Trevor Greenway

Fire ban issued across Hills

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By Trevor Greenway

Don’t toss your cigarette butt out your car window. 

Don’t light that pile of leaves your kids have raked up in the backyard. And don’t, under any circumstances, have an open fire any time in the next week – maybe beyond. 

These things may seem innocuous but they have already caused at least two fires in La Pêche over the past week, according to firefighter and prevention technician Sébastien Lalonde. The province’s wildfire prevention agency SOPFEU has ordered a complete fire ban across the Gatineau Hills at the beginning of October. 

“I would be really, really aware of what I’m doing outside, even if it’s a cigarette, even if it’s a barbecue…” said Lalonde. “At the moment, it’s really dry. We had one little brush fire this weekend and according to the owner of the property it was caused by a cigarette.”

Lalonde said another resident was having a controlled fire in a barrel in Masham Oct. 2 when some embers floated towards a nearby garage and lit it up. The garage was a total loss, however no injuries were reported. 

“So yes, it is really dangerous at this point because it’s really dry,” said Lalonde, referencing a lack of rain over the last month. “So even a cigarette can be a really big hazard at the moment. So it’s really important that people understand that situation. Because even when you drive on the highway and you throw your cigarette through the window, well, that may cause a fire, and we see many, many fires along the main road like that.”

According to SOPFEU, there are two current fires burning in the Gatineau Hills (L’Ange-Gardien and Mayo) and nine across the Outaouais. The fire prevention organization has had a complete ban on open fires since the first week of October. 

While there are no wildfires active in Low or Kazabazua, open fires are also banned in the entire MRC Vallée-de-la-Gatineau region. 

For more information or for tips on fire safety, visit sopfeu.qc.ca/.

Fire ban issued across Hills Read More »

La Pêche mayor acclaimed for third term

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By Trevor Greenway

Guillaume Lamoureux didn’t need to knock on doors. 

He didn’t need to print campaign brochures, argue his points in a municipal debate or fling mud at his opponents. 

The incumbent La Pêche mayor was acclaimed for his third term on Oct. 3 after nobody stepped in to challenge him for the head seat at the council table. Lamoureux, who was catapulted into the mayor’s chair eight years ago after upsetting long-time mayor Robert Bussière in 2017, said that he feels his constituents are “satisfied” with how things have gone in the municipality over the past two mandates. 

Along with the mayor, there was only one contest for a council seat  (Ward 2) in La Peche. For contrast, Cantley has 20 candidates vying for a spot at the council table (four for mayor), while Chelsea has 16 hopefuls (two for mayor). 

“It could also be reflective of the local political scene,” said Lamoureux, when asked why there was just one race in La Pêche’s Ward 2 (Masham), with all five other wards going uncontested. 

He said municipalities like L’Ange-Gardien and Pontiac have few or no races, which isn’t surprising because those municipalities have also avoided recent controversies. 

“It’s quite the opposite in Chelsea, Cantley and Val-des-Monts, and I think it’s reflective of the last mandate,” he said. “There was a lot more noise, a lot more difficult issues in these three municipalities.”

Cantley residents are fighting a massive development on Lorne Mountain that could change the face of the municipality, while Chelsea is trying to manage spiralling debt, an over-capacity water treatment and sewer system, river access and exploding development.

In La Pêche, Lamoureux and his crew have buttoned up many of the big-ticket items, including the $11-million town hall, multiple consultations on the renovation of Wakefield’s turntable park and the recent building transfer of the Wakefield community centre. 

But as Lamoureux embarks on his third mandate, he knows his work isn’t done. Instead of telling residents what the priorities are, he said he wants to hear from them. 

“What has remained for me, most importantly, is to listen and be respectful of people’s opinions and recognize that it’s normal that people will be sometimes upset and frustrated and angry when they address me,” said Lamoureux. 

“Yes, we’ve been acclaimed, but we’ll make sure to listen to find out what – what are people’s priorities – and consult with them,” he continued. “There’s peace in this community, like social peace, right? Cohesion. And that’s the most important thing.”

Moving forward, Lamoureux said he wants to conduct a deep dive into the municipality’s budget, and he will be hosting local “town hall” meetings to connect with residents and get a sense of what they feel the municipality’s priorities should be focused on. 

His first town hall will be Oct. 15 at the La Pêche town hall building from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

La Pêche mayor acclaimed for third term Read More »

Centre Wakefield-La Pêche nearly folds over lack of help

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By Trevor Greenway

Members of the Centre Wakefield-La Pêche (CWLP) co-operative said they were “shocked” and “disappointed” at their 2025 AGM when they could barely get six people to volunteer to sit on the new board of directors. 

Just 25 or so CWLP members – out of over 3,000 total co-op members – showed up for the Sept. 24 AGM, and among those just one – former board member Carly Woods – stood up to offer her time and expertise to sit as a new board member.  The co-op board consists of a total of 11 seats, however only six are required to form a quorum. 

“If we do not have people step forward to be on this board, the co-op will cease to exist,” said La Pêche Coun. Pam Ross, who is the CWLP-appointed municipal representative on the board. “I would argue it’s situation critical.”

