

Shoreline regulations 

FOG also wants to remind residents of the shoreline regulations, as it is against municipal bylaws in the region to cut vegetation within 15 metres of the shoreline. Permits are required for all docks on the Gatineau River, and private boat launches are prohibited. 

Gatineau River receives ‘green’ bill of health Read More »

CLSC in Low saved

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By Trevor Greenway

The Low CLSC has been spared. It will not close, and it will not be reduced to one day a week, according to the CISSS de l’Outaouais (CISSSO). 

The CLSC in Low was, at one point this spring, on the chopping block to either close or reduce its hours to just one day a week. However CISSSO has confirmed to the Low Down that “there is no change to the CLSC’s service offer” in Low. 

“Local services are important to the population, especially those on the outskirts of urban areas. We are working to maintain them,” Santé Québec spokesperson Marianne Paquette told the Low Down.

This welcome but surprising decision to keep the Low CLSC open comes as part of a wider announcement by Santé Québec that that the initial $90 million that CISSSO was mandated to cut from its budget has been slashed in half – down to $45 million. With CISSSO having already cut $60 million from its budget in January, no more funding cuts are coming to the Outaouais. 

“The CISSS de l’Outaouais has a budget optimization target of $45 million. Given that we have already implemented measures to meet the objectives of the last financial period, no further measures will be implemented in terms of job cuts or major reorganizations,” Santé Québec spokesperson Qeren Boua told the Low Down in an email. “As our efforts in the last period amounted to almost 60 million, the remaining dollars will be used to absorb, among other things, the cost of inflation.”

In mid-March, CISSSO cut $60 million from its budget in an effort to help Santé Québec to slash $1.5 billion from its healthcare network. Those cuts came in the form of 800 health positions being abolished – a majority of them vacant jobs. The actual job cuts were around 100 staff, mostly in administrative positions. Santé Québec’s latest budget will see it cut $1 billion from its health network instead of $1.5 billion.

Paquette said that the province’s centralized health department is using three criteria to finalize and “optimize” budgets across regions, with tightening spending at the forefront. 

Paquette said her agency will have a “complete and more accurate picture of the situation” once its audited financial statements for Santé Québec are approved by its board of directors in June. 

MRC Vallée-de-la-Gatineau Prefect Chantal Lamarche told the Low Down in April that she would “refuse” to see the Low CLSC close. After hearing about Santé Québec’s budget revisions this week, she was much happier.

“This is excellent news for our community, and I would like to highlight the work done in collaboration with the CISSSO to get to this point,” wrote Lamarche in an email. “I remain committed to defending the accessibility and quality of health services in our region.” 

Despite slashing the amount of what needed to be cut in half, advocates say they worry about the current state of healthcare in the region, as a cut of $45 million still puts the Outaouais far below funding compared to other regions of Quebec. 

“Reducing from $90 million to $45 million is not a victory; it is proof that the initial approach lacked nuance and would have unfairly impacted an already vulnerable region,” said SOS Outaouais spokesperson Jean Pigeon in a statement last week. 

He noted that the Observatoire de développement de l’Outaouais has estimated that the Outaouais region faces a funding shortfall of $180 million when compared to other regions in Quebec. 

“It is imperative that the government finally take our regional realities into account,” he said.

CLSC in Low saved Read More »

SPCA based in Kazabazua coming soon

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By Kendall Knowlton

Kazabazua is getting an SPCA facility in the municipality. 

The facility is being organized by and for the MRC Vallée-de-la-Gatineau (MRCVG) to serve all of its municipalities.

Low Mayor Carole Robert announced the news during the May 5 council meeting, saying, “There’s going to be an agent working there, and we’re going to have it locally for calls to the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) instead of each municipality.” 

The SPCA facility won’t be a burden on taxpayers, according to Low Coun. Maurren McEvoy, who explained that it’s being funded through a Regions and Rurality fund from the province.

“I believe most municipalities have some kind of arrangement to deal with animal protection, stray dogs etc.,” wrote McEvoy in an email to the Low Down. 

“Low will be saving these direct costs with this new regional solution; also with the service based in Kaz, we may find that response times will be even more effective,” she added.

