Trevor Greenway

Brennan’s Hill Beer Bust

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / March 20, 2025 / Claude Cousineau, Epicerie Brennan's Hill, Jeri Guertin, Marché Gravelle, SAQ, Société des alcools du Québec, Sûreté du Québec (SQ), Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

Claude Cousineau says he did nothing wrong when he purchased beer and wine from Marché Gravelle and sold it to customers at his Brennan’s Hill depanneur.

But when Sûreté du Québec (SQ) cops busted into his shop Feb. 25 and seized over 5,000 litres of beer and nearly 60 litres of wine – effectively clearing out the beer fridges at Epicerie Brennan’s Hill – he surmised that something was wrong.

“It was four cops who showed up here, armed to the teeth, and they threw everybody out of the store, and they turned off the cameras, which you’re not supposed to do. And they made me open the safe, which has nothing to do with anything,” said Cousineau, owner of the depanneur. “So then they blocked the driveways to make a big scene, took all the beer and all the wine – it took them all day.”

Store manager Jeri Guertin was working the front cash that day and said the scene was intense when police arrived.

“They kicked everyone out of the store, they kept telling Claude to keep his hands out of his pockets,” said Guertin.

Cousineau has not been charged or fined, was not detained, nor has he been told if he needs to hire a lawyer, fight the infractions in court or whether or not he will get his booze back. He said he isn’t counting on it.

“We have big plans, and now I’m stuck because now my money is fu**ed for sure, right?” Cousineau told the Low Down, standing next to two, large beer coolers that are empty. Not a single case of beer can be found among the refrigerators. “That’s 25 grand worth of beer. Maybe more,” added Cousineau. The dep wine racks are also vacant.

According to SQ spokesperson Sgt. Marc Tessier, the file is not criminal, and Cousineau can’t be criminally charged with a crime – he can only be fined. The province’s Act respecting the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) states that any person in Quebec wishing to sell beer and wine from their grocery stores or depanneurs must first have a permit to do so – and must purchase all of their alcohol – with the exception of light cider, beer bottled in Quebec or imported beer – through the SAQ.

“The person at the store bought some beer from another store without the proper authority or channel to buy his liquor,” said Tessier. “Police will conclude their investigation and will proceed to submit that to the Crown, and they will determine if there will be penal action or not.”

When asked how police knew that Cousineau was selling alcohol not purchased through the SAQ, Tessier confirmed that it was through information from the public as well as the SQ’s “investigative techniques.”

Cousineau told the Low Down that his troubles began the day he took over ownership of the store, back in July 2024, when he was having issues with some of the beer and wine reps who were “leaving beer all over the place,” crowding his aisles and packing his leaky fridges. He was in the middle of planning renovations to hold more stock but said the reps – both alcohol and soda representatives – just kept showing up with more beer and pop.

“It was beer galore,” added Cousineau. “There was beer all over the place. I had to take three shelves of food down just for all the beer.” He said some of the stock – mostly flavoured coolers – in his fridge were nearly two years old and close to expiration, and he didn’t want to waste prime real estate for unpopular products. So he began telling the reps what he wanted – and what he didn’t want – to sell in his store.

Cousineau said that he was told by one of the beer reps that if he wanted specific types of beer and a custom lineup of spirits, he would have to source all of his own alcohol, purchase it himself, pick it up, drive it back to the store, stock it and then sell it. He said the rep told him to buy from Marché Gravelle, a food and beverage distribution centre in Gatineau.

Trusting this advice, he said he did just that and began buying his beer and wine from Marché Gravelle and said he’s been doing so since last summer.

“I still feel like I did nothing wrong,” said Cousineau. “We checked, and we’re allowed to buy from a distributor as long as I am licenced, so what am I doing wrong? There’s so many people making money off your dollar, and we’re making quarters before the government comes in and takes more.”

Cousineau said that police were over-aggressive and treated him as a threat in his own store. He said it was “like watching an old cowboy movie.”

“I honestly thought they were here fundraising,” said Cousineau. “So I had my hands in my pockets and I said, ‘What’s up?’ and they started yelling to me to take my hands out of my pockets. I said, ‘I don’t know you. You come in here, you have armour, you have a billy bat, you have a gun, you have a taser and pepper spray, and you’re acting like I’m dangerous.’” Cousineau’s beer cooler and wine racks are still empty, and he said he’s been left in the dark on what will happen next. He’s still allowed to sell beer, but with all of his money tied up in the seized alcohol, he’s not sure how long it will take him to rebuild his stock.

Tessier said Cousineau could face a fine, but added that police are still investigating the file.

Brennan’s Hill Beer Bust Read More »

Low seniors worried about health cuts

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / March 20, 2025 / clsc, Health cuts, Kent Canavan, Low, Trevor Greenway

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 »

‘We’ve been abandoned’

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / March 20, 2025 / budget cuts, CISSS de l’Outaouais, CISSSO, des Collines, health crisis, jobs, Outaouais, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

Hills healthcare advocates say the provincial government has made the Outaouais health crisis worse by cutting a staggering 800 healthcare jobs from the region.

The cuts were announced March 14 as part of the province’s austerity measures, which will see $1.5 billion slashed from Quebec’s healthcare network – $90 million of that coming out of the CISSS de l’Outaouais’s (CISSSO) budget.

While a majority of the positions cut are currently vacant, SOS Outaouais president Jean Pigeon said the impact will be felt tenfold across the region.

“There’s basically no amelioration for the healthcare network,” Pigeon told the Low Down. “It’s basically longer waiting times, fewer access and limited access to the healthcare system, and if you look at just recent numbers, most of our emergency wards are at 250 per cent of their capacity,” he added, referring to emergency departments at the Gatineau and Hull hospitals.

Pigeon said his organization is concerned that two-thirds of the $90 million cut from the Outaouais will come in the form of job losses. While many of them were already vacant (about 100 actual jobs are being cut, according to CISSSO), he said he feels that not filling vacant positions in departments like medical scans and imagery, which are already operating at just 40 per cent capacity, will have a domino effect on healthcare in the Outaouais, where there are currently 78,000 residents in the Outaouais without a family doctor and nearly 7,500 in the des Collines region.

“We’re in the biggest crisis that we’ve ever had for healthcare, and nobody seems to care about our region. We’ve been abandoned,” said Pigeon. He added 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. “I just think it’s going to get worse and worse because we should be fully in the mode of recruiting and keeping our staff. Now we’re telling staff to move away.”

Patient waited 230 hours

Pigeon referred to a patient in the Gatineau Hospital, who, during the March 1 weekend, spent “more than 230 hours in the emergency room,” while being treated for a mental health episode, according to CISSSO. The patient spent nearly 10 days on a hospital stretcher before he got a bed.

“Before he actually got services and someone took him into care, he waited for 230 hours,” said Pigeon. “It’s unbelievable.”

Dr. Peter Bonneville, the president of the Conseil des médecins, dentistes et pharmaciens (CMDP) of the CISSSO and an ER doctor at the Gatineau Hospital told the Low Down he feels that CISSSO CEO Marc Bilodeau has done a “fantastic job,” given that his first mandate from Santé Québec was to slash $90 million from a health budget that has been bleeding for over a decade.

What he doesn’t agree with, however, is how CISSSO was forced to cut $90 million out of its budget but the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, which is comparable to the Outaouais, only had to cut close to $40 million.

“That’s a region that has just a bit less population than us, but has, right now, way better access to healthcare,” said Bonneville. “They have more active operating rooms right now, more specialists for the region.”

It’s important to note that while the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region is comparable in population to the Outaouais, it’s an isolated northern area where there are not many options for health care. While Outaouais patients can travel to Montreal or Ottawa for emergencies, patients in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region don’t have the same options.

“I will keep on hammering the fact that we are under budgeted by, apparently, about $180 million a year,” Bonneville continued, “So basically, Santé Québec is putting a gun to the head of CISSSO, and they’re saying, ‘You need to do it.’”

Working conditions not ideal, but necessary

Dr. Bonneville told the Low Down that although he is the most senior member of staff at the Gatineau Hospital, he doesn’t expect seniority perks like weekends off or preferred shifts. As a doctor who has taken the Hippocratic Oath, he said he’s aware of the region’s crisis and will do anything he needs to do to help.

“I still do weekends. I still do holidays. I worked all of New Year’s week, evening shifts,” Bonneville told the Low Down. He said that during the budgeting exercise, CISSSO realized that it was overstaffing day shifts and more staffers will now be moved out of their “cozy day shift” and into an evening or night shift. While it may not be ideal for some, he said it’s the reality of the current landscape.

“I mean, if I am still doing it, I think everybody needs to contribute,” he said. “And you know, it’s nice to have a cozy job where you’re working day shifts, but that’s not the reality of healthcare.”

CISSSO CEO Marc Bilodeau did not respond to the Low Down’s request for comment by press time nor did the region’s MNA, Robert Bussière.

‘We’ve been abandoned’ Read More »

La Pêche responds to tariffs with local biz push

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / March 13, 2025 / Guillaume Lamoureux, La Peche, Trevor Greenway, U.S. tariffs

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

The municipality of La Pêche is responding to the threat of tariffs from the U.S.

During its latest council meeting on March 3, councillors made a commitment as a municipality to “strengthen the autonomy” of La Pêche by choosing to purchase goods and services from local, regional and Quebec-based businesses.

When asked if the motion was a direct response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs on Canada, La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux said, “Yes.”

“This is a reminder that La Pêche has such a policy, to reiterate our desire to promote local business and regional businesses, and to focus on favouring our purchases from Quebec businesses,” Lamoureux told the Low Down.

Trump has dangled the threat of tariffs on Canadian goods since he took office on Jan. 20, but has since clawed back twice. According to the Trump administration, the tariffs on Canadian goods are paused until April 2.

But the pause hasn’t eased Canadians’ level of fear and concern, as provinces and municipalities are gearing up for an intense trade war that has already begun. Ontario has slapped 25 per cent tariffs on electricity that is being supplied to northern border states, including New York, Michigan and Minnesota.

The La Pêche motion details how the municipality will avoid purchasing from big box stores.

“The municipality will ensure that its operational needs are met by local markets and will strive to favour the purchase of Quebec goods and services, as well as suppliers, insurers and contractors established in Quebec,” the motion reads. “The municipality is committed to avoiding, as much as possible, purchases through online commerce giants such as Amazon, and will favor purchases from local and regional businesses.”

La Pêche has also built an online business directory where residents can search categories like grocers, auto repair services, artist directories, self-care businesses, construction and renovation companies, and youth programs. Consult the business directory online at: https://surl.li/fiefpj.

In other business, council:

approved Phase 1 of the Esplanade Wakefield development, which will see the creation of 13 new homes in a neighbourhood north of the Wakefield village off Chemin Maclaren;
revoked the existing lease between Wakefield-La Pêche Community Centre Cooperative and the municipality. This important step paves the way for the municipality to take over ownership of the community centre building, while giving the cooperative management powers at the centre. The official takeover will happen sometime this spring or summer;
granted Maison de l’Étincelle $20,000 to support the launch of its first-ever summer camp. The support is especially important this year, as Maison des jeunes Mashado, a youth organization, has confirmed it will not run a summer camp this year.

La Pêche responds to tariffs with local biz push Read More »

SOS Outaouais lottery rakes in dough for healthcare

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / March 13, 2025 / CISSSO, fundraising, Low, Queen of Hearts Lottery, SOS Outaouais, Trevor Greenway

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 »

Wakefield community centre: not-for-profit or co-op?

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / March 13, 2025 / Community Centre, La Peche, Trevor Greenway, Wakefield

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

There could be a move afoot to disband the Centre Wakefield-La Pêche (CWLP) cooperative and merge it into a not-for-profit organization.

But before that happens, the centre needs to finalize its agreement with the municipality to take over ownership of the building. That agreement should be finalized by the summer.

But in the meantime, Wakefielders Bob Gibson and Karen Bays of the Membership Involvement Group (MING) at the CWLP have been tasked with studying the cooperative model and have recommended to the Wakefield community centre board that it moves forward with disbanding the current model.

Their argument is that the Wakefield community centre should not be managed under a cooperative model, as it doesn’t properly serve the community in which it operates.

“It may be the only [community centre] in Canada, if not North America, that uses a coop model,” Bays recently told the Low Down, referring to the Wakefield community centre. Bays has since stepped away from MING and the centre to allow them to focus on the building transfer, but she still believes that once the transfer is complete, the board should consider moving away from the cooperative model.

“You have to be a member to participate,” said Bays. “Basically, you’re supposed to give as much as you get in a coop. But we have a centre where people want to come to events, but they don’t want to run the centre.”

Bays and Gibson presented their findings during the Wakefield Recreation Association last November, however they aren’t sure where things are at because of the building transfer.

“We’re not here to promote anything or to argue about co-ops at all at this point,” said Gibson during the November meeting. “Based on research reported, we recommend that the centre’s board begin the process of moving out of the co-op model and into one of a non-profit or not-for-profit organization.”

A non-profit’s purpose is to serve the public good, while a not-for-profit’s purpose is to serve its members and their interests. The two models also have differences related to tax and profits.

Gibson’s comments fueled immediate tension in the meeting, which is unsurprising given that members have been at odds over how the CWLP has been run and managed since the end of the pandemic. The centre has been embroiled in controversy ever since, with public firings, unstable governance and infighting between past and current board members.

This tension has also centred around the CWLP membership’s vote this year to begin negotiating a building transfer to the municipality of La Pêche after it became clear that maintaining the physical building was too much for the cooperative to manage. That deal, which is currently being negotiated, will see the municipality own the building, with the CWLP using the centre rent-free to manage programs, staffing, and other internal matters. The municipality will essentially be the landlord of the building and will take care of repairs, snow removal and maintenance, while the board will continue to run the centre and its programming.

It’s unclear how things would change under a non-profit or not-for-profit model, but former CWLP board member Carly Woods was adamant at the November meeting that the idea is only that – an idea.

“I think around the table, we can all agree, probably – that the co-op model doesn’t necessarily work for the centre,” said Woods. “The seed has only been planted, and it’s not going anywhere yet, and we’re not watering it the slightest.”

Former CWLP president Irene Richardson told the crowd there’s no reason to disband the co-op because the centre already operates under a not-for-profit model. The CWLP partnered with Outaouais Philanthropy to provide tax receipts to donors. However, the CWLP isn’t its own registered charity.

“We are not-for-profit. That means we get all the tax breaks that are out there,” said Richardson. “I think it’s a great model; we report to our members. Does it work? Well, we have to make it work, and it wouldn’t matter what we called it; it’s the people that have to make it work,” said Richardson.

She said another changeup at the centre would be costly and time-consuming and wouldn’t change anything operationally.

Wakefield community centre: not-for-profit or co-op? Read More »

No replacements yet for four Wakefield docs

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / March 13, 2025 / Doctor Shortage, Dr. Jacques Ménard, SOS Outaouais, Trevor Greenway, Wakefield

by Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

Wakefield is set to lose its fourth doctor in the last two years when Dr. Jacques Ménard takes his well-deserved retirement this summer.

And with no replacements found yet for Dr. Satenstein, Dr. Amani Ben Moussa, Dr. Folkerson and now Ménard, Hills medical advocacy groups are concerned that the region’s doctor shortage is about to get even worse.

“It’s very concerning, and there’s a lot of doctors and specialists that have left the region, and we have to look at why they’re leaving,” said SOS Outaouais executive-director Jean Pigeon. “And, unfortunately, it’s due to exactly what we’ve been addressing: the fact that there’s a lack of funding, and there’s a lack of human resources that is putting tremendous pressure on a very difficult workplace.”

Regional healthcare advocacy group SOS Outaouais has been banging the same drum for over a year now – that the Outaouais region is grossly underfunded when compared to other regions in Quebec. According to the Observatoire de développement de l’Outaouais, the region is underfunded by an estimated $200 million per year.

Pigeon admitted that doctor salaries in Quebec are on par with those of Ontario, and added that the region isn’t losing doctors because of low salaries but more because of working environments: long overtime shifts, a lack of medical technicians and a lack of medical technology that help doctors properly diagnose patients.

“It comes down to: Do they have the right environment to work in?” said Pigeon. “Do they have enough staff to support them? Because doctors don’t work alone. They work in teams, so they need those teams to be available. If you just look at the region’s hospitals, there are so many positions that are still not filled, and doctors can’t diagnose blindly – they need to have medical imagery.”

Pigeon said his organization is also concerned about how the new Santé Québec health department has rolled out, as 31 per cent of Quebecers said they feel their health services have diminished under the new department, according to a recent public opinion poll.

Santé Québec CEO Genevieve Biron also just fired her Number Two, Frédéric Abergel, after he reportedly advocated for giving local establishments more autonomy. Pigeon said his organization has been trying to meet with Biron for over a month but have yet to hear a response.

“Ms. Biron wants to ‘measure public perception’? We offer her a clear statement: the Outaouais population has no confidence in Santé Québec,” wrote Pigeon in a news release last week.

Biron declined an interview with the Low Down, as did CISSS de l’Outaouais (CISSSO) CEO Marc Bilodeau. Bilodeau is currently trying to cut $90 million from the region’s health budget, as Biron is slashing $150 billion from the province’s health ministry.

CISSSO told the Low Down that those cuts would be made public in a couple of weeks.

Lack of technology hampering recruitment

If you ask local health watchdog group Vigi Santé why it’s so difficult to recruit doctors to Wakefield, he won’t bring up salary or vacation time or bonuses, but he will talk about a lack of technology at both Wakefield medical clinics and the village hospital that he feels is swaying young doctors from setting up their practices here.

“The hospital is not favourable to a young doctor wanting to practise there because we have no technology,” said Vigi Sante spokesperson Marcel Chartrand. “And young doctors coming out of school, they get trained with new technology, and then they’re going to come here, and they’ll do maybe a week at the Wakefield Hospital and then say, ‘What is happening here? There’s nothing. There’s no diagnostic equipment that I could call innovative that I could use to properly assess my patients other than radiology.’ So they’re saying, ‘Well, not very interesting.’ So they look elsewhere.”

Chartrand said it “happens every day” when a doctor at the Wakefield Hospital has to send a patient to Hull or Gatineau to get a specialized diagnostic scan to properly assess them.

There are currently 78,000 residents in the Outaouais without a family doctor and nearly 7,500 in the des Collines region.

No replacements yet for four Wakefield docs Read More »

Teens identified in string of car thefts

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / March 10, 2025 / Cantley, car thefts, car thieves, Trevor Greenway, Val-des-Monts

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

MRC des Collines Police say they have identified four suspects in connection with a string of 30 car break-ins and stolen vehicles in Cantley and Val-des-Monts over the last month.

According to MRC des Collines Spokesperson Martin Fournel, three male teenagers, aged 17 and one adult male, 18, are the main suspects in at least 30 reported break-ins and car thefts. Fournel said that two of the 17-year-old suspects are Cantley residents.