Ross’ plea sparked a round of discussions among those in attendance, but it wasn’t enough to encourage anyone else to put their name forward. In the end, board members Archie Smith and John Parker, who were both set to step down, agreed to stay on as interim board members so that the co-op wouldn’t be forced to disband. 

Co-op members agreed to begin recruiting other members to replace the outgoing board members. CWLP chair Julie Coté also stepped down, however a replacement was not chosen. 

Founding CWLP member Ruth Salmon told the crowd that previous meetings – namely those leading up to and including the building transfer vote – drew hundreds of members because there was a “crisis.” Because members were voting on whether to transfer ownership of the building, which they overwhelmingly voted in favour of earlier this year, to the municipality, the meeting had something at stake for them, she explained. 

“I think we need to let people know about this crisis and really put a push forward and say, ‘Hey, this is happening – we might fold because we don’t have enough people,’” Salmon told the crowd. She said that the CWLP board over the years has not maintained a “corporate memory.”

“Every board comes in and they start all over again,” she said. “There isn’t a volunteer committee that has been going on for 10 years, building up the volunteer base. There has never been a fundraising committee.”

While board volunteers and members in general were lacking at the meeting, there was an air of confidence and excitement about the future. Now that the CWLP building transfer is complete, board members no longer have to worry about building maintenance and can focus solely on programming for the centre. And it hasn’t taken long for the centre to get buzzing with a refreshed approach. 

“I don’t know if I would have applied for the job had the building not been transferred, to be honest,” said new CWLP general manager Jess Harris. “The outgoing board has worked so hard for the smooth transfer. I think they have done a great job of advocating for the co-op and the community to be able to continue in this beautiful building without the burden of all that this … building requires.”

Harris said the centre will become a truly shared space for all La Pêche residents, rather than a Wakefield-centric centre with mainly English programming. 

“I think extending our reach into the francophone community is a huge opportunity right now with the municipality in the mix,” said Harris. “Instead of just being the Wakefield community centre, it’s more of the Wakefield-La Pêche community centre, which is for everyone.”

Small deficit ‘not bad’ says board member (SUBHED)

In terms of financials, the board is in decent shape. However board member John Parker warned members that it’s difficult to get a complete financial picture as everything has now changed with the municipal building takeover. 

The centre’s finances show a deficit of $144,000, however most of that is “depreciation of the mortgage,” explained Parker. He added that, with the co-op no longer owning the building, the deficit is significantly smaller. 

“The depreciation value is $144,00, so if you take that off the books, we’re at a $4,000 loss this year, which, for the operation of the centre on volunteers, that’s not bad,” he said. 

Where the centre fell short was in grants, as board members were able to secure $296,000 in grants in 2024, compared to just $69,000 this year – a more than 75 per cent drop in funding. 

Harris said one of her priorities is to recruit grant writers to help the centre take advantage of the money available to community centres for programming. The centre made up much of the shortfall in programming revenue, as visitors paid a total of $127,000 on events at the centre, compared to last year’s $77,000. Rentals increased by nearly $60,000 to $164,000, while community donations also rose from just over $9,000 to $27,000 in 2025. Total revenue for the centre in 2025 was $452,850.

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Heritage College to make Indigenous education a priority

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By Trevor Greenway

Jenny Buckshot Tenasco was just six years old when she was taken from her family in Kitigan Zibi and placed in a residential school in Kenora, Ont., in 1958. 

The young Indigenous child spent three days on a train, travelling from Ottawa to Kenora, and said that after spending a year there, her culture had disappeared. 

“In that 12 months, my language was taken away,” said Tenasco during the signing of an Indigenous Education Protocol at Heritage College Sept. 19. “It was blocked. It’s still partially blocked. Some words are starting to come back that I remember hearing from my parents and my grandparents, but I’m glad to know that people are sharing the language now and making an effort to use it so the next generation can hear our language also.”

The English CEGEP has made a commitment through Colleges and Institutes Canada (CIC) to “recognize, value and honour the Indigenous Peoples and their cultures” at the school. Seventy-five post-secondary schools across Canada have now signed the Protocol. 

“This signing is more than a single symbolic act that represents our institution’s firm commitment to strengthening relationships with their Indigenous Peoples and to advancing truth, respect and equity in education,” said Heritage College executive director Lisa Peldjak. “The Protocol calls on us to recognize Indigenous Peoples and governance, to create welcoming and supportive learning environments, to integrate Indigenous knowledge and perspectives and to work in true partnership with Indigenous communities.”

Joelle Deschambault, the director of member services at CIC, told the Low Down that the Protocol is a commitment to “Indigenize and decolonize our institutions.” 

“In the Protocol, there are seven principles that colleges agree to live by, follow and put into action to not only help Indigenous education grow and get stronger and give more access, but also to foster environments that are inclusive, meaningful and respectful with Indigenous communities,” she said. “To really take into account their laws, their way of doing, their way of learning, their way of living, making sure that the students – the Indigenous learners – have the support they need and the commitment they need for higher-standard Indigenous education.”