The new SPCA in Kazabazua will replace the individual arrangements that Low had with the SPCA based in Gatineau. 

Robert told the Low Down that waiting for an SPCA agent to “come from downtown” takes too long and the new facility will give residents a closer, more reliable option for residents dropping off feral animals or injured pets.

The MRC will host a press conference in June to discuss the new service. 

About four people attended the meeting. During question period, resident Marc Coutoure asked why there is no development in Low. 

According to Robert after the meeting, she said that the municipality recently bought three lots to develop. 

“There is development coming. It doesn’t happen overnight,” she said, explaining that the municipality wants to develop the municipal dock to access the Gatineau River. She did not provide a timeline. 

Another resident, Jacques Dusseault, requested that the municipality fix potholes near Chemin Burrough, indicating to Robert that he had asked about this last May. Dusseault said he was worried about safety in the meeting, and council said they would take a look at the issue. 

In other business, council:

  • paid two outstanding invoices for $175,115 and $152,504;
  • authorized an inspector to train someone to be an aqueduct inspector for $1,379;
  • earmarked $12,000 in funding for Canada Day celebrations on July 1. However, taxpayer costs will amount to just $6,000, as the municipality secured $4,000 in donations from the Chase the Ace fundraiser through the CHGA radio station in Maniwaki and $2,000 from the Wesley M. Nicol Foundation, an organization that supports Canadian-based charities. 

SPCA based in Kazabazua coming soon Read More »

Prefect says she will fight for Low CLSC

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By Trevor Greenway

Chantal Lamarche says that she will do everything in her power to save the Low CLSC from closure. 

The MRC Vallée-de-la-Gatineau prefect said that she has been told by the CISSS de l’Outaouais (CISSSO) that the up-the-line clinic is on the chopping block and could be closed for good, as the regional health authority looks to cut another $30 million from its budget. 

“As [prefect], I refuse to see the disappearance of this local service, which is essential to our community,” wrote Lamarche in an email to the Low Down. “The building also houses home-care nurses, making it a critical point for our citizens. The chronic underfunding of the Outaouais for over 40 years must end. We demand that decisions take into account the reality of our territories.”

The Low CLSC has already been slashed down to one day a week, which has impacted Low residents, many of whom are elderly and immobile and can’t travel to Wakefield or Maniwaki to see a doctor. Lamarche said she is pressuring the CAQ government to “review these cuts and take into account the specific needs of the region.”

“It is imperative that alternative solutions be considered to ensure adequate funding and effective management of resources, thereby ensuring access to quality healthcare for all Outaouais residents,” she said.

CISSSO CEO Marc Bilodeau refused to comment on the potential closure and directed the Low Down to Santé Quebec for comment. Representatives of Quebec’s new non-partisan health department would not grant an interview and instead sent a statement saying that no decisions have been made on the closure of CLSCs in the province. 

“No changes are currently planned for the services offered at the various CLSCs,” wrote Santé Quebec’s media relations department. “Local services are important to the population, particularly those on the outskirts of urban areas. We are working to maintain them, despite the current difficult budgetary context.”

That “difficult budgetary context” is Santé Quebec’s austerity measures, in which it is looking to slash $1.5 billion from the province’s health budget by spring. The CISSSO already cut 800 health positions in the region earlier this spring. Another $30 million still needs to be cut from the CISSSO budget, which is why CLSCs in places like Low could be on the chopping block. 

SOS Outaouais’ Jean Pigeon told the Low Down that because CISSSO already cut services back to one day a week at the Low CLSC, patient numbers will naturally be down. The president of the regional health advocacy group said he worries CISSSO will use this data to show that the clinic isn’t getting used and therefore should be closed. 

“They test it, and then they say, ‘Well, nobody’s going to this point anymore.’ Of course! You’ve closed four days out of five days which you were open,” said Pigeon. “If there’s fewer services to offer, of course there’ll be less people that can use them. And then you shut it down, claiming that there’s no demand. It’s nonsense.”