Police seized a vehicle in Gatineau on March 2, believed to be in connection with this string of thefts.

Fournel is urging motorists to lock their doors and to report thefts after his precinct fielded more than 30 complaints regarding vehicle break-ins and car thefts.

“These are opportunity thefts,” said Fournel, explaining that these vehicle thefts are not linked to the rise in car thefts across Canada, in which thieves are using the Flipper Zero gadget that can reprogram key fobs. “Unlocked doors, leaving valuables in the vehicle, and in some cases, the keys were left in the car.”

Fournel said that a lot of Gatineau Hills residents feel that, because they live in a rural setting, they don’t need to lock their car doors while at home or while they are in local villages shopping. However, with thefts on the rise, police are urging motorists to take precautions.

Thieves have become more brazen these days, with locals reporting daytime thefts at their country homes. Masham resident Jean Bernard Bertrand had his 16-foot trailer stolen out of his driveway in October of last year.

Low resident Maggie Early left the Low arena after volunteering only to find that a thief had smashed her rear passenger window and stolen her wallet with “a good sum of cash in it,” along with her credit cards and driver’s driver’s license.

“You try and give back to the community, and this is the thanks I get,” Early, a longtime arena and community volunteer, posted on Facebook Feb. 12. She said her truck was locked, as it “always is.”

Fournel told the Low Down that police have recovered some evidence from the Cantley thefts, including surveillance footage of the suspects, but he is urging more residents to come forward with complaints.

He said that police suspect there could be more culprits and more incidents and he urges anyone who has been a victim of theft to report it to police immediately.

“So if they don’t report it, we cannot investigate it, and maybe in some cases, we could have found some footprints, or, you know, fingerprints,” said Fournel.

Teens identified in string of car thefts Read More »

Hills residents fight for affordable housing

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / February 27, 2025 / Affordable housing, La Pêche, Masham, Trevor Greenway, Urban Plan, Wakefield

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

It was made very clear last week that La Pêche residents care about affordable housing and low-income families.

When one resident suggested at a Feb. 20 zoning meeting that low-income families should be pushed outside the village cores in both Wakefield and Masham, residents stood up to argue the opposite – asserting how artists, families, elders and single people make the area diverse, rich and unique.

“What’s the scope of this? What’s the trigger of this? Who is asking to have affordable houses here?” asked a resident during the second pre-consultation on the municipality’s urban plan (PU). “In Lac-des-Loups, compared to the village, the further you go, it’s going to be a bit cheaper because the lots are cheaper, so what is the scope to have affordable housing in a limited space, as Wakefield, where you are struggling with parking, but now you are thinking about bringing almost blocks. Why not elsewhere, outside the city,” asked the resident, referring to block housing, like container villages.

“Well, because there is none,” added Wakefield resident and business owner John Batten, sitting a few seats over.

La Pêche urbanism director Jalloul Salah, who hosted the meeting, said he has heard from residents that Wakefield is becoming more expensive, making it harder for younger couples, single families, artists, service workers and elders to stay in the village.

“People say that Wakefield is getting a bit expensive, and they want to continue living here,” he told the crowd. “So, what you are saying is gentrification, so let’s push people out.”

The resident, who did not share his name, said that people move to Wakefield for “its status” and suggested that village cores remain that way.

But La Pêche residents Rink de Lange and his partner, Leanne Olson, disagreed.

“I think it’s a surprise that you are even asking the question,” said de Lange. “If you don’t have housing for people with low income, then nobody will be able to live in Wakefield anymore, and we will lose our quaint village of Wakefield. It should be in every municipality’s goal to supply housing for people who are not that rich.”

Olson further described how Wakefield has become a “gig economy” full of artists, musicians and struggling families working multiple jobs to make ends meet.

“People have four different jobs, they work all over the place; and they are the artists, they are the musicians, they are the people that add life to this village; and if we don’t support them, then a lot of wealthier people move in, and they all move out, and we’ve lost the heart of the village,” she said. “And if we don’t sustain that and encourage that and make sure they can stay because they can have affordable housing, then we lose a large part of the community.”

Wakefield councillor Claude Giroux praised the municipality’s partnership with Cohabitat Wakefield. This local non-profit housing cooperative just secured 2.5 acres of land through a donation from La Pêche for its 41-unit cooperative housing complex that will be built just off Maclaren street at the north end of the village.

The cost of housing has become a big issue in the Des Collines, with the region’s social development roundtable Table de développement social des Collines-de-l’Outaouais (TDSCO) stating that in 2021, close to 3,000 residents in the MRC des Collines were spending more than 30 per cent of their income on housing. The 30 per cent income-to-housing ratio is the threshold the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Company (CMHC) uses to consider a home as “affordable.”

Some residents suggested that the old Wakefield Elementary School on Caves Road should be converted into affordable housing units. However, the property is privately owned by Toronto resident Eric Mah. Mah once tried to turn the building into a language school but lacked the funds. The building has become an eyesore and a dangerous hangout for local teens, who consistently break into it to host parties, explore and start fires.

Coun. Giroux told the crowd that the municipality is now considering expropriating the property. However, that process has not officially begun yet.

Other items discussed at the pre-consultation included: La Pêche’s plan to preserve and maintain heritage buildings throughout Wakefield, plans to preserve the village’s rail heritage at Turntable Park and the addition of segregated bike lanes that could take riders from Masham to Wakefield along Hwy 366.

The latter seemed to spark some chatter among the dozen or so attendees, with de Lange questioning why La Pêche didn’t integrate bike lanes two summers ago when it redid the paving along Hwy 366.

La Pêche staffers told the crowd that the municipality is developing a trail network that will connect riders along the highway to Masham. However, it wasn’t clear when those paths would be completed.

The purpose of the meeting was to gather input from the community that will be integrated into the PU before it is adopted. This was the fourth PU meeting after staffers held similar meetings in Masham and Lac-des-Loups earlier this year. The PU is being renewed to align with the MRC des Collines’ master plan adopted last year. If you missed the meeting but want to have your voice heard, email opinion@villelapeche.qc.ca. The next round of consultations have not yet been announced.

Hills residents fight for affordable housing Read More »

No timeline for Black Sheep Inn return

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / February 27, 2025 / Black Sheep Inn, Trevor Greenway, Wakefield

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

There is no imminent opening date set for the Black Sheep Inn, according to current co-owner Paul Symes.

Symes told the Low Down Feb. 24 that, while he wants nothing more than to see the Wakefield music venue back up and running, the deal to transfer ownership of the building and the business is highly complicated and will take some time.

“It felt that we were closer in November than we are now,” said Symes. “But it might right itself, and it might get going again, but it’s not like anything is imminent either. I don’t want to pretend that.”

Symes explained that the deal includes two aspects: the business sale, which involves the selling of shares, and a mortgage of the building. Symes said “both are incredibly complicated and still need a lot of work.”

The Low Down published a front-page article in December of last year that the Sheep was returning with a late January opening date. However, the deal between Symes and Jennifer Nesbitt, who owns the other half of the business and the building, is still being finalized.

Extensive renovations have taken place since August, and the space is all but ready to host events. Once an agreement has been signed, the venue is expected to reopen.

Prior to the pandemic, The Black Sheep Inn had been a premier destination for local, national and international performers. It was shuttered during the pandemic and has so far remained closed.

No timeline for Black Sheep Inn return Read More »

A group is pulled on a horse drawn sleigh

A day of fun between two storms

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / February 24, 2025 / Rupert, Trevor Greenway, Winter Carnival

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

It was the calm before the second storm on Saturday, Feb. 15, as the Rupert Winter Carnival snuck in a day of winter fun that was bookended by two major storms that dumped close to 75 centimetres of snow over parts of the region.

But it was a day of winter bliss during the winter carnival Saturday; a balmy -10 C, which was perfect for a classic ice hockey game, the traditional egg toss, a three-legged race and hours of tobogganing fun on Rupert’s epic hill.

The day started off with the first-annual Rupert Winter Classic: a friendly but competitive hockey game between two iconic squads, which featured the likes of Liam Hale, Brad Stewart, Dylan Rollo, Nick Steers and a handful of other well-known Hills hockey players.

It was a special moment for the players as well as the spectators, who were wrapped around Rupert’s outdoor rink, as it was the first time in several years that a hockey game had been played during the winter carnival. The pandemic and past weather issues have plagued the traditional tournament for years, so it was a poignant ceremonial faceoff. And, instead of a full tournament, organizers went with just one classic game and then opened the rink up to kids, who took over with shinny, ice games and an evening dance party to the tunes of DJ Matt Tamblyn.

A day of fun between two storms Read More »

We can’t ‘bury our heads’ on climate change: MRC prefect

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / February 24, 2025 / Chelsea, Flood maps, Gary Martin, Marc Carrière, MRC des Collines, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

The head of the MRC des Collines regional government says that local municipalities in the Hills can’t “bury our heads in the sand” when looking at the threats of natural disasters in the wake of climate change.

MRC des Collines Prefect Marc Carrière told the Low Down that his government, as well as municipalities in Gatineau, La Pêche, Pontiac, Cantley, L’Ange Guardian and others, are working together to map out five local rivers in terms of their floodplains.

He said there is also concern for those who live near bodies of water – especially since Quebec’s Ministry of the Environment recently told the Low Down that it expects the “the surface area of floodplains would increase by approximately 40 per cent in the next-generation maps.”

“We have had two major floods in 2017 and 2019, and you never know when this will happen again,” said Carrière. He noted that there was another massive storm in the Hills last summer, which flooded properties, damaged homes and washed out several roads in Hollow Glen in Chelsea. “With all this climate change, we have to be prepared. So, of course the MRC and the municipalities are worried, especially for the residents that will live in the next flooding zone.”

According to Craig Stewart, part-time Chelsea resident and the vice-president of Climate Change and Federal Issues with the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), about 10 per cent of homes in Canada are “uninsurable” for flooding, as they are built in the 100-year floodplain. Insurers won’t cover them because it is nearly a guarantee that they will flood within 20 years, he said.

Carrière said his government will need federal and provincial help.

“People will have to adapt, but we can’t bury our heads in the sand and think it will never happen again,” added Carrière. “It will happen again.”

The federal government is working on a national partnership program with insurance companies to offer coverage for these “high-risk” homes. The problem is that the program is taking time to iron out, and with the new flood maps expected later this year, homeowners could find themselves in an expensive bind if they want certain flood coverage added as a premium.

Despite the alarming assertion by one government source that flood zones would increase by 40 per cent in Quebec, local Carleton University researcher Gary Martin, who studies climate change adaptation and flood risk management, said that while flood risk is clearly increasing across Quebec, it remains to be seen how the province’s maps will differ from existing municipal flood maps. He said that municipalities and the MRCs know where the risky areas are, and have worked for decades to keep housing out of those risky areas.

“Whose climate modeling and flood mapping are they using? What’s their level of certainty? How far in the future are they planning? The feds are working on new, publicly accessible flood zone maps across Canada too. Whose map will you use?” Questioned Martin. “That 40% figure concerns me. Will it cause people to panic?”

“This is all up in the air, and I don’t think people need to freak out just yet,” Martin continued. “The feds and the provinces and municipalities understand the problem, and are all working through this to ensure that people don’t lose the equity in their homes.”Carrière said that the local MRCs are mapping out five rivers in the area: Gatineau, Quyon, Outaouais, Du Lièvre in Masson-Angers and Blanche in Perkins. He said the maps should be completed by the end of the year.

We can’t ‘bury our heads’ on climate change: MRC prefect Read More »

Black and white photo of person standing in front of a window with their back to the camera

‘Is there anything we can do?’

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / February 24, 2025 / Outaouais, Suicide, Trevor Greenway

by Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

Content warning: This article discusses suicide. If you’re struggling, help is available. You are not alone. Please reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or a professional. In Canada, you can call or text 988 for free, confidential support 24/7.

Declan Thomas was a friend, a brother and a chef. Patrick Thompson was a talented artist, an adoring uncle and an inspiration to young artists in the north. Jay Dubois was a village contractor and a loving father.

These three young men – and many others who we didn’t mention out of respect for their families, were all part of the fabric that made the Gatineau Hills so special. They had loving mothers and fathers, friends, siblings, nieces and nephews, wives, kids and proud grandparents who loved them. They were young souls with futures ahead of them.

But for these three young men – and thousands more across Quebec – those dreams were never realized, those plans were never fulfilled and their family members were left devastated by the news that their loved ones had taken their own lives. All of these men died by suicide in the last five years.

“With Declan, it was just out of the blue,” said Declan Thomas’ brother, Owain, speaking about the loss of his brother close to two years after his death in 2022. “He was quite secretive, and he didn’t share much.

Nobody really knew the whole story of anything. If you knew Declan, you knew there’s a lot going on underneath.”

Owain has spent the last 24 months recovering and rebuilding his life from insurmountable grief that he said is impossible to describe. Just two months after his brother died by suicide, Owain’s wife Elyse Cragg took her own life. The father of a three-year-old not only mourned the death of his brother but also his wife – the mother of his only child.

“It was two suicides in two and a half months,” Owain told the Low Down. He’s stoic and collected after spending months in therapy and counselling. He said he wants to talk about suicide rates and the mental toll it takes on families left to pick up the pieces. “I was with my little boy, who was three and potty training, and I was alone in a town [in Brossard, QC] where I didn’t know anybody, and I had no family or friends around. It was rough. I tried to help Declan, and I tried to help her, too.”

That “help” not only came in the form of counselling and therapy but also listening and trying to understand the issues Owain’s brother and wife were struggling with. Owain said what was hard to bear was his brother’s unwillingness to speak about his problems; that Declan did not feel strong enough to confront his struggles with drugs and alcohol, his loneliness or his growing self-shame. Owain said he did everything he could to help and still lost two loved ones to suicide.

“I knew that Declan needed help and I tried to help him, but it just didn’t get addressed,” explained Owain. “A lot of people tried. And a lot of his girlfriends – most of his girlfriends – reached out to me and said, ‘Is there anything we can do?’”

Owain has since moved to Pincourt, QC, where he is “rebuilding” his life with his new partner Tiffany and her three young daughters.

Men three times more likely to take their own lives

A new suicide report by the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) states that men are three times more likely to take their own lives than women.

According to the report, these three local young men – Thomas, Thompson, and Dubois – are among the 4,924 Quebecers who have taken their own lives since 2017 and are among the 345 Outaouais residents who ended their own lives in that same period. The report also shows that suicides in Quebec have remained fairly consistent over the past several years, with 1,051 suicides recorded in 2020; 1,031 in 2021 and 1,102 in 2022.

When looking at gender, the report shows that men are three times more likely to take their own lives than their female counterparts, with the adjusted suicide rate for women at 5.5 per 100,000 people compared to 18.6 per 100,000 for men.

In the Outaouais, the suicide rate is above the provincial average. According to the report, the suicide rate in Quebec hovers at around 10 people per 100,000, while the Outaouais is around 13.9 per 100,000.

The highest suicide rates in the province are in Nunavik, where a staggering 173 people per 100,000 residents take their own lives.

While the stats are clear, the reasons behind why so many young men are taking their own lives are more complicated. The Low Down reached out to more than a dozen local, Quebec-based and Canadian psychologists and psychiatrists – none of them were willing to comment on the report or the growing crisis.

However, research shows that “men account for almost three out of four ‘deaths of despair,’ from overdose or suicide,” according to American writer and social scientist Richard Reeves, who explores this in his 2022 book, ‘Of Boys and Men’. Reeves’ research has found the likelihood of men taking their own lives significantly higher than that of their female counterparts.

“Opioid deaths are at about 70 per cent plus male; men are about four times more likely to commit suicide than women are,” Reeves told New York Times journalist Ezra Klein in 2023. “It’s risen by about 25 per cent as well over the last 10 years or so.” In his book, Reeves argues that the U.S. education system is placing boys at a disadvantage and explores why boys raised in poverty are less likely to escape than girls and why so many young men are seeking controversial figures like self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson, a well-known, Canadian psychologist who was forced to undergo social media sensitivity training after posting transphobic, racist and misogynistic tweets. Reeves said on Klein’s podcast that more and more young men are wondering where they fit in the world: “I think that sense of being needed is hugely important,” he said.

A recent study by research fellow and suicide prevention expert Fiona Shand published in the British Medical Journal looked at the words that men used to describe themselves before suicide. The two words they most commonly used were “useless” and “worthless.”

An Angus Reid survey in 2021 found that 63 per cent of 18- to 34-year-old Canadian men experienced considerable loneliness and isolation, compared to 53 per cent of their female counterparts. These results are similar to a recent U.S. study, in which one in three young men said they always or often felt lonely, and more than a quarter said they had no close friends; again, higher than rates among young women.

These stats are not surprising to Wakefield resident Alexandre Bon-Miller, a men’s life coach, mentor and executive director at Boys to Men Canada, which helps young men “navigate towards self-awareness, growth and masculinity,” according to its website. His organizations hosts retreats for men aged 13-35 who are in “crisis or transition.”

He was clear that he is not a psychologist but has been working with young men for over two decades. He said that while most suicide cases are unique and come with a “collection of influences and variables and aspects,” a lot of young men are feeling lost these days.

“I think one main thing is a lack of purpose, a lack of sense of direction and purpose and meaning,” Bon-Miller told the Low Down. “More than ever, young people are coming into a zeitgeist where they don’t trust authority; they don’t trust our institutions. So, there’s a cynicism and a mistrust and a nihilism that is only exacerbated through the culture war. This is where you get these young men looking around on the internet, [and] they find guys like Andrew Tate, and they follow down those paths.”

A struggle to help those struggling

Part of the struggle for Bon Miller – and others – has been engaging young men to address their issues. It was a similar problem for Owain in getting his brother Declan to seek help, and it seems to be a constant struggle for families who may be aware of a loved one’s struggles but have no idea how to help them. This struggle is well documented, with the Angus Reid study showing that women are almost three times more likely to seek help through social services.

It’s a problem Danielle Lanyi said she is all too familiar with. The executive director at Connexions Resource Centre in Wakefield said that there are plenty of resources available to help those in crisis, but most people don’t know about them. Another huge barrier is that most of the help is through institutions, and they often come with long wait times for crisis intervention. But she praised the CISSS’s Aire Ouvert program, which translates to “open space,” and that’s what it is. The service connects youth and parents with a network of specialists: psychologists, therapists, sexologists, nurses and social workers, who will meet either virtually or in-person to discuss anything from mental health and sexuality to drug addiction – and everything in between. The service is by appointment only and is available in both French and English.

“I think they have done a good job so far,” said Lanyi. “They have numerous committees and focus groups with youth and parents, and they are also working with community organizations.”

Lanyi referenced a long list of resources for those struggling with their mental health but added that Quebec is lacking in follow-up treatment after a patient goes through a crisis.