Low seniors worry about home care 

With the potential closure of the CLSC in Low, seniors are beginning to worry if they will still be able to rely on home-care nurses who are based out of the clinic. Interim director-general of the Paugan Falls Seniors’ Residence Colette Canavan told the Low Down that she worries that it won’t be feasible for some seniors to grow old in Low. With an aging population, she doesn’t know where many of them will go. 

“What’s going to happen now with the cutbacks in home care, which they’ve cut a lot?” said Canavan.  “We’re going to see residents – seniors who are autonomous, but who need help – we’re going to see a possibility of having to say, ‘Sorry, you have to leave.’ So this is far more serious than what first appeared.”

Low council passed a resolution in late March decrying the cuts and demanding a meeting with local officials, including the region’s MNA, Robert Bussière. The motion touches on the potential closure, as well as language barriers for local residents. 

“[Low] stands united with its citizens in protesting these cuts and commits to advocating to the future well-being of all residents, ensuring transparency and proper communication regarding any proposed changes to local services,” the motion read. It was passed at Low’s council meeting on March 25 . 

Gatineau MNA Bussière did not respond to the Low Down’s questions. It’s unclear if he responded to Low council. 

Prefect says she will fight for Low CLSC Read More »

Job losses ‘unavoidable’ in round two of health cuts

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By Trevor Greenway

After slashing 800 health positions across the Outaouais, the head of CISSSO says that he still needs to cut an additional $30 million from its budget, money that will “certainly” result in more job losses. 

The CISSSO was mandated by the province’s new health department, Santé Québec, to slash $90 million from its budget in an overall effort to cut $1.5 billion from the province’s health sector by April 1. Last week, CISSSO announced it was cutting 800 health jobs as part of the cuts. However, CISSSO CEO Marc Bilodeau told the Low Down on March 20 that those cuts only represented two-thirds – $60 million of budget cuts – with an additional $30 million coming down the pike. 

“I think it’s unavoidable,” said Bilodeau when asked if the next round of cuts will result in job losses.  “Because 70 per cent of my expenditures are related to human resources, so expecting to cut without impacting positions is almost impossible.”  

While many of the 800 positions cut last week were vacant, with 104 personnel losing their jobs, Bilodeau says the next round of budget cuts will be especially difficult. He said the first round of cuts was focused on the “easy stuff,” like abolishing vacant positions. He admitted that there would be an impact on residents. He added that not all of the impacts of the cuts would be bad. 

“There would be some impact, but impact doesn’t mean, necessarily, negative impact,” said Bilodeau. “So it could have an impact on how the care is delivered but not necessarily on the amount of care being delivered.”

Dr. Bilodeau used the example of adapting patients with “very common mental health problems” into group therapy settings rather than one-on-one sessions: “I can have 10 patients in the same room with one healthcare provider, and I can do, basically, 10 times more than what I would do with a one-on-one intervention.” He added that managing hours, morale and work-life balance for front-line staffers will be key to moving forward successfully. 

Bilodeau said about two-thirds of the 104 health jobs cut in the region are front-line staff positions, but he added that many have been offered other positions “in more critical areas of our healthcare system.” 

SOS Outaouais president Jean Pigeon told the Low Down that, while the 800 job losses aren’t as dire as recent headlines suggest, the fact that over 600 vacant positions won’t be renewed kills any chance of recruiting more doctors, nurses or medical technicians to an already underfunded health region. According to the Observatoire de développement de l’Outaouais, it has estimated that the Outaouais region faces a funding shortfall of $180 million when compared to other regions in Quebec. 

“We need to point our fingers at the government here,” said Pigeon. “They are the ones who are making these decisions. And clearly this is not Mr. Bilodeau’s fault. It’s just going to create an overwhelming burden again in the workplace environment. Can we really let go of people that we need in a network that is underfunded and understaffed? No, it’s just chaotic.”

Three full-time positions abolished in Des Collines

According to health watchdog group Vigi Santé, the cuts will be felt locally, as three full-time positions in the Des Collines are being abolished: one at the CHSLD in Masham and two admin positions related to proximity services. 

“Two of them are actual job losses; the third one is a reassignment,” said Vigi Santé spokesperson Marcel Chartrand. 

Chartrand also noted that a 0.5 nursing position is being moved from the Masham CLSC to Cantley. Chartrand added that the cuts are also suspending key projects in the region, including a new seniors’ home in Masham and a multi-purpose, permanent vaccination centre in the Des Collines region.  “We are told time and again that services are not and will not be affected,” said Chartrand. “Hard to believe, as with fewer resources, there will be delays in providing services, and waiting times will be extended.”

No decision on CLSC in Low, yet

Dr. Bilodeau told the Low Down that, while there isn’t yet an official decision to cut services at the CLSC in Low to one day a week, he did say that “measures are on the table.”

“Obviously, some of those places like Low could be affected,” said Bilodeau. “I’m not saying they will be because it’s still being analyzed now, and we haven’t made a decision as to where it’s going to be with the last $30 million that we need to cut.” Gatineau MNA Robert Bussière did not return the Low Down’s calls for comments.

Job losses ‘unavoidable’ in round two of health cuts Read More »

Low seniors worried about health cuts

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By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

Kent Canavan’s mouth was filling with blood and he needed emergency help. 

He had just had his wisdom teeth out and was bleeding profusely at his home in Low. 

He rushed over to the CLSC to get some more bandages and have his wound looked at, but when he arrived, the doors were locked. It was lunchtime, and nobody came to help him, so he rushed back home to try to stop the bleeding.

“The door [to the CLSC] was locked, and I ended up going back to my apartment, and I ended up on the floor – I passed out,” said Canavan to the mayor, councillors and those gathered on March 14 during an emergency CLSC meeting in Low. 

The meeting was called after residents were told that the town’s only medical clinic – the CLSC – would be reducing its hours to just one day a week, by appointment only. Close to a dozen seniors were present at the meeting, telling their personal stories and the fears they have about the potential cuts. 

“The blood was coming out so bad at the time that, when I did come to, I grabbed a facecloth and rammed it into the crevices to slow down the bleeding,” added Canavan about his incident last year, before the impending reduction to one day a week. Now, he is worried that things will get even worse for patients in Low. 

Fellow Low resident Debbie Cameron was in tears as she spoke about the constant support she needs from a home care nurse to look after her severely disabled son, who is a quadriplegic and suffers from dysphagia, spina bifida, diabetes and hydrocephalus. She said with the looming health cuts, in which $1.5 billion is being cut from healthcare in Quebec and $90 million in the Outaouais – home care services could be cut by 50 per cent, and she doesn’t know what she will do. 

“He can’t even scratch his own nose, he can’t feed himself, he has difficulty speaking,” she said through sobs, as she described her son’s daily struggles. “I need support badly.” 

Cameron said that her son’s home care nurse is “wonderful,” but she knows just how overworked she is. When Cameron’s 42-year-old son had an operation in Montreal last year, his home care nurse had to come every single day to drain the wound, and she said she worries how the cuts will affect her son’s quality of life.  “They bend over backwards, but the time constraints – they are given too many people to look after, so they can’t do their jobs properly,” said Cameron.

Low Coun. Lee Angus was present at the meeting and said that councillors feel helpless in the fight for healthcare up the line, as residents have been faced with diminishing services for close to a decade. He said cutting services to just one day a week at the CLSC will have a detrimental effect on the region’s aging population.

“And you have to make an appointment when you want to go?” asked Angus. “So, you gotta plan when you’re going to be sick. It’s pretty pathetic to have a building there and nobody to man it and no services. I have been sick before and had to drive to Gracefield to get service, and that’s fine for me – I have a vehicle, I can do that – but there are lots of people who live around the village who don’t have vehicles and can’t get there.”

Low Mayor Carol Robert echoed some of Angus’ statements at the meeting, saying that her council feels a bit powerless in the fight for healthcare. She said that her council can put forth resolutions to try to pressure the province to make certain decisions, but ultimately Low doesn’t “have the power to change the health system.”

“The only thing we can do is put forth a really strong resolution, pinpointing all the points that were made here today and not only send it to all the other levels of the ministry but also the MRC, so that all the mayors support our resolution,” she said. “We’re not the only ones that are being hit – up north it’s the same thing, so they will support our resolution.”