“I find that the aftermath is when things start to really sink in,” said Lanyi, referring to either someone who has attempted suicide, someone struggling with a crisis or a family member dealing with the grief of losing a loved one to suicide. “People start processing and, you know, start to ask, ‘What are the next steps?’ And they’re just kind of left on their own.”

Lanyi urges residents to use the Santé Québec 811 hotline if they are in a crisis, as the service isn’t solely a telephone support system. Lanyi said Quebec has social workers and nurses on the ground in the region.

“If it’s a crisis, and if it’s a suicide crisis especially, I know that 811 also responds,” she said about the bilingual service.

Maison le Ricochet in Masham is another local organization that helps transition those going through a mental crisis back into society. The organization has 21 beds throughout the municipality and offers everything from counselling and mental health support to rehabilitation programs that allow patients to work in the wood shop or their electronic recycling plant. The home has been in operation since 1990.

People like Owain, the Dubois family and the Thompsons know nothing will ever bring their brothers and sons back, nor will the pain of losing a loved one to suicide ever go away, but they are all candid about talking about suicide and mental health in the hopes that it could save someone going down that path.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is available. See our list of mental health resources to the right. And if you need immediate help, dial 911.

If you need help…

Mental Health Resources:

Suicide.ca – Bilingual
- Prevention line: 1-866-APPELLE (277-3553)
Canada Suicide Prevention Service – Bilingual
- 24-Hour Crisis Line: call/text: 988
Info-santé – Bilingual
- 24-Hour Crisis Line: 811, press option #2 to speak with a social worker
Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region – Bilingual
- 24/7 Crisis Line: 613-238-3311
Tel-Aide Outaouais – French Only
- 24 hour helpline:: 819-775-3223 or toll-free: at 1-800-567-9699
L’Apogée
- Centre for family and friends of a person living with a mental health disorder: 819-771-6488
- www.lapogee.ca
Aire ouverte
- Free health and wellness services for young people aged 12 to 25.
- Phone (calls only): 819-966-6220
- Email: 07.aire_ouverte@ssss.gouv.qc.ca.
- Website: www.quebec.ca/sante/trouver-une-ressource/aire-ouverte
- 92 Saint-Raymond Blvd, suite 403 (4th floor), Gatineau.
Maison le Ricochet
- Rehabilitation and social and professional reintegration services to individuals dealing with mental health issues of varying intensity. The organization offers accommodation services, workshops, and work programs with support and supervision 24/7.
- Phone: 819-456-4230
- Email: maisonlericochet@qc.aira.com.
- Website: www.maisonlericochet.com,
- 9 Ch. de la Beurrerie, Masham.

Grieving Resources:

Bereaved Families Ottawa: bfo-ottawa.org (English)
ROCSMO (Regroupement des organismes communautaires en santé mentale): santementaleoutaouais.ca (Bilingual)
Maison Alonzo-Wright: www.maisonalonzowright.com/nos-services
Écoute Agricole: www.ecouteagricole.com/en
Ami-Québec: amiquebec.org
Entraide-Deuil-Outaouais: 819-770-4814 (French only)
Intersection (Deuil post-suicide): 819-568-4555 (French only)

‘Is there anything we can do?’ Read More »

Drez Slezak and Kat Brooks pose with their daughter at their new shop, the Chelsea Wellness Market, which will sell health food products and host live workshops.

Chelsea gets healthier with new Wellness Market

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / February 15, 2025 / Chelsea, Trevor Greenway, Wellness market

By Trevor Greenway

It’s a snowy Friday morning at the Chelsea Wellness Market, and despite only being open for a week, owners Drez Slezak and Kat Brooks are trying to keep their shelves stocked.

The two Chelsea residents opened their new shop on Old Chelsea Road on Jan. 29 and have already sold out of one of their popular products: Shilajit, a mineral-rich resin long used in Ayurveda healing.

“It’s an ancient resin that comes from the Himalayas, and it’s super dense in minerals, and people just really go crazy for it,” said co-owner Slezak. “We’re already sold out of this.”

The market’s two owners and life partners said they hope the early product sell-out is a sign of things to come at Chelsea’s newest and only health food store. Given that Chelsea’s population includes health-conscious skiers, cyclists, joggers, hikers and yogis, Slezak’s and Brooks’ values are likely a good fit for the community.

“We’ve been living here four and a half, five years, and kept having to drive to Ottawa to Healthy Planet,” said Brooks, noting that Wakefield has also had a great health food store for the past 15 years – La Forêt. “We just saw that need in the [Chelsea] community.”

The Chelsea Wellness Market might be small, but it’s mighty in terms of the amount of products that will eventually line the shelves once it fully hits its stride, according to the owners. So far, they’ve only had a soft opening and are continuing to get more and more health-based products.

Slezak said he wants the Chelsea Wellness Market to be a “one-stop shop” where residents can buy everything from food – local eggs, milk and cheese – to toiletries, like organic and natural toothpaste.

“We are making sure we have good quality food and snacks, and that’s why we’re getting really high-quality milk, eggs, butter and stuff like that,” added Slezak. “Alternative flours or pasta, sauces – all those different things so you can cook meals. But then there are also eco-natural cleaning products, laundry detergents and supplements, protein powders and vitamins. We will have beauty products like hair and skin products and natural toothbrushes.”

While they aren’t nutritional experts, Slezak and Brooks have wellness backgrounds and run sonic yoga events, sound therapy retreats and ecstatic dance parties. Brooks is also a holistic grief coach. The couple plans to host educational health workshops inside their shop, inviting nutritionists, naturopathic doctors and other practitioners to help people learn more about health products and healthy habits.

The Chelsea Wellness Market is hosting its grand opening on Feb. 22 from 4–9 p.m. at 183 Old Chelsea Road.

Chelsea gets healthier with new Wellness Market Read More »

Cop shortages in Hills

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / February 15, 2025 / Cantley, Chelsea, L'Ange Guardian, La Peche, MRC des Collines, Police shortage, Pontiac, Trevor Greenway, Val-des-Monts

By Trevor Greenway

The head of the MRC des Collines regional government says that the Hills’ police force is not the only precinct facing officer shortages, as the problem is also across Quebec and the country.

MRC des Collines Prefect Marc Carrière told the Low Down that staff shortages at the region’s police force are putting pressure on active officers and creating a tension-filled working environment for those on the frontline.

He said that the police force is facing a lack of resources, with senior officers working atypical shifts, and many officers are being forced to work long overtime shifts to make up the shortfall. He added that the MRC des Collines precinct is currently struggling to fill about 12 roles.

“It’s all across Quebec and in Canada,” said Carrière about the shortages, referring to places like Montreal and Gatineau. He noted that, at one point, Montreal was short 400 officers and Gatineau was short 40-50 officers.

“We are at the point where officers are doing forced overtime and that doesn’t please anyone.”

Carrière said that he is working with local police unions to form a recruitment committee to attract more officers to the region. The MRC des Collines police force is the only MRC in Quebec to have a regional police force, with the rest of the province being served by either a city detachment or the provincial force, the Sûreté du Québec.

One of the main challenges for this region’s police force, according to Carrière, is the sheer size of the region. The region covers six municipalities that are spread out over 2,000-plus square kilometres.

According to Quebec’s Police Act, passed in 2000, municipalities with more than 5,000 residents must have their own police force. When the law was being enacted, instead of La Pêche launching its own police force, it banded together with Val-des-Monts, Chelsea, Cantley, L’Ange Guardian and Pontiac to form the MRC des Collines Police.

Carrière said his government is studying the benefits and detriments of switching to an SQ police force in the region but added that those discussions are at the very early stages.

Past problems at MRC precinct

This isn’t the first time the MRC des Collines precinct has had issues. A report by Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) in July of last year found that the work environment under the direction of former MRC des Collines Police Chief Yves Charette was “toxic and unhealthy.”

The report was spawned by a 2021 complaint from a lieutenant who said he was the victim of psychological harassment at work for several years, which caused “major depression and a resurgence of post-traumatic stress.” The report did not name the lieutenant.

“The actions of the police director towards the worker over a period of approximately three years are objectively traumatic, beyond the normal scope of work,” wrote Judge Manon Chénier in the July 2024 decision. “These events do not fall within the scope of a reasonably exercised management right,” the decision emphasizes. “These are events that take place in a toxic work climate, while the worker is constantly criticized, belittled and humiliated.”

Charette left the MRC des Collines Public Security in early 2022 after being celebrated for 40 years of “distinguished service in the police force” during a recognition ceremony. A year and a half later, CNESST released its damning report on Charette.

Despite the past toxic culture, Carrière said he feels like current Police Chief Martial Mallette has cleaned up his precinct.

“We’re not looking backwards,” said Carrière, adding that the issues took place before he was prefect and before Mallette was named chief. “We want to go forward, find a permanent solution and that’s what we are working on.”

Cop shortages in Hills Read More »

La Pêche residents browse the municipality’s urban maps during a public consultation on future growth.

No Farm Point planned for La Peche anytime soon…

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / February 14, 2025 / La Pêche, Masham, Trevor Greenway, Urban density, Urban planning, Wakefield

By Trevor Greenway

Higher density, wetland protection, commercial hubs and the possibility of converting the old railway in Wakefield into a multipurpose pedestrian trail – these are just a few of the things that urban planners in La Pêche are looking at as they plan for the next decade-plus of growth in the Hills.

The municipality held its urban planning consultations Feb. 6 in Wakefield, where La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux and urbanism director Jalloul Salah ran residents through a number of initiatives the municipality is looking at implementing to align with the MRC des Collines’ masterplan.

Among other things, one of the biggest changes La Pêche could see is increased density in the municipality’s two urban perimeters – Masham and Wakefield – where the current maximum is 30 units per hectare, which must be serviced by a sewer system. However La Pêche is looking at increasing that maximum to 45 units per hectare, but Lamoureux explained that developments of that size would require both sewer and water services.

“Such densities are not legally permitted in every zone of the urban perimeters,” said Lamoureux, explaining that, “If a developer comes forward with a project in a zone where high density is permitted, studies are then conducted to determine the site’s constraints, which may be lower than what is legally permitted.”

Wakefield doesn’t currently have water services and has only a limited sewer system in Wakefield’s village core. Lamoureux explained that development approvals will be based on studies that determine whether the current infrastructure, including the area’s aqueduct, can handle the increased density.

Part of the urban planning review process, according to Lamoureux, is to monitor urban expansion as more and more residents move into the Hills. However, despite La Pêche’s growth, Lamoureux said his council has no plans to expand or add to the municipality’s two urban perimeters in Wakefield and Masham. That means La Pêche residents won’t wake up anytime soon, according to Lamoureux, to find out there is a new urban perimeter in Edelweiss or Lac des Loups, as happened in Chelsea with regard to Farm Point.

“There is no plan or need to increase their current size. It could happen during a future review of the MRC masterplan if a need to do so was demonstrated, in the distant future, maybe,” Lamoureux told the Low Down, but added, “There is no talk of adding other urban perimeters and no reason to do so.”

According to Lamoureux, the municipality must review its urban plan (PU) to ensure that it aligns with the MRC des Collines’ regional masterplan, which was adopted last year. The MRC’s masterplan outlines things like zoning regulations, environmental setbacks and development rules.

Among zoning changes, La Pêche’s urban plan is also an exercise in “cohesive” village hubs in both Masham and Wakefield through the promotion of “attractive commercial and industrial clusters.” In Wakefield, the idea is to make the heart of the village a dynamic shopping and visitor’s space by enticing more small and unique businesses to set up there. The urban planning document even talks about developing a promotional plan to promote natural and organic products from the village.

Lamoureux told the Low Down that studies are already underway to convert the old railway tracks in Wakefield into a multi-use pathway, similar to what Chelsea did with its popular Voie Verte trail along the Gatineau River.

“These studies are underway, and this project has been discussed in recent years,” said Lamoureux. “We have secured funding for the studies needed to connect both Chelsea and Low. We are including it in the PU because it’s an ongoing project.”

A big portion of the urban planning document focused on environmental protections, namely around protecting wetlands, local water sources and the Wakefield spring.

According to La Pêche biologist Dominique Lavoie, the municipality will add bacteriological protection of 46 metres around the spring, as well as virological protection of 116 metres.

“Groundwater migration time calculations show that beyond these setbacks, pathogenic elements should no longer be active by the time they reach the source’s collection point,” she wrote in an email to the Low Down. “As for the immediate 30-metres protection area, it’s defined by provincial regulations but takes into account the built environment. Ultimately, these setbacks will be taken into consideration for any decision-making regarding areas surrounding the spring.”

La Pêche is also adding extra protection around wetlands, shorelines and ecological corridors. The municipality is adding an additional 15-metre setback on shorelines in eco corridors and lakes, a 500-metre protection on blue heron nesting sites and additional protections around wetlands.

“Unless authorized by the provincial level, no destruction of wetlands may be authorized, with the exception of work related to public utilities or public safety,” the document reads.

La Pêche will now begin its adoption process of this new urban plan and by-laws that will go along with it. Lamoureux said that, based on the 60 or so residents who attended the meeting, he and staff will be holding several more meetings to update constituents on the process.

No Farm Point planned for La Peche anytime soon… Read More »

Quebec flood maps to grow by 40%

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / February 9, 2025 / Chelsea, Climate Change, Craig Stewart, Flood maps, Gatineau hills, Insurance Bureau of Canada, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiatve

The next generation of flood maps being developed by the Quebec government could spell out a nightmare for Hills homeowners who live in high-risk areas.

According to Quebec’s Ministry of Environment, next-generation flood maps are being developed this spring. Due to climate change, the government expects flood zones to grow by a staggering 40 per cent. Insurance experts are sounding the alarm now that homeowners can expect big changes to their coverage—very high premiums or no flood insurance at all.

“Although it is impossible to predict the outcome for a particular sector, it is expected that in the majority of cases, the next-generation floodplain maps will be larger following their new delimitation,” wrote Ministry of Environment spokesperson Josée Guimond in an email. “Sectors that were not previously identified on floodplain maps could thus become so. The Ministry estimates that the surface area of floodplains would increase by approximately 40 per cent in the next-generation maps, particularly due to the inclusion of the effect of climate change.”

In February 2024, the Desjardins Group announced that it would no longer offer mortgages to homes in some flood zones because the “impacts of climate change, including water damage, are growing in importance and causing substantial damage.”

Craig Stewart, a part-time Chelsea resident and the Vice-President of Climate Change and Federal Issues with the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) told the Low Down that these new maps could mean homeowners wake up one day and find that they can’t renew their mortgages.

“Can you imagine: you go to renew your mortgage, and you’re on the Quebec map, as you’re now in a floodplain, and you didn’t know it, and now you can’t renew your mortgage?” Stewart told the Low Down. “This could happen, absolutely. And so suddenly everybody’s looking at this problem and thinking, ‘Oh no, we’re going to have to figure our way out of this.’ And unfortunately, Ottawa has dragged its feet.”

Stewart said the problems began in Calgary in 2013, when major flooding there led the insurance industry to pay out $1.4 billion in flood claims. The industry said it would no longer cover overland flooding—water coming in from ocean surges, lakes and rivers, or even heavy rainfall—because the flood maps were out of date.

Stewart said the IBC then spent several million dollars mapping the entire country. In 2015, some companies started offering overland flooding insurance as a separate product for homes in low—or medium-risk zones. However, the mapping data showed that 10 per cent of homes—those in the high-risk, 100-year flood plains—would not be covered because “it’s not an accident; we know they are going to flood.”

“These are the ones inside the 100-year flood plain – it used to be once in 100 years. Now, it’s like every 20 years. We know they are going to flood.”

For this 10 per cent of uninsurable homes, Stewart said the federal government has stepped in and is working on a federal insurance program in partnership with insurance companies to offer high-risk flood insurance. According to Stewart, under the proposed plan the insurance company would charge a premium for the flood product and remit that money to the feds, who would “backstop the risk.”

The problem, according to Stewart, is that Ottawa has “dragged its feet.”

“These sorts of partnerships are very common, but in Canada, it’s taken us forever,” said Stewart, referring to places like the UK, France and the US, which have national insurance programs for flooding. Stewart said that these conversations started in Canada in 2017, and everything has now stalled with parliament prorogued until late March.

According to Stewart, the bigger problem is Canada’s housing plan—thousands of houses are being built to address the country’s housing crisis, but there is no real guidance on how or where to build them. He said that Canada’s building code needs updating so that contractors start building the right homes in the right places. Without new legislation in the building code, he fears many of these new homes will be built in flood zones and will be uninsurable until Canada catches up.

“The insurance industry has been saying for years, ‘don’t build in high-risk places,’ and yet, municipal governments have continued to build homes in places where they probably shouldn’t be, and the federal government has kicked building codes for resilience down the road,” added Stewart. “It should be in the building code – ways to build wildfire resilient homes or flood resilient homes – but we’re not going to get to that till 2030. So now, as a nation, we’re building thousands and thousands of new homes because we have a housing crisis, but those homes are going to be built poorly, and they are potentially going to be built in high-risk areas.”

The Hills has seen its fair share of increased storms and flooding, including last year’s Hurricane Debbie aftermath, which left Chelsea in ruin. Multiple homes flooded, roads were completely washed away, and homeowners were left with debris and mud after landslides in Hollow Glen.

Locally, the MRC des Collines is working with other regional governments—Papineau and Pontiac—to map local rivers and develop a new risk assessment for the area. However, La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux said it’s too early to comment on what those maps show, as they won’t be ready until next winter.

No flood risk? Still pay more

Chelsea resident Stephen Woodley lives on top of Juniper Road, his home has never flooded and he’s never claimed flood damage with his insurance, but two years ago, he received a letter from his TD Insurance that flooding would no longer be covered on his insurance plan. To get flood insurance, he would have to pay more.

“I mean, our whole economy is based on the single biggest purchase in our life, which is a home. And if we can’t get insurance on a home, you can’t get a mortgage, right?” Woodley told the Low Down. “We had a couple of big rain events right in Chelsea that flooded all kinds of people’s basements. My basement doesn’t flood, but I do have a sump pump. I’ve never claimed against it, but they cut it off.” Woodley said that TD did offer him flood insurance, but the premium was $1,800 per year. He said that if his basement floods, it would maybe cost $10,000 to fix it and with no flood history, he didn’t feel it was worth it to pay nearly $2,000 extra every year.

“I live up on Juniper Road at the top of the hill, so I’m not a big flood risk,” said Woodley. “But they don’t care about that. I’m sure it was a blanket policy.”

Quebec says that storms in 2017 and 2019 cost the province more than $1.4 billion, which, aside from impacts on infrastructure, public services and the economy, can also lead to “socio-sanitary impacts, affecting both health status and physical, psychological and social well-being.”

Quebec’s most recent floods

In 2017, a historic flood affected 293 municipalities, including some in the Gatineau Hills, forcing the evacuation of more than 4,000 people.
In 2019, a historic flood affected more than 240 municipalities, flooded thousands of homes, forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 people and caused the closure of several roads. Municipalities in the Gatineau Hills were impacted.
In 2019, the sudden rupture of a dike in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac led to the flooding of more than 2,600 properties and the evacuation of approximately 6,500 people.
In 2023, flooding occurred in several regions, including the Hills. The failure of a protective wall in Baie-Saint-Paul caused a rapid rise in water levels, flooding nearly 300 homes and forcing the evacuation of more than 1,000 people.

Quebec flood maps to grow by 40% Read More »

WQSB cuts $1.1M from budget

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / February 8, 2025 / Quebec Education Ministry, School budgets, Trevor Greenway, Western Quebec School Board, WQSB

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

The head of the Western Quebec School Board (WQSB) says he isn’t worried about the $1.1 million he is being forced to cut from his budget, but he is concerned about how another round of expected cuts this spring will affect students.

WQSB Executive Director George Singfield told a group of school board commissioners Jan. 28 that while the plan to cut more than half a million dollars in salaries, plus another $500,000 elsewhere won’t affect students this year, he doesn’t see how the school board can cut more without disadvantaging students.

“We could all make the argument that everything that we’re doing – this meeting – should be impacting students, frankly, indirectly, in a different way than standing in front of a classroom in front of students,” Singfield said during a public school board commissioners meeting Jan. 28. “However, there’s an impact, and so how do we minimize that impact?”

Singfield continued. “And as we are asked to cut more, that becomes more challenging and difficult, and hopefully it won’t be as bad as some people think it will be, but we turn on the news, whether it’s French media, English media in Quebec, you’re hearing about cuts everywhere. This is not exclusive to education. This is everywhere.”

The WQSB cuts are part of the Quebec Education Ministry’s effort to cut $200 million from its overall budget by March 31, and while Singfield praised his commissioners for finding savings in things like caretaking contracts, salaries and board training, he worries about where to make future cuts.

His commissioners presented a detailed financial plan during the meeting, where it was revealed that the $1.1 million reduction this year is a “one shot” savings, meaning they can’t cut the same amount from their budget every year. According to commissioners, recurring savings will only amount to approximately $361,000 every year.

“The concern is going to be if the government comes back in April and says, ‘By the way, now here’s round two,’ and then if we come back in September and they say, ‘Here’s round three,’ and then come back again and again. I hope that doesn’t happen, but I would be very, very surprised if we don’t see more cuts coming.”

Part of the challenge, according to Singfield and his commissioners, is that the province’s mandate to slash budgets came with the caveat that the cuts couldn’t affect students. And if you look at the list of cuts, it’s nearly impossible to imagine that these changes do not affect students.

Half a million in salaries is being cut; a school psychologist won’t be replaced and the school board is losing its important lunch program for low-income students.

“We require a lot more help than we used to,” said Lord Aylmer school commissioner Cathy Goldsbrough during the meeting. “We need psychologists, sociologists, we need all kinds of people involved because the schools are raising a lot of the children. It’s not just a family situation in many cases. So we need a huge support network.” She suggested that commissioners each write a letter to the Ministry of Education to show how future cuts would have a “dramatic” impact on students.

“As taxpayers, and everyone here is a taxpayer, these are services that are essential,” she said. “They’re not philosophical.”

WQSB Commissioner chair Joanne Labadie questioned the Quebec government’s priorities, namely in its 2024 fall economic statement, in which politicians announced a $22 billion deficit and an additional $2 billion investment to “address the housing crisis.” She argues that housing, health, and education all fit together.

“When you increase housing to address the housing crisis, education and healthcare go hand in hand,” said Labadie. “It’s fine to build new homes, but new schools and new education infrastructure and healthcare services come with it.”

Singfield said while the cuts are challenging, they only represent less than one per cent of the school board’s overall budget.

He said he sees it as an “opportunity” to become a more efficient school board. However, there’s a limit to the services his school board can cut, and they’re close to that limit already.

CAQ MNA for Gatineau Robert Bussiére did not return the Low Down’s calls for comment.

WQSB Budget cuts by March 31

More than half a million dollars in salary cuts
$182,000 reduction in caretaking contract fees
$65,000 reduction by cleaning exterior windows every two years instead of annually
$200,000 reduction in not hiring four professionals for half a year
$30,000 reduction by not replacing a school psychologist who is on extended leave
$31,900 reduction in training and travel costs for staff

WQSB cuts $1.1M from budget Read More »

Local MNA silent on education cuts, but Liberals vocal

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / February 5, 2025 / André Fortin, Education, Quebec, Robert Bussière, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

MNA for Gatineau Robert Bussière didn’t respond to this newspaper’s questions on the province’s plan to cut $200 million from the education sector by March 31, but his opposition didn’t mince words.

“It’s preposterous,” said Liberal MNA for Pontiac André Fortin, also the official critic on health. He was referring to the notion that the CAQ government can force health and education ministries to make significant budget cuts by this spring: $200 million in education and a staggering $1.5 billion for the health sector – without those cuts affecting services. He said that is impossible.

“[The government] is saying the exact same thing in healthcare: ‘You’ve got to cut without affecting patients.’ And already we are seeing the tremendous impact that these cuts are having on students and patients,” Fortin told the Low Down. He referenced Quebec Premier François Legault’s promise in April to “prioritize health and education,” suggesting that Legault has gone back on his word to constituents.

“That’s the first two places where we’re seeing cuts, in healthcare and education, and it is preposterous to think that these cuts can happen without patient and student services being affected,” added Fortin. “We’re seeing additional wait times at the hospitals already. When you cut staff, it means that you’re cutting services, so, it’s a ridiculous thing to think that you can have cuts of that magnitude without affecting services.”

Fortin criticized the CAQ government’s financial decisions to subsidize the North Volt battery plant, the millions it spent on bringing the Los Angeles Kings to Quebec City for an exhibition game, and the over $600 million it gave to the Office québécois de la langue française to protect the French language. Fortin pointed out that when Legault took office in 2018, he was sitting on a $7 billion surplus and has wracked up a historic $11 billion deficit with his spending in just seven years.

“[Legault] has made some horrible financial decisions with Quebecers’ tax money,” said Fortin. “He has invested in things that, from the start, were doomed, and now Quebecers – patients, students, those who need the basic government services – are paying the price for this. It’s government mismanagement at its worst.”

Bussière did not respond to numerous requests for an interview with this newspaper.

Local MNA silent on education cuts, but Liberals vocal Read More »

La Pêche urban plan needs your voice

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / February 5, 2025 / Guillaume Lamoureux, La Pêche, Trevor Greenway, Urban Plan, Wakefield

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

La Pêche is starting to develop its new urban plan across the municipality and is looking for citizens’ input on how they want their towns, villages and countryside to look and feel.

La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux said that the municipality’s current urban plan from 2003 is well out of date and he and his council are starting to tour the municipality’s various sectors to gather input from residents on how they want to see La Pêche grow.

Lamoureux said that because the MRC des Collines regional government passed a new master plan, municipalities must revise their urban plans to ensure they align with regional priorities. Lamoureux is hoping to build a smart growth plan for the municipality while still preserving La Pêche’s “unique local character.”

“As you may know, our current [urban plan] is over 20 years old,” said Lamoureux in a statement. “Many changes have occurred since then, and it no longer meets provincial requirements.”

The Wakefield urban planning meeting will take place Feb. 6 at the Wakefield community centre at 6:30 p.m. Residents can consult the urban planning draft document online here: www.villelapeche.qc.ca/citizens/practical-information/regulations.

La Pêche urban plan needs your voice Read More »

Cohabitat Wakefield takes giant leap toward housing project

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / February 3, 2025 / Cooperative housing project, Trevor Greenway, Wakefield

By Trevor Greenway

One major barrier that the volunteers at Cohabitat Wakefield repeatedly encountered when trying to build their 41-unit cooperative housing project in the village was the lack of land.

The lack of land left the group spinning its tires. They couldn’t apply for grants, conduct environmental, geotechnical, or hydrology studies, or present a feasibility study to show how crucial a cooperative housing model is in Wakefield, which lacks rental properties and has skyrocketing housing prices.

But the project got traction after the municipality of La Pêche stepped up and donated 2.5 acres of prime land just behind the Wakefield Fire Hall and former car wash.

“We were excited like you wouldn’t believe,” said Cohabitat Wakefield president Louise Chatelain, standing with co-volunteer Francine Costa in front of the land that will soon be the home of Cohabitat Wakefield. The land is rocky and heavily forested, and it will take much work to clear it and make it buildable, but the group is determined.

“We have a feasibility study that just got out in January this year,” added Chatelain. “The goal of having a feasibility study was to first of all demonstrate that affordable housing was absolutely an issue. It is an issue across Canada, but there’s no rental here at all.”

She isn’t wrong. According to the Association Provinciale Des Constructeurs D’Habitation Du Québec (APCHQ), in 2023, there was a shortfall of 15,000 rental units in Quebec. That number has likely risen over the past two years, especially with the Quebec rental board setting the 2025 rent increase to 5.9 per cent, the highest it has been in three decades.

Locally, the stats are even more dire. A 2021 report by La Table de développement social des Collines-de-l’Outaouais (TDSCO) shows a significant divide between homeowners and those who rent in the region, where 31.6 per cent of renters in the MRC des Collines spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing, while just 13 per cent of those who own their homes spend as much on their homes. Of the 835 residents surveyed, most identified a lack of housing diversity, a lack of affordable housing and housing conditions as the top three issues facing the region. The report also found that more than 3,000 residents, or 15 per cent of the MRC des Collines population, are spending more than 30 per cent of their income on housing – the 30 per cent benchmark set by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) as “affordable.”

“It’s a universal need and when you realize it’s not being met by so many people – think about older folks that have been here forever, and they are alone in a big house – they are forced to move out; they can’t stay here anymore, and they really lose that connection to where they grew up and where they raised their family,” added Costa. “The question that we all ask ourselves as we age is, ‘Where am I going to end up? What do I want to do with this part of my life?’ And you know, a lot of the co-founders are already in their, I would say, 60s.”

The group will now use this feasibility study to approach “the big funders” in the hopes of getting the entire project 100 per cent funded through CMHC’s Co-op Housing Development Program, which received a $1.5 billion boost from the 2022 and 2023 Fall Economic Statements. If successful, the project could receive top-to-bottom funding from the federal government and, if all goes according to plan, be built within the next two years.

While the housing project may be a drop in the bucket in the global housing crisis, the projected 41 units built in Wakefield will make a difference locally. The shared space will boast private dwellings for multigenerational families—single moms and dads, elderly folks, young families, and everyone in between. The project will also include shared recreational and kitchen spaces to encourage neighbourly connections among residents.

“Of course, we need our own space, but we also need a place to connect with people,” said Chatelaine. She added that the exterior space will be landscaped with lit pathways and common areas to increase the frequency of “spontaneous encounters.”

“Often when you leave your house, you don’t see your neighbours; you just come out of your driveway there, and that’s it,” added Chatelaine. “But by having these pathways, we will connect with each other to have spontaneous encounters.”

Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux said that his council is fully behind Cohabitat and added that the group has received nearly $30,000 in grants from the municipality’s green fund.

“It’s important because it’s one of the ways the housing shortage can be addressed in La Pêche,” said Lamoureux. “Council welcomes any opportunities to work with organizations like Cohabitat Wakefield or the Office de l’habitation de l’Outaouais.”

Cohabitat Wakefield takes giant leap toward housing project Read More »

Chelsea lawyer charged with fraud

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / January 31, 2025 / Chelsea, Julian J. Hutchinson, Trevor Greenway

by Trevor Greenway

A real estate lawyer in Chelsea has been charged with fraud, theft, false pretense and criminal breach of trust over real estate transactions completed between 2022 and 2024.

Chelsea resident Julian J. Hutchinson of Hutch Law was arrested and charged on Jan. 23 after Ottawa Police launched a fraud investigation in the fall of 2024. Police believe there are more victims who have yet to come forward and are urging those who have information to contact them immediately.

According to court records, Hutchinson runs Hutch Law on Preston Street in Ottawa. He specializes in real estate, corporate, and environmental law and lives in Chelsea. In a Dec. 30, 2024 tribunal decision, the Law Society of Ontario suspended Hutchinson’s licence and alleged that he “falsified documents in real estate transactions, provided false documents to parties as if they were authentic; made misleading statements in the course of real estate transactions; and failed to co-operate with the Law Society’s investigation.”

The tribunal decision refers to 12 separate complaints in which Hutchinson’s clients allege that he tampered with documents, misled them, engaged in misconduct, and misappropriated trust funds.

Ottawa police urge anyone with information to contact its Fraud Unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 7300. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestoppers.ca.

The Low Down reached out to Hutchinson; however, he said that, on the advice of his lawyer, he would not comment on the case.

Chelsea lawyer charged with fraud Read More »

Bill 21 heads to Supreme Court

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / January 31, 2025 / Bill 21, Chelsea, Trevor Greenway

by Trevor Greenway

Fatemeh Anvari is exhausted.

But the former Chelsea teacher who was banned from her Grade 3 classroom for wearing a hijab in 2021 says she will never give up the fight over Quebec’s controversial Bill 21.

“I think that if I don’t speak out any chance I get, then it will just be forgotten,” said Anvari. “And this is not just about me; it’s just that so many people are affected. And you know, if I have the chance to speak about it, why wouldn’t I?” Anvari’s comments come on the heels of the Jan. 23 announcement from Canada’s highest court – the Supreme Court of Canada – that it would hear a challenge to Quebec’s controversial Bill 21. This will be the final legal battle between Quebec and civil rights and community groups who argue that the bill is discriminatory and unconstitutional.

Bill 21 prohibits certain public workers in positions of authority, such as judges, police officers, prison guards and teachers, from wearing religious symbols while on the job. The Bill was passed in 2019 during the first mandate of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government. To protect the law from court challenges, Quebec legislators invoked the Constitution’s notwithstanding clause, a provision that must be renewed every five years. It was last renewed in 2024.

Anvari said while she’s happy that Canada’s high court will finally take on the case, it’s “alarming” that people are celebrating their right to be heard.

“It was a relief that it finally got to this stage,” Anvari told the Low Down. “But at the same time, it really made me think that, if in 2025 in Canada we’re being excited about having the right to be heard in the Supreme Court, that’s pretty alarming.”

The face of Bill 21

Anvari became the face of Bill 21 in Quebec after she was removed from her Grade 3 classroom at Chelsea Elementary School on Dec. 8, 2021. The Low Down first reported the story, which was later picked up by every major news outlet across the country, and some US-based publications. Anvari even penned an op-ed for Maclean’s magazine last October, defending her decision to wear a hijab in Canada.

It’s been three years since her story reignited the debate over secularism in Quebec, and politicians as high up as the Prime Minister have weighed in on her personal story.

“Nobody in Canada should ever lose their job because of what they wear or their religious beliefs,” PM Justin Trudeau wrote in a statement to the Low Down at the time. In his statement, he praised parents and students in Chelsea, who launched a “For Fatemeh” campaign that included letters from students and parents and green ribbons tied to the fence of the school – Anvari’s favourite colour. “What we’re seeing in Chelsea is a community coming together to stand up for their neighbour – a teacher, Fatemeh Anvari. And parents are having really difficult conversations with their kids,” wrote Trudeau.

Anvari also said the support from the school, her students, parents and this local paper are what keep her motivated to stay in the fight.

Empowered by Chelsea community

“Honestly, it was just the community in Chelsea, you know, if it hadn’t been for you guys – the parents, the Low Down, the kids, it just, it wouldn’t have been at all possible because I wouldn’t have felt empowered to talk about it ever,” said Anvari. “I really hope everybody acknowledges that – that it’s not something that is achievable without this support. It takes a village.”

And she knows it will still be a big fight at the Supreme Court. Quebec Premier François Legault on Jan. 24 posted on X that the government will “fight” for secularism in Quebec.

“Quebec has opted for secularism in the public sector, banning religious symbols and covered faces for government employees in positions of authority,” he wrote on X. “We’ll fight to the bitter end to defend our values and who we are.”

This response isn’t surprising to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), especially since Quebec has won every Bill 21 challenge it has faced in the lower courts. However, the CCLA, which first launched a challenge against Bill 21 in 2019, is hopeful that the high court will provide some clarity and a precedent on Quebec’s use of the notwithstanding clause, which it used to push the bill through in 2019.

Restricted by notwithstanding clause

“I think what the problem was that the lower courts recognize the harms of Bill 21, but they felt restricted because of the use of the notwithstanding clause,” said CCLA spokesperson Harini Sivalingam. “Because of the use of the notwithstanding clause, it’s an opportunity for the highest court to provide some clarity on what the rules should be of the courts when governments use the notwithstanding clause to pass laws that violate fundamental rights and freedom.”

The CCLA argues that the bill violates Canadian rights and freedoms, whether or not the notwithstanding clause was used. The CCLA also argues that the Quebec government has overstepped its powers. “There’s actually a power that is beyond the scope of the provincial government because of federalism and the distribution of power. The government is actually trying to regulate morality, which has traditionally been the domain of criminal law, which is a federal power.”

The CCLA said it won’t be satisfied until the bill is struck down in its entirety.

Bill 21 heads to Supreme Court Read More »

Before you kick it to the curb, register first!

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / January 23, 2025 / Bulky Waste, La Pêche, Trevor Greenway, waste management

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

No more tossing your old, ‘70s, flower-patterned couch to the curb anymore as residents in La Pêche will now have to register for bulky waste pickup before getting rid of their unwanted larger items.

In an effort to divert more items from the landfill, La Pêche has partnered with a new bulky waste company, Consifund, in Gatineau, which will use a list of registered households to map out its bulky waste route instead of touring the entire municipality in search of large items sitting at the end of driveways.

“We’re trying to work with another company in order to really reduce the costs,” said La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux. “It’s to be more efficient, really. That way their route will be planned according to where bulky waste is located. When it comes to bulky waste, we’re trying to minimize what was once sent to landfill as well. Our previous contractors – there was no effort to reuse or recycle.”

The municipality is also reducing its frequency with bulky waste pickup, dropping down to just four pickups throughout the year. Pickups will take place in: January, April, July and October. According to the municipality, residents can register up until the Friday before the collection date. La Pêche’s next collection will come on Jan. 29, and residents can register online via the Voila! app or by calling 819-456-2161, option 1.

An online form will ask users to fill out their information and also add a description of what item(s) they are looking to get rid of. Lamoureux said this information will help the waste management company determine whether an item should be donated somewhere, recycled or if it’s suitable for the landfill.