Resident Colette Canavan, who has been an advocate for healthcare up the line, said at the meeting that the CLSC in Low will officially be reduced to one day a week, by appointment only, as of April 1. This has not been confirmed by CISSSO. 

The cuts are part of the province’s austerity measures that will see $1.5 billion cut from the health sector by March 1. 

Low seniors worried about health cuts Read More »

SOS Outaouais lottery rakes in dough for healthcare

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By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

SOS Outaouais’ Queen of Hearts lottery, which launched just two months ago, has already raised an impressive $588,090 for healthcare in the region. 

SOS Outaouais president Jean Pigeon told the Low Down that he was blown away with the campaign’s early success in the past two months. 

“It’s quite amazing what we have going,” said Pigeon, explaining that the draw is similar to the Chase the Ace contest that went viral across the Hills last summer and allowed several organizations to benefit greatly. This included the Low arena, which got $500,000 in cash from the fundraiser. “So, hopefully we can maintain that momentum,” he added. 

The contest works by residents buying raffle tickets. If their name is called, they have a chance to win the full pot if they draw the Queen of Hearts. If not, they win the smaller weekly prize and the pot continues to grow until someone draws the Queen. The progressive pot now exceeds $190,000 as of publication date.

Pigeon said that, after dispersing the winnings, his organization will take home over $300,000 to use on multiple projects over the year. 

“We have close to 200 projects in our nine different sectors,” said Pigeon. “We have a sector of cancer treatment, overall hospital network, youth services, mental health, readaptation, elderly homes, research and supporting the recruitment of human resources for CISSSO.”

SOS Outaouais has a goal of raising $50,000 with the fundraiser in an attempt to address the $200 million shortfall that the region sees in healthcare funding. 

For more information on SOS Outaouais or to buy lottery tickets, visit: https://fondationsanteoutaouais.ca/lotos-loteries/. 

SOS Outaouais lottery rakes in dough for healthcare Read More »

Low arborist arrested at gunpoint awaits court verdict

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By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

Tommy Townsend will have to wait a couple more months to find out if a judge will throw out his fines for carrying a knife in public. 

The arborist from Low was arrested at gunpoint in front of his two children by MRC des Collines officers on Aug. 18, 2023, after a witness called police and reported that a man wielding a knife was wandering around the village. 

“I am an arborist, I work in the bush, and it was a pruning blade, not a machete,” Townsend told a judge at trial on Feb. 19 in Chelsea. “I was not wandering around – I was in my truck when the police pulled me out at gunpoint with my children in the truck watching.”

Townsend submitted a copy of the Aug. 23, 2023, Low Down newspaper as an exhibit, which shows a photo of two police officers drawing their guns while Townsend is on the ground behind his truck. 

In August 2023, Townsend told the Low Down that he was in Wakefield searching for missing Low man Simeon Wapachee and was dressed in a safety vest as he showed passersby Wapachee’s photo. He had several knives that were sheathed on his belt. This was not mentioned in court. 

Police told the Low Down in 2023 that they got a call from a concerned citizen reporting that a suspicious man wielding a knife was wandering the village. Police later apprehended Townsend while he was in his work truck. 

In court, Townsend told Judge Joanne Cousineau that he was in Wakefield on the morning of Aug. 18 with his daughters to get them new shoes at Giant Tiger. Townsend testified he had just finished pruning an apple tree near Chemin Mahon and was going shopping when he was pulled over. 

Crown prosecutor Olivier Gosselin questioned why Townsend had his kids with him and if he was working on the day of Aug. 18. “Explain to me, if you said you were working, how come you were working when your children are in your car?” asked Gosselin. 

“It’s my own private business,” Townsend responded. “A lot of my clients are friends or people that I know, and they don’t have a problem with it. I also knew that it was an hour job, and then we were going to Giant Tiger to buy the shoes.”

Gosselin pressed Townsend further, asking him for the specific address of the job and whether Townsend’s client was okay with his children being present. The single dad said he often brings his kids to small jobs, and it’s not been a problem.

When Townsend was pulled over, he explained that he had several knives on his belt, which he uses in his arborist work, but added that they were all sheathed in protective covers when cops detained him. When asked why the knives were still on his belt, he told the prosecutor that he leaves them in the belt while driving but puts them away in a locked compartment when he leaves his truck. He said he had planned to do the same when he got to Giant Tiger but was pulled over after police received reports of a suspicious man wandering the village with a knife. 

“The equipment is with me only for relative work,” he said. “As mentioned, I take it all out before I get out of the vehicle. I hadn’t at that time, so here we are today.”

In his closing arguments, Gosselin told the judge that he has “doubt that Mr. Townsend was really working on that day.”

“My problem is more in regards to why we are pruning apple trees in August,” said Gosselin. “We all love apples; you collect them in the fall, not August. Then, from his own testimony, the defendant said it’s not the best time of the year to do so, but for some reason, he did.”

Townsend agreed that spring is the best time to prune fruit trees but added that the client wanted it done then, and he wouldn’t say no to a job. Gosselin asserted that Townsend should have removed and stored the knives properly before getting into his truck. “Anything could have happened. He could have went to buy something else, and if he did, he has his knife on him.”

Justice Cousineau quoted the La Pêche bylaw that bans residents from carrying weapons in public “without a reasonable excuse.”

“That is the question I need to answer,” she said. “Did he have a reasonable excuse? He had it in his possession, he’s admitted to it, and he explains his reasonable excuse. The wandering around part, I need to look into that.”

Cousineau told the court that she needed to take the case “under advisory,” meaning that she needed more time to study the law and look at potential precedent cases before deciding on Townsend’s case. 

“I will tell you that many, many files regarding knives, it was basically kids who have no business having a knife,” she said.

Cousineau will render her decision on April 10. 

Low arborist arrested at gunpoint awaits court verdict Read More »

Taxes up and down in Low

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

Taxes in Low are going up and down depending on where you live. 

The municipality passed its $3.958 million 2025 municipal budget in December of last year, which represents an 8.86 per cent increase from 2024. To limit the tax increase on residents, Low dropped its mill rate to reflect a four per cent increase for the average resident. 

What does this mean for the median homeowner?

If you own a home serviced by water that is worth around the median price in Low – $200,718 – your taxes are going down a whopping $22.31 per year. However, if your house is worth approximately $405,000, you will see an increase of just over three per cent or $117 extra per year. 

For a residential property roughly  worth $308,000 that is not serviced by water, your tax bill will go up just over four per cent or $106 per year. For a home in the same sector that is around $535,900, your tax bill will increase by $264 per year. 

According to municipal documents, the biggest jumps in Low came in snow removal services, which increased by 25 per cent or just over $80,000 for 2025. Low’s contribution for Sûreté du Québec police services also jumped six per cent. However the municipality’s overall MRC Vallée-de-la-Gatineau contribution came down over seven per cent to just over $307,000. Low was also reimbursed for recycling materials last year, a significant $264,000, which decreases the municipality’s waste management budget by 18 per cent. 

One of the main challenges in Low has been recruiting and retaining quality staff over the years. The municipality just hired its seventh director-general in as many years last August and hopes to make staffer jobs more attractive with a greater than 10 per cent increase to municipal salaries in 2025. 

“The main challenges we are currently facing, in terms of territory, are to continue catching up on investments in municipal infrastructure, to attract and retain a diversified commercial service offering and to attract and retain qualified personnel due to our proximity to the major urban centre of Gatineau-Ottawa,” wrote Mayor Carole Robert in her budget speech in late December. “Internally, we intend to continue improving internal controls, enhance communications channels and support workforce skills development.”

To improve infrastructure, Low presented its triennial investment plan for the next three years, and the future has a focus on roads, equipment and a new town hall. Low has budgeted $6 million in investments through 2027. Here are the 2025 expenditures:

  • hire an architect to draw up plans for a new town hall;
  • purchasing fire safety equipment;
  • replacing a grader;
  • Purchasing public Works equipment (tipper, signalling barrier, calcium tank);
  • purchasing a grass cutter for roadside verges;
  • acquiring Hydro-Quebec land near the municipal boat launch.

Taxes up and down in Low Read More »

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