“This will be done by the collector,” added Lamoureux. “So, they will pick it up and then figure out, ‘Oh, we can donate this,’ or ‘We can throw this away’ – all in an effort to minimize what goes to the landfill.”

Along with the changes to bulky waste pickup, residents may have also noticed that their garbage is sitting in their driveway for an extra day. That’s because, according to Lamoureux, La Pêche has joined forces with Chelsea, Cantley and Val-des-Monts for a regional service, and the schedule has shifted for household pickup.

Lamoureux said figuring out the new schedule is simple: “The days just shifted by one day. Basically, if you were on Monday, you’re now on Tuesday. If you were on Tuesday, now Wednesday, and collection days are between Tuesday and Friday.”

More information on La Pêche’s collection schedule can be found on the municipal website. The province has also launched a new expanded recycling and composting program with guidance on what to compost, what to recycle and information on where it all goes. Visit www.recyc-quebec.gouv.qc.ca for more.

Before you kick it to the curb, register first! Read More »

Kaz councillor wants youth to ‘dream big’

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / January 23, 2025 / Brandy Killeen, Kazabazua, Trevor Greenway, Youth resources

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.

Kaz councillor wants youth to ‘dream big’ Read More »

La Pêche looking for input on urban plan

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / January 23, 2025 / La Peche, Trevor Greenway, Urbanism Plan

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

La Pêche wants your help in planning for the future.

The municipality is set to launch a series of urban planning consultations throughout the municipality to help guide the next phase of growth when it comes to urbanism.

“It’s a guide for future growth,” said La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux, and the municipality wants to ensure it retains the “unique character” of the region.

“Our urbanism plan is dated,” said Lamoureux, adding that the current urban plan is from 2003. “Of course, it no longer meets provincial requirements, so we have to draft an urbanism plan that aligns with the regional master plan and aligns with provincial orientations. But, in order to do that, we need to make sure that it respects our unique local character, and we want to hear people’s input.”

Lamoureux said the urban plan doesn’t focus on smaller details like paint colours or materials used on new developments, but it takes a broader look at everything from zoning and agriculture to forestry, tourism, environmental protection and transportation.

“It’s a broad exercise,” said Lamoureux. “An urbanism plan really encompasses all municipal bylaws when it comes to urbanism and zoning.”

La Pêche was supposed to hold the Wakefield sector meeting on Jan. 20, but that meeting has been postponed to a later date. This week’s consultations were still held in Masham on Jan 21., and the upcoming Lac-des-Loups meeting is still scheduled for Jan. 23 at its community hall located at6 Ch. Lionel Beausoleil. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.

La Pêche looking for input on urban plan Read More »

Equity sale a good thing, says editor

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / January 23, 2025 / Calumet Media, shawville, The Equity, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

When an independent newspaper gets sold in Canada, it’s usually seen as a bad thing for journalism.

But if you talk to the people running The Equity in Shawville, they’ll tell you that selling their long-standing media business to a digital advertiser will actually help the newspaper flourish and its commercial print shop thrive.

“No matter what way I spin it, this is nothing but exciting for me,” said Sophie Kuijper Dickson, the editor of The Equity. “I mean, just speaking selfishly, because I get to continue on doing the job that I love and with more support and new energy and a vision for what this business can be.”

The Equity, which printed its first issue more than 140 years ago and has been the voice of the Pontiac region ever since, has been sold to Calumet Media, a digital advertising agency owned by local resident Jon Stewart. Stewart helped The Equity revamp its website last year and said he isn’t oblivious to the plight most local independent newspapers face in Canada: constant threats of closure. It’s no different at The Equity, said Stewart, but he’s hoping his expertise gained while working as regional advertising director for Post Media will help The Equity stay alive.

“[The equity hasn’t made money in forever,” said Stewart. “The print shop is the only thing that makes money on the operation, and [the profit] is getting thinner and thinner.” He said he believes that,, if the Equity doesn’t change or that a benefactor doesn’t come forward, it would cease publishing the newspaper

To help The Equity stay afloat, Stewart said he’ll be leaning on some of the things he implemented when he led the Ottawa Citizen’s foray into the digital ad world several years ago. He said the Citizen was one of the only newspapers to actually turn a profit during that digital shakeup, explaining that the Ottawa daily went further than just selling digital ads – it became a digital ad agency and diversified its revenue by running ad campaigns for large companies, like Myers Automotive.

Stewart said he plans on testing this model out with The Equity and its customers. And, despite the newspaper not turning a profit, he said he intends to keep the print version alive for now.

“Everyone wants to focus on the death of the newspaper, but that is not the conversation we’re having today,” said Stewart. “We’re talking about, how do we … make sure that the equity survives in whatever format it’s going to take over the next few years? And that includes sustaining the print product for as long as we can.”

Part of helping The Equity stay alive, according to Kuijper Dickson, is reaching younger readers and understanding how younger generations find and consume their news.

“I think there’s a lot of work we could do to sort of get that next generation on board. And part of it is figuring out, you know, what the news is that they actually want to be reading,” said Kuijper Dickson. And the other part is figuring out how to get it to them in a way that’s relevant to them.”

Part of the revamp includes developing an app for iOS, implementing email newsletters and subscription drives to increase sales and establishing a new online paywall that will allow users to read up to four articles per month without having to subscribe.

“We’ve had nearly 300 new people sign up to that,” added Stewart. “They get our email newsletter as well, and of course, that prompts them to subscribe as well.”

But with any generational shift, emotions accompany it. The Dickson family has been running The Equity for the past 72 years, since David and Rosaleen Dickson purchased it in 1953. Current publisher, Charles, and daughter, Sophie, plan to stay on indefinitely.

Sophie said that this isn’t the end of The Equity but the beginning of something new.

“Selling the business, because it’s been in our family for so long, has been – as I’m sure you can imagine – enough of an emotional roller coaster, you know, wondering if we’re doing the right thing or if we’re going to regret it, passing the torch in this way, but I’m staying on full time and dad is [too],” she said, adding, “We realized what we need to do in order to be able to continue doing what we both love.”

Equity sale a good thing, says editor Read More »

Taxes up and down in Low

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / January 23, 2025 / Low, Municipal taxes, Trevor Greenway

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 »

Basketball heroes ‘saved my life’

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / January 14, 2025 / defibrillator, Mike Kavanagh, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

Mike Kavanagh says he is lucky to be alive after he went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on the gym floor of the Wakefield Elementary School during a basketball game Dec. 5.

His quick-thinking teammates started CPR immediately and shocked him with a defibrillator to kick-start his heart.

“All of the people that were at basketball are really heroes,” said Kavanagh two weeks after the incident. “The amazing group of basketball players I play with, and their quick and decisive actions, saved my life.”

The incident occurred when Kavanagh said he began feeling dizzy during intermission, and his sight became “dark and narrow,” before he blacked out and collapsed. He regained consciousness in an ambulance a short time later, where paramedics told him that his teammates’ calm, quick actions saved his life.

Kavanagh told the Low Down that he has fully recovered from the episode with no heart or brain damage. He didn’t have a heart attack but suffered cardiac arrhythmia, an abnormality in the timing or pattern of the heartbeat. At the Hull Hospital, doctors discovered that Kavanagh’s main artery was 85 per cent blocked, and another secondary artery was 60 per cent blocked. Had it not been for the actions of his teammates Jamie Bartle, Alex Dubien, and Chloe Rothman, among many others, Kavanagh likely would have died on the court.

“The chest compressions and shock of the defibrillator saved my life, while first responders were en route,” said Kavanagh. “The paramedic point blank told the gang that this definitely saved my life. I had the blockages cleared, and two stents put in and was told I will have no heart damage at all. Truly a miracle. I get a second chance at life thanks to being in the right place at the right time with a group of people that I will treasure forever for what they did for me and my family.”

Kavanagh’s 15-year-old son, Aodhan, was at the game when it happened, and he called his mom immediately, who was travelling to Vancouver with her two daughters to see a Taylor Swift concert. Stephanie Mullen-Kavanagh was in an Edmonton hotel room when she got the call. She said it was excruciating to helplessly listen to her husband receive CPR.

“I was on the phone with Aodhan, listening to them do the chest compressions,” said Mullen-Kavanagh. “I could hear them saying, ‘Come on, Mike. Come on.’ It was just, I can’t even,” she paused. “It was…it was heartbreaking because there was so much uncertainty, and I was worried about my son as well. He’s only 15. I can’t even describe it, and my girls were so upset.”

Mullen-Kavanagh said she and her daughters then endured the most worrisome hour of their lives as they waited for news.

“We didn’t know if he was alive,” said Mullen-Kavanagh.

They immediately booked flights home – the final flight out of Edmonton – and then the phone rang, a FaceTime call from Kavanagh himself.

“And he was totally fine,” said Mullen-Kavanagh.

She and her daughters bailed on Taylor Swift, and headed back east to be with their dad.

Kavanagh spent three days in hospital and was out by Dec. 8.

“I can’t even put into words to express my gratefulness to all those folks at basketball,” said Mullen-Kavanagh. “First of all, they stayed calm, and they kept my son safe as well. The physician told my son that, when Mike got to the Hull Hospital, they saved my husband’s life. They really did. It would have changed the trajectory of our family.”

Quick-thinking teammates

According to several people who were at the Dec. 5 game, the players – many of them with first aid training – sprang into action, with Bartle starting CPR immediately and others doing anything they could to help.

“The most incredible part about all of this is that, within 45 seconds…compressions were happening, people were looking for an [automated external defibrillator, AED], and I was calling 911,” said Rothman, adding that Kavanagh had “no pulse” when he first collapsed. Other players were removing Kavanagh’s clothes, directing traffic outside and waving the ambulance into the building. “The response was amazing,” added Rothman.

Bartle, a canoe-maker, has over 20 years of first aid training – advanced courses like river rescue and winter survival – and said that when he saw Kavanagh collapse on the court, both his training and his instincts took over. He said at first he didn’t know what was wrong with Kavanagh, but as soon as he got close, he realized it was serious.

“Pretty quickly we could see that he was not breathing…,” said Bartle.

Fellow player, Alex Dubien, was also there and said that, after about a minute of CPR, Kavanagh regained consciousness slightly and started breathing again momentarily, but then they “lost him again.” That’s when Dubien said he realized they needed a defibrillator, and before he could even look for one, another player had already grabbed it. Dubien said there was a key moment when another player suggested not to use the defibrillator and instead wait for paramedics.

“My first aid training kicked in, and I was like, ‘No, no, it’s the first thing we need to do,’” said Dubien, who is a tree-climber and arborist by trade. “So I prepared the AED, followed the instructions and then we applied it to Mike.”

Dubien administered the shock, and Kavanagh was immediately responsive.

“It instantly seemed to have revived him,” said Dubien, adding that the defibrillator then instructed them to continue CPR, which they did. “And then he just looked better. He was breathing. So we put him back into a recovery position, and then the first aid responder showed up.”

Kavanagh said that he is a relatively healthy person; a non-smoker, who is active. The heart condition is hereditary, he said, and doctors told him there was nothing he could have done differently to prevent the episode. However, the Kavanagh family is now championing CPR courses for locals and are hosting their own training weekend for friends, family and basketball players in the new year.

Bartle echoed that message, noting that, had it not been for his extensive training that took over, he’s not sure if this incident would have had such a happy ending.

“So many of us, especially around here, are in the [Gatineau] Park skiing, doing canoe trips. Those advanced level CPR courses have impacted my life in a big way just by preparing me for stuff like this,” said Bartle.

Defibrillator installed a decade ago

Wakefield Elementary principal Julie Fram-Greig told the Low Down that the school’s defibrillator was installed 10 years ago, around the time that the new school opened. Quebec’s Ministry of Education made it mandatory this June for all public schools in Quebec to have a defibrillator. Fram-Greig said she is grateful the school made the choice to install it in an easily accessible place.

“Ours is located outside the gym so that it could also be accessible to the community if they are using the gym,” said Fram-Greig. “Good thing, as it was an important step in saving him,” she added about Kavanagh.

After such a harrowing and terrifying experience, the Kavanagh–Mullen family will be having an extra special Christmas. And, even if they had no gifts under the tree, Kavanagh said he already feels like his family “won the lottery.”

Basketball heroes ‘saved my life’ Read More »

La Pêche drops a ward, councillor in electoral shakeup

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / January 14, 2025 / Electoral boundaries, La Pêche, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

La Pêche is getting smaller, electorally and it will save the municipality $30,000.

The municipality will officially move from seven wards to six after the province’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs approved the latest proposed boundary changes.

La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux said that the wards will now be better distributed and the constituents will have a more balanced representation.

“We didn’t have the proper representation in some of our wards, and we felt like there was nothing specific to La Pêche that justified willingly maintaining an over-representation of particular wards to the detriment of other wards,” said Lamoureux.

He explained that in its electoral boundary review, which is required by every municipality in Quebec every four years, La Pêche had grown by more than 800 registered voters since 2016 and the influx shifted some wards beyond the permitted deviation limit of plus or minus 25 per cent of equitable voters. According to La Pêche’s electoral boundaries map, Ward 7 (Edelweiss) was at plus 27 per cent, while Wards 1 (East Aldfield) and 2 (Lac-des-Loups) were at minus 20 per cent and minus 14 per cent, respectively.

La Pêche is the only municipality in Quebec with fewer than 20,000 residents to have seven wards. The current population of La Pêche, according to Lamoureux, is 9,300.

And the move saves money. By reducing the number of wards, it also reduces the number of councillors, which will save $30,000.

The most significant changes on the new boundary map will be felt in the new Ward 6 (Wakefield–Edelweiss), where voter numbers will be reduced by 14.5 per cent, and in the former Edelweiss ward, where voters have been moved to either Ward 6 or Ward 5 (Lascelles–Farrellton).

“If you look at every municipality in the MRC that is of comparable size, they all have six districts. Now we all have six districts and six councillors,” said Lamoureux. “I think it’s just a more fair way to divide the boundaries.”

The boundaries will be in effect for La Pêche’s next municipal election on Nov. 2, 2025.

La Pêche drops a ward, councillor in electoral shakeup Read More »

Pencil pusher turned designer making mark in Chelsea

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / October 2, 2024 / Ambiance, Chelsea, Interior Design, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway
editor@lowdownonline.com

At the height of her career in governance policies, Kate Wightman kept asking herself what she wanted to be when she grew up.

The Chelsea-based interior designer had been at the helm of governance and administration at CBC, working long hours, travelling frequently and grinding away at her busy government job, when she realized that “something’s got to give.”

“I’ve always kind of wondered, ‘What do I want to do when I grow up?’” said Wightman, who was enduring a difficult divorce, navigating a teenager through COVID and travelling “constantly” for her job.

“I left the government, drove seven-and-a-half hours to Timmons, Ont., bought a vintage camper trailer, hauled it home and spent two months with my dad gutting it and renovating it and ran it as a pop-up shop in Chelsea,” she explained.

The pop-up shop was the gateway to her new career as an interior designer, as she was curating vintage products, showcasing local artisans and helping customers with home design. This is when she was approached by a customer to redesign an Airbnb rental, and she immediately jumped at the opportunity.

“It was a blast,” said Wightman. “I loved just having a bit more time to chit chat with people being in a creative realm, as opposed to, you know, the hectic job that I had in government.”

That was nearly three years ago, and now business at her Kiosk Route 105 shop is ringing off the hook.

“I do absolutely no advertising – it’s all word of mouth and repeat clients,” added Wightman. “[Our firm] always got a list of a half dozen projects on the go at any given time and leads in the pipeline. And we just keep ourselves as busy as we kind of want to be.”

Wightman, who was clear that she’s not an accredited interior designer, said that her lack of accreditation actually works in her and her clients’ favour, as she is about “half the price.”. But even more than this, Wightman’s entire philosophy around design is using what’s already there and discouraging her clients to buy a new couch or dresser when it’s not necessary.

Wightman said she believes that most homeowners have great things – mementos, collectables, antiques – but don’t know how to showcase them well or arrange them in a way that provides flow. She said the most common design flaw she sees in Hills homes is “a lack of intention.”

“When you move into a home, you’re bringing your existing stuff, and then you’re trying to put that wherever it fits in the home,” said Wightman. “And then you go, ‘Okay, I need a new couch to fit this space.’ You’ll go and find the couch to fit the space, but you’re not looking at the picture as a whole. You’re not saying, ‘What do I already have that could do this? How can we rejig it to work with other items in your home?’”

Wightman spoke a lot about the difference between a house and a home, and said that, while both are “form and function,” a home takes on a more emotional and personal feeling than just having a roof over your head. She said residents should feel their shoulders drop in relief when they arrive home, and the space should be a “refuge” from their busy lives.

“I think ambiance is hugely important in a home, so things like lighting, flow of your furniture, plants and making sure that your home includes your own personality,” she said. “Where we work our magic really is working with what is already existing. We can keep projects to a really low budget because we can either revamp, reuse or repurpose existing items to improve flow and improve the aesthetics of someone’s home.”

Wightman’s Kiosk offers styling and staging services, custom decor solutions and full home renovations.

The switch in careers has done more than light the creative fire in her soul, she said, it has allowed her to be a mom again.

“I’m at a point now where I can pick and choose the job and the clients that interest me, and I have time for my family…,” said Wightman. “I have time for a new relationship. I can get back into cooking and baking and all that kind of stuff.”Prospective clients can meet with Wightman by appointment through her www.spacesbykiosk.com website, or you can visit her pop-up shop near Bougie Doozy Candle on Old Chelsea Road.

Pencil pusher turned designer making mark in Chelsea Read More »

If you build it, they will come

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / October 2, 2024 / Chelsea, Marketplace, Ramps, Skateboarding, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

‘Field of Dreams’ may not be Tyler Langfield’s favourite movie, but he certainly believes in the “If you build it, they will come” mantra.

On hot summer days, Langfield and his wife Stephanie Seddon’s Chelsea backyard is full of neighbourhood kids.

They’re not watching Netflix; they’re not on their phones; they’re not scrolling on social media. They’re skateboarding.

“When we have the kids over here…it’s a cool vibe,” said Langfield, standing on a half-pipe skateboarding ramp that he built himself during COVID. “Our neighbours come over; there’s a couple of boys next door, and they come over. They use it, but it gets everyone together, chilling.”

Langfield is a skateboarder himself and grew up, like other skaters, skating at places where he wasn’t supposed to be: city parks, courthouse staircases and any place where there would be a good “gap” to clear or a rail to grind. This was until cities and towns started building skateparks, like Wakefield did in 2013.

Langfield could always be found at a local skatepark somewhere until COVID hit in 2019. During the pandemic, he wasn’t allowed to skate anywhere publicly. Impatient for government restrictions to ease, he brought the skatepark to the community.

“At the time, my kids were pretty young, but I wanted to get them into skating,” said Langfield. “Literally, the minute [the pandemic] happened, I planned on doing this, and I reached out to a company in Montreal who manufactures the top sheet.”

That “top sheet” he referred to is called Pure Surface, which is 27 layers of kraft paper laminated and glued together to create a smooth, gripping surface that is durable. And while it’s not cheap – $210 per sheet – seeing his kids and neighbourhood friends rock a kickflip is all worth it, according to Langfield.

“They spend a lot of time out here,” added Seddon. “Especially right now, with the beautiful weather, it’s amazing. Our eldest loves it, and it gets our youngest out here to try a bit harder.”

Langfield is aware that not everyone can build a $12,000 skatepark in their backyard, but if you ask Chelsea resident Brad Stewart, who has been dubbed “the king of freecycle,” you don’t have to break the bank to convert your backyard into a summer paradise.

Stewart said he was paying attention to the Steamwhistle acquisition of Beau’s in 2022 and realized that the new owners were scrapping the yearly, epic Oktoberfest, and with it, their big skateboarding demonstration. He reached out and scored the half-pipe for just $800.

“They were looking at burning it all,” said Stewart about a pile of wood and ramps that he will soon piece together for his own backyard skateboard halfpipe. The skateboard half-pipe is just one feature of Stewart’s impressive backyard that boasts a large above-ground pool, hot tub, trapeze line and trampoline – most of which he either scored for free or heavily discounted on Facebook Marketplace.

Stewart’s pool – 29 feet by 15 feet – was scooped for free after a neighbour was looking to get rid of it before they sold their house. All he needed to do was disassemble it himself, move it to his house and reassemble it. He spent $400 on a new liner and a few hundred on chemicals to get it up and running.

“It was an older pool, so it needed some TLC,” said Stewart, explaining that wooden pools of this size can cost between $10,000 and $20,000.

When winter rolls around, Stewart’s pool acts as a polar dip for the kids going back and forth into a hot tub.

Similarly, in winter Langfield converts his front porch into a snowboard run, and his backyard is just as busy when the snow hits.

The hot tub was another major score for Stewart, who scooped it off Facebook Marketplace for just $600. Again, all he had to do was move it.

Stewart offered up some tips for residents buying off Facebook Marketplace.

“Know what you want and make sure that you jump on stuff early,” said Stewart. “And don’t be paranoid,” he explained, noting that sometimes buyers are weary of scammers. Stewart also urged those looking for deals to set up Facebook Marketplace alerts so that they can be first to show interest in a product. And, he added, if you know it’s a good deal, “don’t haggle” for a lower price.

“No matter what good deal you give people, they still will ask for $100 bucks off and that’s not cool,” he said. “Because you could have been selling it for $2,000.”

Stewart also recommended getting to know local repair people, as discounted items often need a piece here or an extra part there, and knowing who can fix things locally will save a lot of time and money.

If you build it, they will come Read More »

Chase the Ace deals Low arena $500K

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / October 2, 2024 / CHGA 97.3 FM, Fundraiser, Low Arena, Paugan Falls Rapids, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

To say that the Chase the Ace fundraiser was a success for the Low arena would be a massive understatement.

The arena made a whopping near half million dollars – $484,000 to be exact – through CHGA 97.3 FM’s community fundraiser, which saw Ottawa resident Tony Snow win a life-changing $3.8 million. The fundraiser also fed money to several up-the-line organizations, including the Low Heritage Hall, Be and Become youth centre and the Gatineau Valley Retirement Village.

While the Gatineau Valley Arena doesn’t have a full tally on how many tickets they sold, volunteer Scott Mahoney said it was “far and away the most sold by any of the charities involved.”

“It just took off,” said arena coordinator Mahoney, referring to the wave of ticket sales that picked up after the first few weeks of the contest. He praised community members like Lisa Brown and Lisa Fleury, who were getting requests to buy tickets through e-transfers from dozens of locals. “It’s mostly about the people; the community. If you don’t have the people buying tickets, you’re dead in the water. People were buying tickets from Buckingham right to Gatineau and Ottawa.”

People were certainly buying tickets. When the Low Down was driving through Gracefield in mid-September, the town’s Ultramar gas station was a hubbub of activity, with locals and tourists frantically filling out scores of entry forms.

The radio station drew tickets weekly, and if someone’s name was drawn, they would win the weekly prize – sometimes upwards of $200,000 – and also a chance to pull the ace of spades from a series of envelopes. The contest got more and more popular as the weeks went on, as the pot kept getting bigger and bigger after weekly draw winners consistently failed to pull the ace of spades from one of the envelopes, until there was just one single envelope left. That meant whoever’s name was drawn would be the grand-prize winner of $3.8 million – in this case it was Ottawa’s Snow, who purchased his ticket at the Low arena.

According to Mahoney, the arena has used the money on some much-needed repairs, including an entire kitchen renovation, extensive work on the ice plant and an upgraded second-hand Zamboni, which means no more holes in the ice during Paugan Falls Rapids playoff games.

“We put money into every aspect you could think of,” said Mahoney, adding that the rink’s doors and windows have also been upgraded. “The kitchen has been transformed.”

Cash comes Rapid-ly (Subhed)

The money comes at the perfect time as the Rapids are set to open their season in the Eastern Ontario Super Hockey League at home on Oct. 5 when they host their rivals, the Arnprior Rivermen. Doors open at 5 p.m. and TSN’s sports reporter AJ Jakubec will host a ceremonial puck drop at 7 p.m. Get your tickets at www.pauganfallsrapids.com

Chase the Ace deals Low arena $500K Read More »

Ditch the second car, Communauto is here

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / October 2, 2024 / Chelsea, Chelsea Mayor, Gas, Green Fund, Hybrid Cars, La Peche, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

After close to four years of planning and negotiating, Chelsea and La Pêche residents will have a new option to get around the Hills.

And they won’t even have to pay for gas.

The Outaouais’ regional counsel on the environment and sustainable development, CREDDO, has partnered with both municipalities to bring a fleet of 16 Communauto hybrid cars to the region. Twelve of them will be stationed in Chelsea, with the remaining four spread out throughout La Pêche.

It’s an initiative that CREDDO president Benoit Delage said he hopes will change residents’ car-centric habits.

“If we want to build a centre village, we can’t have a sea of parking,” said Delage, referring to Chelsea.

He explained that the project is in collaboration with four Chelsea developers: Cargo, Multivesco, DACM Investments Inc. and In Harmony Developments, which will host the cars in their parking lots for the public to use.

With the developers on board, Chelsea changed its urban planning bylaw to bring the minimum number of parking spots per unit for new developments from two, to just one. In the process, it has eliminated several “heat islands” that would have been spread out over Chelsea’s centre village, explained Delage. A heat island is an urban area that experiences hotter than average temperatures than outlying areas due to infrastructure.

Benoit said that the municipality will have 150 fewer parking spots in the village because of the project.

“Can you imagine what the difference will be for what will be our centre village without that parking?” asked Delage. “It’s more trees, it’s more space for people.”

According to CREDDO, 79 per cent of greenhouse gasses in places like Chelsea and La Pêche come from transportation, and the organization said it is confident the addition of 16 community hybrid cars will bring that number down. The organization said it also hopes that the car-sharing initiative will entice residents to ditch their second family car, which will create less impact on the environment and help residents save money.

“It costs residents $12,000 per year to own a car,” said Delage, referring to maintenance costs, insurance, gas and other repairs. With Communauto, residents can sign up for a number of various membership packages from as low $0 per month and $12.75 per hour, or up to $30 per month, which will allow residents to use the cars for just $2.75 per hour. And users won’t have to pay for gas. The packages are built to cover the cost of gas through membership fees. Each car will have a Communauto credit card for users to fill up when they need to. But all the cars are hybrid – 12 Prius’ and two RAV4 SUVs.

Chelsea Mayor Pierre Guénard said the project presents a “decisive turning point for our municipality.”

“This project is perfectly in line with our environmental values, offering Chelsea residents a transportation solution that complements active mobility and Transcollines services,” said Guénard. “Through this initiative, we are creating a more integrated transportation network, helping to reduce our carbon footprint.”

The project relied on $500,000 worth of funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ green fund, with Chelsea chipping in $75,000 and La Pêche contributing another $25,000. The four developers also chipped in a total of $300,000, according to CREDDO.

The vehicles will be available in November and will be parked at the four developments above, as well as at town hall in Chelsea. Two cars will be located somewhere in Masham, and CREDDO said it hopes to station two more in Wakefield.

Residents can take advantage of $45 off of certain membership packages using the promo code: HORIZONS online at: www.communauto.com

Ditch the second car, Communauto is here Read More »

Wakefield’s Hamilton Gardens back after 13-year hiatus

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / September 26, 2024 / Daniel Landry, Devcore, Trevor Greenway, Wakefield

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

It’s been 13 years since Wakefielders first got up in arms over the design of Hamilton Gardens’ three-storey condo design.

After more than a decade of back-and-forth proposals and a controversial move by Devcore president Jean Pierre Poulin to block parking for locals on Riverside Drive after opposition to his original 2011 plan, the development is back on track.

The new Hamilton Gardens features a total of 40 units, mixed within duplexes, triplexes and townhomes, which will offer two-to-three bedroom homes for locals in a community setting.

“The development has a real community look and feel that’s well integrated into the village and respects its surroundings,” said Devcore project manager Daniel Landry.

The designs are a far cry from the original towering condos that would have changed the feel of the village. These homes will be built in a traditional style, with peaked roofs, large dormer windows and big covered porches where residents can sit and interact with village life.

The development will also include a local park for residents, common courtyard, and walking trails that aim to encourage residents to transform their neighbourhood into a walkable community.

“We are creating spaces for people to meet and to walk. The place where it’s located, it’s so easy to just leave your car at home. If you want to go to the community centre or the post office, you don’t have to take your car,” added Landry. “And with the river, it’s so nice, even in the winter. It’s like cottage life inside of a village.”

Landry said the design approach is based on a “missing middle” design – developments that contain a higher density than a single-family house but a lower density than a mid-rise building.

The homes in the front of the development are lower-density, two-unit buildings that look like regular Wakefield-style homes, while three-bedroom townhouses will take up the centre of the development. Three triplexes of six units each will appear at the back and west side of the lot, however Landry said the configuration could still change slightly.

Each home will also come with a detached basement for active residents looking to store bikes, tires or other belongings, and they won’t have to travel through their homes to get there. Basement access will be separate from the interiors.

“Let’s say you have a paddleboard, your skis, your bikes… you go directly in the basement,” added Landry. “Residents can create what we call, sometimes, like a mud room down there.”

Landry said the designs are based similarly on 1950s-style homes that had large porches at the front. The large front porches in the design will be slightly elevated to give residents a peek into what’s happening in the village, but also some much needed privacy.

“It gives the appropriate height – people sitting there will be able to interact with people walking, but they’re higher, so people won’t see into the house,” said Landry. “But when you’re in your living room, you’ll be able to see what’s going on out front.”

The homes will be clad in a mix of red brick, wood and high density wood fibre like Maibec or other composite materials. They will have tin roofs, and every unit will be its own unique colour; earth tone reds, greens, yellows and greys.

“What I like is that they all have different colours, so it’s easy to say, if you’re a kid, ‘I live in the yellow house there,’ or ‘I live in the green one.’”

Devcore hasn’t fully finished the specs and couldn’t say what the square footage of each unit will be or what the footprint of the buildings will be.

Landry said there are a few things still to be approved by the municipality, but Devcore hopes to break ground on this project next spring. Prices for the homes have not been finalized, and Landry said Devcore plans to host a public presentation on the development next spring.

Wakefield’s Hamilton Gardens back after 13-year hiatus Read More »

School board elections integral for parents

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / September 26, 2024 / Bill 40, Child's education, National Assembly, Quebec Premier Francois Legault, Trevor Greenway, WQSB

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

If ever there was a time to become involved in your child’s education, it’s now.

With the Western Quebec School Board (WQSB) elections coming in just over a month, English rights advocacy groups in the province are calling on parents to run for a position and show the government how important it is to keep control of their own school board.

Bill 40 was passed in the National Assembly in 2020 and with it came abolishment of French school boards, which were converted into school service centres. While the CAQ government tried to extend the bill to English school boards in the province, a superior court ruled last year that major elements of Bill 40, an act that amends the Education Act concerning school organization and governance, are unconstitutional.

Quebec Premier François Legault has vowed to appeal the decision, making this year’s school board election more important than ever.

“Oh, my God, it’s so important,” said Quebec Community Groups Network director-general Sylvia Martin-Laforge. “Parents have to get involved, not only for the education of their children but also because the English school board system is an institution of the English-speaking community, and we have to show the government of Quebec that we – as parents, as grandparents, as community members – value that the governance of our school boards remains in the hands of committed, English-speaking, community individuals.”

Martin-Laforge said that keeping control of English education will mean that school board commissioners will not only fight to keep control but also fight to preserve and protect the “uniqueness” of English education in Quebec. She said those who run for school board commissioner roles will have more influence on curriculums, budgets and other important aspects of education.

“The parents are the direct line, for sure, and have to keep school board officials on their toes to really reflect what is needed in an English-speaking public system,” said Martin-Laforge. She also noted that, while Bill 40 targets public education, parents also need to keep tabs on postsecondary policies, as legislation, such as Bill 96, now Law 14, adds extra French courses to students’ course loads at English CEGEPS.

“Remain politically active in the English-speaking community,” she said. “It’s about the governance of our institutions. It’s about interference in government and how we want our children to be treated throughout the continuum of education.”

What does a school board commissioner do?

The WQSB director-general George Singfield was quick to point out the difference between the school board’s council of commissioners and a governing board member. The governing board is made up of an equal number of parents and staff members, while councils of commissioners are voted in through an election. School board commissioners do not have to be parents to run in the election.

Singfield said commissioners control everything from budgets and curriculums to school expansion and other financial projects.

“We just adopted the budget for our board, but it has to be approved by the council of commissioners,” said Singfield. “They adopt the budget, they approve curricular approaches as presented by the principal, activities and all kinds of pieces that involve programming. So there are many examples of what we do, but really their role is governance.”

The WQSB has 11 electoral districts, with a commissioner at the helm of each one. Singfield said commissioners meet at least once a month, depending on whether or not a commissioner also sits on a committee, which includes transportation, human resources and other committees.

“You’re looking at a few hours a month,” added Singfield. “If you’re a commissioner and you sit on a committee then it could be up to 10 hours a month.”

This year’s election for commissioners happens on Nov. 3, although candidacy papers are due by Sept. 29.

How to apply? To be a school board commissioner, you must be on the Anglophone Electoral List. All eligible parents with children currently enrolled in a WQSB school are automatically registered. If your child is not currently enrolled in school, you’re still eligible to run as long as you reside within the WQSB catchment area. To register on the electoral list, visit www.westernquebec.ca and complete the Notice to the Anglophone School Board form and send it to rvincent@wqsb.qc.ca

School board elections integral for parents Read More »

Doctor shortage impact felt locally

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / September 26, 2024 / GAP, Quebec, Trevor Greenway, Wakefield

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

Bruce Langer is 75 years old.

He’s suffered two heart attacks and does not have a family doctor in Quebec.

“Dr. Sarah Olive at the University of Ottawa medical clinic was my doctor for over 20 years, so she had a lot of history with me,” said Langer, sitting in a garden in front of the St. Stephen’s Church in Chelsea. “In that 20-year span, I’ve had two heart attacks and two stent procedures. And so she was my family doctor and connected me to a lot of Ontario specialists…for follow up.”

Langer was told three years ago that the clinic would no longer be taking patients from across the river, unless they were university alumni or current students. With no family doctor, Langer now relies on the health ministry’s Primary Care Access Point, or GAP, and while he said he doesn’t have issues booking an appointment, he’s completely lost his patient-to-doctor relationship.

No follow-ups with the same doctor and nobody following his medical history. Every time he goes to see a new doctor, he said he has to retell his entire medical story.

“You definitely don’t get any of the kind of follow-up that you would with a consistent doctor or family doctor care,” said Langer. “They’re so overwhelmed with not being able to see you on a regular basis because there’s not enough doctors that they can’t maintain that consistency that you would normally have with the family doctor.”

According to the CISSS de l’Outaouais (CISSSO), there are currently 75,326 people in the Outaouais without a family doctor and 7,073 in the MRC des Collines region.

That number is set to rise by several hundred next year as Wakefield MD Dr. Jacques Ménard announced last week that he will be retiring from the Wakefield Family Medical Clinic next June.

Ménard will be the third Wakefield doctor to leave the clinic in the past two years, as the clinic lost both Dr. Folkerson and Dr. Sattenstein this past summer. The two village doctors left behind close to 1,500 local patients.

To help ease this crunch, the Regional Department of General Medicine (DRMG) has created a new “gateway” for the GAP and keeps more than 62,000 open appointments per year for “orphan patients requiring a medical visit.”

Wakefield didn’t lose techs

The Outaouais was facing a major crisis this summer after several imaging technicians left the Hull and Gatineau hospitals for Ontario, where they could earn $30,000 more in salary. To combat this, the CISSSO added bonuses for medical techs to stay in the region.

While the first round of funding was not equal among rural hospitals, the ministry eventually increased the bonuses to $22,000 for those working in Shawville, Maniwaki and Wakefield. CISSSO spokesperson Patricia Rhéaume told the Low Down that the Wakefield Hospital did not lose any medical technicians.

“The three technician positions are filled at Wakefield [hospital].

No movement of this staff to other hospitals in the territory is currently planned,” said Rhéaume, adding that the health authority took a number of measures to avoid a major crisis this summer – one that Gatineau MD Dr. Peter Bonneville warned would end in more deaths.

“In those sectors with greater challenges, for instance the operating room and the imaging department, action plans were applied to ensure continuity of care and avoid interruption in services,” added Rhéaume. “We are continuously working on ensuring the right patient is at the right place at the right time. Examples of this are the efforts made to re-orient patients presenting to the [emergency department] not needing emergency care and daily reevaluation of alternatives to hospitalizations for patients in need of care.”

Quebec patients ‘uninsured’

More and more Ontario clinics are saying no to Quebec patients – or doubling the rates for their out-of-province patients. Wakefield resident Andrea Rowe told the Low Down that her Ottawa doctor recently sent a letter stating that she – and other Quebec patients – are considered “uninsured.” The letter came with a list of updated fees that Rowe said are double what she used to pay.

“They don’t consider us covered at all, even though we’re covered by Quebec,” said Rowe.

She said she used to pay $50 for an appointment and Quebec would pay $40 of it. But now, with the fee increase – $102 for a short appointment or $232 for a long appointment – Rowe said she worries that she will still only get the $40 reimbursed and going to see her doctor of over 15 years will cost her greatly.

“It’s such a big increase; it’s huge,” she said. “So, it’s gonna be over $60 that I have to pay just for a 10-minute visit.”

Other fees from the Ontario clinic include $30 for a referral note, $25 for a sick note and $225 for a driver’s medical examination and form.

Doctor shortage impact felt locally Read More »

Affordable housing project canned in Masham

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / September 23, 2024 / Chemin Labelle, Masham, Mayor Guillaume Lamoureaux, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

A multi-unit housing project that could have provided affordable housing to some Masham residents has been quashed by La Pêche council after community members pushed back against the small development.

According to La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux, 30 Masham residents signed a petition against a four-unit housing development project in the Chemin Labelle neighbourhood earlier this month, with at least one of them admitting that their opposition was based on the Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) approach.

“That is something I heard during the information session,” Lamoureux told the Low Down. “The person was saying, ‘Yes, this is an example of me, in a sort of NIMBY posture’ and then they would explain the context for their decision.”

Lamoureux said about 15 people showed up to a public consultation in early September to oppose the plan.

Council started exploring the idea of multi-unit housing earlier this summer, after it approved a similar development on Caves Road in Wakefield – a four-unit multiplex. However, when La Pêche launched a registry for a potential referendum on the Masham development, only one person signed it.

Because the registry was initiated in mid summer, council said it felt that many residents either missed the date because of holidays or didn’t fully understand the process for a referendum. Lamoureux admitted there was some “miscommunication” between council and the public, and that’s why they decided to host another public consultation on the issue.

When 15 people showed up to fight the plan, council decided to kill it. Lamoureux told the Low Down he was “disappointed” that the project won’t go through.

“We need to diversify our housing,” said Lamoureux.

“We want to promote this kind of project throughout La Pêche, especially in urban perimeters, because of how uniform housing units are in rural communities like ours. We need to do our best to increase the number of rental properties in our municipalities.”

Region’s housing crisis in numbers

According to regional housing roundtable La Table de développement social des Collines-de-l’Outaouais (TDSCO), 15 per cent of MRC households spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing.

The 30 per cent income-to-housing ratio is the threshold used by the Canadian Housing and Mortgage Company (CMHC) to consider a home as “affordable.”

The TDSCO’s 2021 data shows a major divide between homeowners and those who rent in the region. According to the report, 31.6 per cent of renters in the MRC des Collines spend more than 30 per cent of their income on rent, while just 13 per cent of those who own their homes spend as much on their mortgages. Of the 835 residents surveyed, most identified a lack of housing diversity, a lack of affordable housing and housing conditions as the top three issues facing the region.

Lamoureux said he hopes to revisit the project in the near future.

Affordable housing project canned in Masham Read More »

Cops investigating threat at PWHS

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / September 18, 2024 / Gatineau Police, Philemon Wright High School, Threat, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

Gatineau Police are investigating threatening communications that were sent to Philemon Wright High School on Sept. 16.

The alleged threat did not trigger a lockdown or an evacuation, and police said the school was secured by mid-morning.

“There’s an increased presence of our police officers in that sector, and we work in collaboration with the school personnel in order to offer the school population a safe environment,” said Gatineau Police communications officer Patrick Kenney.

Police would not disclose the nature of the threat and wouldn’t discuss whether or not it was targeted to an individual or the student body as a whole.

The school sent out an alert to parents at 11:34 a.m. on Sept. 16 with a vague message about a “potential threat.”

“I am emailing you to let you know that we received information about a potential threat through social media,” wrote Principal Dodie Payne in the email. “We take all threats seriously. We have called the police, and they have investigated. At this point, everything is under control. The police will continue to work with us through the investigation.”Kenney said police “probably know” who sent the threat, but they are continuing to investigate further.

Cops investigating threat at PWHS Read More »

MNAs quash eligibility requirement for anglos

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / September 18, 2024 / CAQ government, English health rights, English-speaking Quebecers, National Assembly, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

Despite a unanimous vote in the National Assembly affirming that English-speaking Quebecers will not need an eligibility requirement to receive healthcare in their mother tongue, Liberal health critic André Fortin still has concerns that the CAQ government will continue to erode English health rights.

The MNA for Pontiac put forward the motion on Sept. 12, and while he was happy it was adopted unanimously, he said he didn’t trust that the province’s French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge will actually adhere to it.

“I don’t trust the guy as far as I can throw them, so we really don’t know how the government will react,” Fortin told the Low Down. “They’ve got a pretty poor track record when it comes to protecting English-speaking Quebecers’ rights, and in this case it is a clear case of protecting or ensuring that rights are respected when accessing healthcare in English,” he added.

“This is a very direct motion, a very clear motion that was voted on unanimously, but the minister still has to do his job and apply the will of the National Assembly,” said Fortin.

Fortin’s motion stems from outcry from the anglophone community after the province’s health ministry unveiled a directive on July 18 outlining when English could be used in health and social service departments. The directive also states that only “recognized anglophones” – defined as English speakers who are eligible to send their children to English school – are permitted to communicate in English.

Quebec’s Minister of the French Language Jean-François Roberge pledged in August to rewrite the directive. However, until he does, the original directive will remain in force.

Eva Ludvig, president of the English rights advocacy group, the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), is now calling on the province’s Health Minister Christian Dubé to provide clarity to anglophones in the province.

“It is now time for Minister Roberge and Health Minister Christian Dubé to either scale back or eliminate these directives altogether, or, at the very least, suspend the existing measures until a full and far-reaching consultation can be held with representatives of the English-speaking community of Quebec prior to their redrafting and reintroduction,” Ludvig added.

While the QCGN said it still has concerns about the directive in force, she said the unanimous motion by the National Assembly speaks volumes.

“This is a significant step,” said Ludvig. “It may have little force in law, and I’m told the minister could theoretically choose to largely ignore it, but this full expression of the Assembly’s view is an important statement.”

Roberge has not said when the new directive will be released. Fortin said he doesn’t have high hopes for the new directive, as it shouldn’t take over a month to rewrite the “complicated, convoluted” document.

“If the directive today is to say, ‘Give services to everybody in French or in English, in the language they ask,’ that doesn’t require a 31-page paper. It just requires a very simple directive,” said Fortin.

MNAs quash eligibility requirement for anglos Read More »

Gatineau man dead after motorbike crash

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / September 18, 2024 / Meech Lake Road, Motorbike crash, MRC des Collines Police, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

A 30-year-old Gatineau man is dead after a motorbike crash on Meech Lake Road on Sept. 15.

According to MRC des Collines Police, the man was driving west on Meech Lake Road when he crashed into an embankment. The 30-year-old, who has not been named by police, was transported to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police say they believe speed could have been a factor in the single-vehicle fatal crash.

“At this time, one of the hypotheses being considered by investigators is that speed may have been a contributing factor,” a police press release reads. “The investigation currently shows that the motorcycle involved belonged to a third party, and that the victim had no driver’s licence. A mechanical inspection of the motorcycle is scheduled to take place shortly.”

Investigators were combing the scene until about 4 a.m. Sept. 16 and will continue to search for a cause.

Another motorbike accident in the Tim Hortons parking lot in Val-des-Monts on Sept. 14 could have ended worse than it did.

According to police, a 58-year-old driver from Gatineau, while taking a driving course, hit the front gas throttle before fully sitting down and the Ryker Can-Am three-wheeler sped into a window and ejected the woman from the bike. The bike then changed course and slammed into another vehicle. The driver was transported to hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries. A driving school instructor witnessed the entire accident.

MRC des Collines Police were also called to another motorbike accident on Chelsea’s River Road on Sept. 12. Those involved escaped with minor injuries.

Gatineau man dead after motorbike crash Read More »

Masham family ‘abandoned’ after care home death

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / September 18, 2024 / Aline Besner, Gatineau, Guy Maisonneuve, Trevor Greenway, Villa des Brises Gatineau

by Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative
It’s been more than five months since Aline Besner died while under the care of an elder home in Gatineau, and her Masham family still has no answers about the circumstances surrounding her death.
Besner’s son, Guy Maisonneuve, and his wife, Shelley, have been anxiously awaiting a coroner’s report and said they’ve been left in the dark about how their mother and mother-in-law died. The Masham couple have a running clock for how long they’ve been waiting for answers. It was 144 days when the Low Down visited their Masham home on Sept. 12.
“We feel just utterly abandoned,” said Guy. “We haven’t heard from anybody,” added Shelley, explaining that they have now filed a complaint with the ombudsman because of the multiple delays in their file.
Besner died on April 14 after her cries for help three days earlier were ignored by staff at the Résidence Villa des Brises care home, according to several other patients who were staying at the facility.
Doctors at the Hull Hospital later discovered bed sores all over Besner’s torso, neck and back and immediately filed a complaint against the care home, which triggered a coroner’s investigation.
Following Besner’s death, the Maisonneuves have been trying to wade through mounds of government red tape and said that over the past five months, nobody from the Centre intégré de santé et des services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO), the health minister’s office, their own MNA Robert Bussière or even the care home itself, has attempted to reach out to the grieving family. They have sent multiple letters and emails to the ministry and to Bussière’s office, but said their pleas for answers have been ignored.
“It’s excruciating,” added Shelley. “But I get the funny feeling that everybody’s under a gag order – ‘Don’t talk to the families because you could say something,’” she suggested. “It is mentally and physically exhausting to have to chase this down,” she added about getting answers to her family’s inquiries.
The Maisonneuves said they’re also shocked and appalled that nobody from the ministry, the CISSSO or MNA Bussière have reached out to them following Besner’s death – no sympathy calls, no apologies and no commitments from political leaders to bring about change.
Their heartbreaking letter sent Aug. 21 to Bussière, Minister Dubé and Premier François Legault details the grief the family has endured since Besner’s death.
“Not only am I now faced with the grief of losing my mother, but I also have the added stress of dealing with a coroner examining the cause and circumstances of my mother’s death,” wrote Guy. “My mother has now been dead for 130 days, and we still haven’t received a response to our complaint from the Office of the Service Quality and Complaints Commissioner, the first step in the complaint process that your office directed us to.”
This was the second letter the family has sent since March 17 – the first one was sent before Besner died asking for help to get her out of the care home. That first letter coldly referred them to a complicated, multi-step complaints process, and the latest one was ignored.
The Maisonneuves have a thick binder on a table full of documents, witness statements and other information they’ve compiled for their case. And despite sometimes feeling overwhelmed or deflated, Guy said he won’t give up until he gets the answers he and his family need to fully grieve their 95-year-old “Grandmama.”
“It feels intentional; it feels like they’re trying to wear us down,” said Guy. When asked if it was working, he replied, “there’s no goddamn way.”
“The memory is so, so fresh, and I’m constantly reminded of it,” he added, referring to the horror he and his family endured when discovering the state of his mother’s body – and after learning that her screams three nights earlier went ignored. “I just have to conjure my mother. And that’s my motivation.”
Care home routinely ignoring patients
Low resident Steve Connolly was another patient at the home and documented the daily neglect he and other patients witnessed at Villa des Brises. His 44-page diary shown to the Low Down describes orderlies at the home routinely ignoring patient alarms, neglecting patient needs and one instance where Besner’s calls for help were ignored, and Connolly found her lying on the floor alone, helpless.
According to CISSSO, which jointly manages Villa des Brises’s second floor as a post-acute and overflow ward for those needing rehab or a transfer to a long-term care home, an “improvement plan” has been initiated at the care home since Besner’s death. CISSSO spokesperson Camille Brochu-Lafrance told the Low Down in June that the health organization has a full-time manager at the home to “report discrepancies” if any are found.
“The CISSS de l’Outaouais takes each of these events seriously, and they were investigated with the support of the Nursing Directorate (DSI) and the Quality, Performance Evaluation and Ethics Directorate (DQEPE),” wrote Brochu-Lafrance. “In accordance with our anti-abuse policy, as soon as there is suspicion of neglect or abuse, a report is made and safety nets are immediately established in collaboration with the residence. A complete analysis of each situation is then made with a view to correction or improvement.”
Health Minister Dubé and MNA Bussière did not respond to the Low Down’s queries regarding Besner’s death. CAQ spokesperson Léa Fortin told the Low Down that, because Villa des Brises is in the Hull sector, it is under the responsibility of Hull MNA Suzanne Tremblay. However it’s important to note that Guy and Shelley Maisonneuve both live in Masham and are constituents of Bussière.
Following our interviews with the family, Bussière’s office finally responded to the Maisonneuve’s on Sept. 16. Pascale Labelle, Bussiere’s political attaché emailed to “offer you and your family my deepest sympathies following the death of your mother.”
“Once again, Mr. Maisonneuve, I would like to apologize for the situation. Mr. Bussière has immense respect for the citizens of the riding he represents. It is very important to him that citizens who contact the office are satisfied, receive the necessary support, are directed to the right resources, are accompanied if necessary, etc. Regardless of age, social status, culture or other, all citizens are important and deserve respect.”
However, the family still has not received a call, email or letter from Bussière himself.

Masham family ‘abandoned’ after care home death Read More »

Gatineau River not swimmable at three sites

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / September 18, 2024 / Chelsea, FOG, global warming, Mayor Guillaume Lamoreux, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

The Aug. 26 Friends of the Gatineau River (FOG) tests show three sites from Wakefield to Chelsea that are not recommended for swimming.

After a lab error during previous month’s testing of the Gatineau River, data now shows two concerning spots in La Pêche and another near the Alonzo Wright Bridge in Chelsea, where all recreational activities should be avoided, according to FOG. Several pieces of data were missing from the initial sample.

FOG announced on its Facebook page that all three sites are not recommended for swimming.

On FOG’s map of the test sites, one point near the Alonzo Wright Bridge has a red dot over it, with the tests reading more than 1,000 fecal coliforms per 100 millilitres. Standards for “good” or “excellent” readings are between 0 and 100 fecal coliforms per 100 millilitres.

“So there should have been a no swim advisory actually issued,” said a FOG director, who wished to remain anonymous. “Whenever there’s a red dot, it means no swimming.”

A second site in south Chelsea at Mill Road is reading as “good,” but that area has been a constant concern for FOG, as historical data shows sites south of Chelsea’s sewage treatment plant have consistently yielded poorer results than most other river sites throughout the Hills.

Last year’s tests showed the area around Alonzo as “mediocre” with tests showing between 101 and 200 fecal coliforms per 100 millilitres. In 2022, the Alonzo site was showing “good” results, however the Mill Road site at that time was “very poor” with fecal coliforms hitting over 1,000 per 100 millilitres.

FOG said it can’t conclusively link Chelsea’s sewage treatment plant to increased bacteria in that area, but it remains a theory for the river advocacy group and something it will continue to monitor.

The FOG director was adamant about including the missing data, as they feel that much of the attention is given to the river upstream from the Chelsea Dam, as that’s where most of the popular swimming holes are and where most of the motorboats and paddlers are. However, they said with new people moving into the area, it’s important to ensure residents are clear about the quality of the river.

While much of the river has favourable results that are either “excellent” or “good,” two sites in La Pêche consistently show higher levels of bacteria: The McLinton Creek and near the entrance of the La Pêche River. Both have been deemed not recommended for swimming by FOG.

FOG director Stephen Ferguson alluded to the fact that the bacteria could be coming from beaver dams upstream. Another FOG director also noted that there are two horse farms and a cattle farm above McLinton Creek, and FOG believes that could be part of why the fecal levels are so high.

There was also the question around the septic treatment plant on top of Chemin de la Vallée-de-Wakefield and whether or not its effluent was contaminating sites in the village. However Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux confirmed that the exit pipe is near Kaffé 1870, which is downstream from McLinton and the La Pêche River sites.

With global warming bringing more intense storms and rain to the region, FOG is now starting to test the river after rain events – 24 and 48 hours after a storm – to see how runoff from the roads and forests above the river affects its quality.

FOG wants to be clear that its boating safety campaign, in which the organization is trying to lower the speed limit for motorboats on the Gatineau River, is not only about safety but also about preserving and protecting the river. FOG says that boat wakes are the top contributor to shoreline erosion, and legislation to slow boats down will both save lives and protect the river’s shoreline.

What can you do to protect the river?

FOG has a section on its website where residents can gather information on how to be a steward of the river and how to limit our impact on the river

Eliminate household toxins

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 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 not swimmable at three sites Read More »

Wakefield north won’t be a suburb, developer says

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / September 11, 2024 / Hwy 105 north, Trevor Greenway, Wakefield development

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

Wakefield could soon be expanding north.

When Sylvain Viau puts the finishing touches on his 55-acre Esplanade Wakefield development, a new village neighbourhood will rise between Mclaren Road and the current Hwy 105 north.

And once the Hwy 5 extension is completed, these new residents could have a walkable route into the village, through a multi-use pathway. The pathway will replace the stretch of Hwy 105 between the intersection of Maclaren and Hwy 366 and Alcove, where the new Hwy 5 extension will end.

“That path is in the plans of the Ministry of Transport to convert Hwy 105 to a multifunctional path, which to me, is one of the nicest spots on the 105 right now,” said Esplanade developer Viau. “It would make a fantastic path to walk down to the village.”

While Viau’s vision is a full neighbourhood – 250 or more units depending on the capacity of municipal services, which include apartments and affordable housing units as well – he was clear that only Phase 1 of his project has been approved by the municipality, which is 13 homes on one-acre lots that will “integrate well with nature.”

Viau was adamant that he is not turning the end of the village into suburbia.

“The general vision is: [the homes] have to be houses with a rural feel,” said Viau, explaining that home sizes will be restricted to a maximum of 3,000 square feet for one-storey homes and 1,800 square feet footprint for two-storey buildings.

“It won’t be these suburban, big dwellings or mansions or brick turrets – they have to integrate well with nature. But they can be Scandinavian models. They can be mid-century. They can be craftsmen or log-ish or like. They can be a bunch of different things, but they have to kind of fit the vibe of a forest setting close to the water.”

Viau, who lives in Wakefield, is a civil engineer by trade and has expertise with these kinds of developments after working on the Chelsea Highlands development near Larrimac. Viau said he is taking his knowledge from that project and applying the nature-first mentality to his new Wakefield project.

While Viau said he doesn’t want to limit prospective buyers too much with design restrictions, he has hired local designers and builders who live in the Gatineau Hills to help keep that “village feel” intact. He is working with Wakefield architect Sally Vandrish from Spike Studio and Terra Construction for the builds, although prospective buyers won’t be forced to use their services.

“They have passion for this place,” said Viau about the local designers and builders. “They love this place, and they won’t have to explain to you at the grocery store why they blew up a mountain.” They’re not blowing up a mountain, but instead integrating a neighbourhood within the big hill at the top of Maclaren Road, he said.

While Phase 1 is just 13 houses, the full neighbourhood will be designed with natural walking paths, trails, river lookout spots, a wetland, a community park and some commercial buildings.

“We also understand that the municipality and everyone want more housing density – cheaper units and all of this stuff. So it’s kind of fitting both,” added Viau. “Affordable housing, multi-generational housing, and different types of housing – we’re looking into all of this for future phases.”

He said that future phases of the higher density buildings, including apartement and affordable housing units, would connect to the municipal sewer system.

Viau said he believes affordable housing is “not a developer problem. It’s a social problem,” and argued that, while he is happy to be one voice on the issue, he believes solving Canada’s housing crisis should include regional, provincial and federal governments and, ultimately, legislation.

Esplanade lots are currently selling between $195,000 and $225,000. Two have already been sold. Visit the project at www.esplanadewakefield.ca

Wakefield north won’t be a suburb, developer says Read More »

CAQ’s ‘half-baked’ health measures too little too late

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / September 11, 2024 / CAQ, CPO, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

The head of a local health watchdog group says the bonuses extended to Wakefield, Maniwaki and Shawville medical techs are too little, too late.

While SOS Outaouais president John Pigeon said he was happy that the CAQ government finally agreed to pay rural medical technicians the same $22,000 bonus as their counterparts in Gatineau and Hull, he said he feels the temporary measure is only a band-aid solution and just kicks the region’s health crisis down the road two years.

“By no means does this really solve anything in the deep problem that we’re facing,” said Pigeon Sept. 9, two days after the CAQ announced the additional funding. “We see the government acting to, sort of, putting out this little fire here and there, but there is a big, overall problem, and that problem is that there’s a lack of the capacity for our Integrated Health and Social Services Centres (CISSS) to be able to be competitive with the market of Ontario.”

Earlier this summer, amid a looming health crisis in the Outaouais that saw a number of health technicians in the region leave for Ontario where they could make $30,000 more in salary, the CAQ government announced a $22,000 bonus for medical techs in Hull and Gatineau.

The move was criticized by the province’s public health and social services union, the Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux (APTS), as well as politicians and health groups.

In response, the province backtracked and offered workers in Wakefield, Maniwaki and Shawville an $18,000 bonus – $4,000 shy of the money their counterparts were offered in urban Outaouais hospitals. This was announced Sept. 7.

Quebec’s health ministry told the Low Down that the union had agreed to the bonuses.

“Let us first recall that the Ministry of Health negotiated and agreed on bonuses with the APTS,” wrote the ministry in an email Sept. 5, two days before increasing the bonuses. “A committee was set up to monitor the effects and will make recommendations, if necessary.”

Gov’t failed to act until near collapse

Liberal MNA for Pontiac and the official health critic André Fortin said, while the bonuses are a good start, he is “frustrated” that it took a near-full healthcare collapse in the Outaouais for the government to finally act.

“It’s shocking that it took months and months and months for the CAQ government to realize what everybody was telling them – what the region’s wardens were saying; what the CISSO president was saying; what the radio techs themselves were saying: that we needed one bonus across the region in order not to fight amongst ourselves and deplete some hospitals to replenish others,” said Fortin.

Fortin said he agrees with SOS Outaouais that, while the bonuses, which are only in effect for two years and only offered to full-time employees, are nice, they don’t tackle the region’s real issue: paying doctors, nurses and medical staff enough money to make them stay in Quebec.

“We should be addressing the fundamental issue here, which is the discrepancy in salaries between our healthcare workers and Ontario’s healthcare workers,” he said.

“Minister [Christian] Dubé and Premier Legault, for some reason, still insist on using temporary, half-baked measures that will not address the crux of the issue and will not allow the regional healthcare network to start improving.”

The Outaouais network of prefects, the Conférence des préfets de l’Outaouais (CPO), called the bonuses a “significant victory” for healthcare workers, as well as patients, in the region.

“The CPO duly welcomes this decision, which strengthens our region and demonstrates the impact we can have by joining forces to defend the interests of the Outaouais,” said CPO president Benoit Lauzon in a statement.

“We thank the local stakeholders of the government of Quebec, the APTS and all those who contributed to this important victory for the region.”

CAQ’s ‘half-baked’ health measures too little too late Read More »

Heritage College says Bill 96 unfair to students

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / September 5, 2024 / Bill 96, English eligibility certificate, Heritage College, Outaouais, Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

editor@lowdownonline.com

Some Heritage College students will attend school on a weekend this year to prepare for Quebec’s French-language exit exam, a new requirement for those who don’t hold an English eligibility certificate.

Heritage College’s academic dean Lisa Peldjak said the school is working on a mock exam for this October, where all non-certificate holders show up on a Saturday to measure themselves against the provincial standard in French. Those who struggle in the exam will have time to improve before the actual exam next spring.

“This is going to be a real snapshot of what the French exit exam will look like,” said Peldjak. “They’re going to be here all day. It’s mandatory for the students to attend. And it’ll be worth grades. But they’re going to grade it like the French exit [exam] to give the students a taste of what the exam will be like.”

But Heritage’s director-general Terry Kharyati said he has no idea how many of these students will attend this mock exam in October, as the prospect of non-French speakers taking the same exit exam as their francophone counterparts has been a major deterrent for prospective students.

“All students have the opportunity to feel welcome, first, and the accessibility to what is a great education,” said Kharyati. “But for some who’ve never taken French, it’s ominous. We see that already from students who are coming here from Ontario or who are from the Glebe High School [Ottawa]. If they come here, they’re considered non-anglo because they don’t have their English eligibility rights.”

“We’re recruiting students for basketball. We have students coming over from Ridgemont High School [in Ottawa],” added Kharyati. “But it’s getting more difficult to recruit from Ottawa schools.”

Part of the problem with the English eligibility certificates is that the Ministry of Education will only give them out to students who are currently enrolled in English high schools in Quebec. Those who have already graduated and request a certificate after they’ve graduated are being denied. Those who attend CEGEPs without the certificate will be required to write the province’s three-hour French exit exam, whereas those who hold the certificate will take an English exam.

The new CEGEP rules are part of the CAQ government’s implementation of Bill 96 – the province’s overhaul of the Charter of the French Language, which requires all non-English certificate holders to take the French exam. Bill 96 became Law 14 after it was passed in 2022, affecting how the charter applies to English CEGEPs in the province. Students who do hold English certificates will also have to take three additional French-language courses or three core courses in French, creating a two-tiered system for students.

Peldjak explained that the college is using incoming high school grades in French, as well as a college assessment, to determine whether or not a student is placed in the advanced French stream. The advanced stream will allow students to take two French as a second language (FSL) courses, two complementary courses in French and one program-specific course in French. Non-advanced stream students will take a total of five FSL courses within their two years at the college.

“Depending on the student and their level of French, they’re not all coming in being treated fairly or equally,” she said.

Peldjak noted that students who are required to take the five FSL courses don’t have the option of taking complementary courses, which give them a “highlight into other interests that they might have.” These students, according to Peldjak, miss out on the entirety of other courses the college has to offer.

The college won’t know how much of a deterrent these new rules will be on the student population until final enrollment numbers are reported in mid-September.

Heritage College says Bill 96 unfair to students Read More »

Outaouais health group sends SOS to minister

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / September 5, 2024 / Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

The head of a health watchdog group in the Outaouais says the region is facing two major problems – and both of them come down to money.

John Pigeon, president of SOS Outaouais, laid out these two issues during a 15-minute phone conversation with Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé last week and said, while he’s “cautious” about the government’s next steps, he is hopeful the province will address the region’s chronic underfunding and increase salaries to retain healthcare workers. SOS Outaouais is a health watchdog group comprised of community organizations and healthcare leaders.

“The first area is the fact that we’ve been historically under-financed in the region, and there needs to be actions taken to resolve this,” said Pigeon, referring to a nearly $200 million gap between healthcare funding in the Outaouais and other regions in Quebec. “The second item is salaries – salaries for healthcare workers.”

The Outaouais region went through a tumultuous summer in the healthcare sector, with multiple operating rooms in the Gatineau and Hull hospitals being shuttered and scanning technologists leaving the province for more money in Ontario.

The region lost several technicians to Ontario, where they can make up to $30,000 more per year. The Quebec government did eventually add bonuses for techs who stay in the region – $22,000 for technologists at hospitals in Hull, Gatineau and Papineau, and other bonuses of up to $18,000 for technologists in Maniwaki. Shawville and Wakefield employees were originally left out of the deal, however Gatineau MNA Robert Bussière announced that they would also receive the $18,000 bonus, but it was still $4,000 less than what employees in other hospitals received.

“If you don’t have technicians to operate those imagery departments, well, that’s where everything seems to go downhill,” added Pigeon. “But it’s beyond imagery technicians. This is affecting a lot of workers, including nurses. There are 1,200 nurses that are missing in our region, which is devastating when you just look at our surgery department.”

According to SOS Outaouais, the Gatineau Hospital’s emergency ward is currently working at 30 per cent capacity, while its surgery ward is only working at 25 per cent capacity, which is causing delays for patients in the region.

Pigeon said that Minister Dubé was “receptive” to the struggles facing the Outaouais but still doesn’t understand why the region is so chronically underfunded – a problem governments have been aware of since 2019, when the National Assembly passed a motion recognizing the unique situation of the Outaouais with its close proximity to Ottawa.

He said the region has always been in a “bubble” of the National Capital Region, where Quebec residents could seek care in either Ontario or Quebec with ease.

That is changing, according to Marcel Chartrand of health watchdog group Vigi Santé.

He said that with Quebec’s new centralized health network, Santé Québec, more and more Ontario hospitals are turning away Quebec patients, and it’s causing more delays.

He also argues that the province’s health overhaul will centralize Quebec’s health network and remove key decision-making roles from doctors and healthcare professionals working on the ground.

“Give the locals the power,” Chartrand previously told the Low Down.

While Pigeon was hoping for a thorough sit down with the health minister, his organization had to settle for a 15-minute phone call. He said that SOS hopes it will be the beginning of regular, constructive dialog on the region’s health crisis.

Outaouais health group sends SOS to minister Read More »

Heritage joins call to exempt Indigenous students

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / September 5, 2024 / Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

A petition to exempt Indigenous students at Heritage College and other English CEGEPs across the province from being required to take a French exit exam has garnered nearly 2,000 signatures.

The petition urges the CAQ government to exempt Indigenous students from Bill 96, which became Law 14 when it passed in 2022, and forces all non-English eligibility certificate holders to take a three-hour French exit exam to graduate.

Heritage College argues that many of its Indigenous students do not have an English certificate and says the province’s new law is stifling those who want to pursue a higher education.

“Our biggest concern is that we are a public institution, and we are restricting access to students,” said Heritage College director-general Terry Kharyati.

The petition was launched by Dawson College in Montreal, but every English CEGEP across the province is now supporting it.

“We are encouraging people to read the petition,” added Kharyati. “We’re not asking anybody to sign it. We’re just saying, ‘This exists.’ Get informed and then make decisions.”

Law 14 requires that anyone attending English CEGEPs without an English eligibility certificate must take the province’s French-language exit exam in order to graduate. Heritage College academic dean Lisa Peldjak said that the school’s Indigenous students who don’t already have their certificates likely won’t get them, as the Ministry of Education is only giving the certificates to those who are still in high school. Those who apply after they’ve graduated are being denied.

“The process is quite onerous for our Indigenous students,” added Peldjak. “It also can be viewed as disrespectful because they’re actually, once again, having to fight for their rights as Indigenous Peoples. And it’s not ‘fill out the paperwork and you’re exempt.’ Not everyone is being exempt.”

The petition states that the Act Respecting French, the Official and Common Language of Quebec, known as Bill 96, “requires Indigenous students with little or no knowledge of French to take additional French courses beyond their abilities, thereby compromising their chances of academic success” and acts as a “deterrent for Indigenous students in their pursuit of post-secondary education.”

Last spring, five English CEGEPs, including Heritage, unveiled a series of emotional videos from Indigenous students, who argue in those videos that Bill 96 was unfairly penalizing them and their chances of receiving a higher education.

“In my community, French isn’t offered. No one learns French. A lot of us aren’t introduced to it at all, and they knew they wouldn’t be able to keep up,” said John Abbot College’s Cameron Biron, a Cree student from Wemindji, in one of the videos. “I came here willing to learn French…but after the bill, it’s too much. I feel like it’s being forced upon me. It’s putting my education at risk.”

The five English CEGEPS penned a letter last year to Premier François Legault, urging the leader of the CAQ to minimize the impact of Bill 96 on Indigenous communities.

“In the absence of a satisfactory response from the relevant departments, and with limited time before the school year begins, we are compelled to make our concerns public,” states the letter, signed by the directors of Dawson, Vanier, John Abbott, Champlain and Heritage colleges. “Due to the urgency of the situation, we were forced to make this decision as a last resort. We are concerned that our current Indigenous students will be unable to earn their [diploma of college studies], and that the many Indigenous students, who will begin their studies this fall, will face numerous obstacles.”

Kharyati agrees, and said that, when you “add another layer” to an already complicated application process, it acts as a major deterrent for Indigenous students to apply to college.

The petition can be found online at: https://shorturl.at/ec9Pn.

Heritage joins call to exempt Indigenous students Read More »

MNA fighting property hikes in Alleyn-et-Cawood

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / August 28, 2024 / Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

The municipality of Alleyn-et-Cawood is trying to change the way Quebec assesses property values after taxpayers saw their home values rise a staggering 370 per cent this spring as part of the province’s triennial assessment role.

According to Alleyn-et-Cawood director-general Isabelle Cardinal, more than 100 lots in the municipality were sold between $40,000 and $50,0000 over the past two years – well above their market value of $12,000 for an acre of land. Because of this, municipal values as a whole went up throughout the entire territory, pushing property values up as high as 370 per cent in some cases – impacting both residents and the municipality significantly.

“This affected our shares for the MRC,” said Cardinal, explaining that Alleyn-et-Cawood’s contribution to MRC Pontiac increased from $113,000 to nearly $300,000 this year.

“They’re using a standardized value to calculate our shares and that’s why we were hit so hard,” she said. “Our MRC Pontiac shares have risen from $113,000 to almost $290,000, an increase close to $177,000 because our municipal value increased from close to $75,000,000 to more than $276,000,000.”

The Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation determines its triennial assessments using a median proportion and comparative factor, which is established based on sales on the municipality’s territory during the previous year, compared with the value deposited during the first year of the triennial roll. Because of the large vacant lot sales over the past two years, Alleyn-et-Cawood’s municipal assessment went way up and Cardinal is arguing that it’s not an accurate snapshot of the municipality’s financial situation.

“Myself and a member of the task force went to the preliminary meeting of the mayors at the MRC, and we asked for them to adopt a bylaw for the calculation of the share,” she told the Low Down in early August. “So basically, what we’re asking is for them to use our current municipal evaluation and not the comparative factor.”

The municipality has launched a petition to pressure Quebec to eliminate the comparative factor and build a new model that is more reflective of a municipality’s current financial picture. The petition, which has garnered 441 signatures, can be found on the municipal website at https://www.alleyn-cawood.ca/en.

Cardinal explained that the municipality assured residents that it will adjust the mill rate before next year’s budget to balance out property taxes, however with the big jump in triennial assessments, things like fixed school taxes are what will really hit the wallets of residents.

“We’re trying to convince the Municipal Affairs Minister that a situation like this is untenable for a number of residents,” said Liberal Pontiac MNA André Fortin, continuing, “namely full-time residents who owned small homes for a long period of time, who potentially are already struggling to make ends meet – to pay their municipal taxes, their school taxes and, all of a sudden, they see the value of their house nearly quadruple on the municipal evaluation.”

A mill rate Mill rate is a tax rate – the amount of tax payable per dollar of the assessed value of a property.

Part of the problem, according to Fortin, is that municipal triennial assessments take a sweeping average of home sales to determine the increase, but the method doesn’t take into account whether a certain lot is waterfront, vacant land or farmland.

“So, because they had to go with the average increase in the sales prices, it means that some people whose real home value hasn’t increased that dramatically, will face substantial increases in, for example, their school taxes,” added Fortin.

“There has to be a way to maybe set aside either the evaluation of a sector in the municipality, or there has to be a mechanism by which some home values are excluded from this calculation,” he said.

Fortin said he is working with the ministry on changing the triennial assessment method.

MNA fighting property hikes in Alleyn-et-Cawood Read More »

Capsized canoe renews calls to lower river speed limit

Local Journalism Initiative / The Low Down / August 28, 2024 / Trevor Greenway

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Initiative

An incident on Canada Day, in which two Wakefield seniors were capsized in their canoe by a police boat, has renewed calls from Friends of the Gatineau River (FOG) to lower the speed limit on the Gatineau River.

The current speed limit on the Gatineau River is 55 km/h or 10 km/h if you are within 10 metres of a shoreline.

FOG doesn’t have specifics on what speed limit the river should have, but director David Wilson said it would be a multi-pronged decision by the MRC des Collines, local politicians and, ultimately, Transport Canada.

FOG has been working with Pontiac MP Sophie Chatel who helped streamline a process for changing rules on a body of water within Transport Canada last year. FOG said it has been working closely with Chatel and will officially submit a request to the federal body once it conducts more public consultations with river users and the MRC des Collines.

According to a 2021 FOG survey on river safety, 87 per cent of respondents rated the river as “dangerous,” and the majority feared that someone would eventually be seriously injured or killed. Of the 700 residents surveyed, 94 per cent said they “recognize the negative impacts of boat wakes on other users and the environment.” An overwhelming majority – 81 per cent – said they support reducing the current speed limit.

“I think it’s not just a FOG concern; I think it should be a concern to everyone who uses the river, including motorboat users,” said Wilson. “And these dumping incidents that have happened recently, one that involves a police boat, just illustrates that these problems aren’t going away.” (See story Page 1). Wilson said that as more and more people move into and frequent the Hills in summer, river use will consistently increase, and incidents like what happened to Irene Halang and her partner will likely happen again. Wilson also mentioned an accident involving a swimmer and a jet ski several years ago, and said he worries that if speed isn’t taken seriously on the river, it will lead to fatalities.

“It shows that it’s not just an academic issue,” Wilson told the Low Down. “These safety issues are real.”

Wilson said there is a common misconception that FOG is anti-motorboat. He said that’s not the case at all, and its Boating Safety Consultation campaign is about “finding a balanced approach” to accommodate paddlers, swimmers and those who want to use their motorboats. He alluded to the safety hazards spread across the river – old foundations from the pre-flood era, shallow sandbar areas and boom logs that are still floating from when the logging industry used the river to transport wood throughout the Outaouais. Many of those hazards still exist, he said.

“It’s also a very narrow river in many places, which is part of the reason why zipping by at a good clip close to the shoreline is really problematic,” said Wilson about speeding boats.

“Please, for everyone’s sake, slow down,” he added. “And I guess for the swimmers and paddlers, it’s ‘watch out.’”

For more information on river safety, visit FOG at www.fog-arg.org/boating-safety-consultations

Capsized canoe renews calls to lower river speed limit Read More »