Deschambault noted the growth of Indigenous communities in Canada and the need for an education strategy to ensure students are represented and have opportunities for post-secondary education. 

According to Stats Canada, the Indigenous population grew by 9.4 per cent, compared to 5.3 per cent for the non-indigenous population from 2016 to 2021. 

According to the CIC, the gap for post-secondary education between Indigenous and non-indigenous students is widening. Just 16 per cent of Indigenous Peoples hold a university degree compared to 36 per cent of the overall population. However, of the Indigenous students, 23 per cent have obtained a college credential and 11 per cent have completed apprenticeships – figures that surpass those of the general population. 

“[Indigenous communities] are the population that is growing the most quickly and they are the ones that need even more access to education,” added Deschambault. “And there’s definitely a discrepancy between the Indigenous population and the rest of the country.”

Among the seven principles are a commitment to making Indigenous education a priority, ensuring the college increases the number of Indigenous employees it hires and implementing the intellectual and cultural traditions of Indigenous peoples through the curriculum. 

Heritage College to make Indigenous education a priority Read More »

Low mayor candidate wants to build ‘covenant’ of values

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By Trevor Greenway

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Psst! Black Sheep quietly re-opens

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By Trevor Greenway

The Black Sheep Inn was bursting with a feeling of nostalgia Saturday night as the Wakefield music venue opened its doors for the first time in over five years for a raucous afterparty featuring a roster of DJs. 

No, we’re serious, it really did open and the Low Down has the photos to prove it. 

And when those big black double doors swung open, it didn’t take long before a full dance party was in swing – Black Sheep style – with patrons smiling ear to ear, many of them in disbelief that they were actually dancing in the place that holds so many sonic memories. 

“It was very emotional,” said a jovial Christina Stobert, the new self-styled commander-in-chief of the Black Sheep Inn. She said the soft opening Sept. 20 was a bit of a dry run to “work off the cobwebs” after the venue had been closed for so many years. 

The Black Sheep Inn shuttered its doors in March of 2020 due to COVID-19. While other establishments re-opened, the Sheep remained closed, as co-owners Paul Symes and Jennifer Nesbitt slowly worked out a purchase agreement to re-open the Sheep under new management.

“From turning on the stereo for the first time and being in the room, it kind of hit me in the face that this is not just a bar/restaurant/hotel – it’s a music venue,” she said about the dry-run. “Hearing the music cranked up was amazing and just [seeing] how happy everyone was – and the comments from the crowd were that it was warm and welcoming.”

Warm and welcoming, yes. This reporter was in the room and Stobert’s read of the vibe was spot on, as you couldn’t find a frown in the establishment. And the music was certainly cranked. The Sheep was the official venue for the Fête de la Musique afterparty, the charity event for mental health awareness that featured DJs on the Wakefield covered bridge and bands at the Fairbairn House all day Sept. 20. For the afterparty, DJ Francis Delage opened up the night with some warm beats, before Ottawa’s DJ Plush turned it up to 11 and got the dance floor going. Local DJs Disko Dave (David Lajeunesse), Kor (Dustin Good) and this reporter (BeatScience) kept the party going well past midnight. 

And anyone inside the building would have felt the local soul drifting throughout the recognizable room, with a host of familiar faces ensuring the evening went smoothly. From Moses Hausler working the door to Luther Wright manning the bar, it was like an old Sheep night with all the local players. 

And when things got busy, others stopped dancing to help, like Becky Bunch and Rob Clarke, who jumped behind the bar, cleared empties from tables and kept the good vibes flowing. 

“I love that Luther helped me, and Rob jumped behind the bar because we were so busy and missing equipment,” said Stobert. “We had to wash glasses by hand but it was so nice to have help. It was like a real family affair.”

And while it may not have been a typical Sheep night with a rockin’ local band starting things off, it didn’t seem to matter. Locals, like Phil Jenkins, were seen on the dance floor, just happy to be cutting up the checkered linoleum beneath their feet, reawakening old memories while making new ones. 

“I love dancing,” quipped Jenkins. “It was really special to be back in the place where I have so many memories.”

Rock bands return, new events added

The Black Sheep Inn’s re-opening may seem like it happened overnight but it was a long road to getting those doors to swing back open.

The Low Down reported back in December of 2024 that the Sheep was ready to open with a Robbie Burns night in January of that year, but the agreement hadn’t been completed yet and the owners were back at the negotiating table for months. 

That agreement was made official earlier this summer, but the building needed a host of repairs and renovations before it could open. Symes is now officially retired and Nesbitt is the owner, with Stobert the commander-in-chief. 

And while Stobert is committed to bringing back that old Sheep vibe with local bands, emerging artists and established groups, she said she is adding some new flair: DJ nights, comedy shows, private booking opportunities, a full-service kitchen and more. Expect the return of Sunday matinee shows, community town halls, election debates and everything in between. Stobert already has a small roster of bands booked to start playing regular shows, beginning with Johnny Mac and Table Talk on Oct. 11. And she’s in the process of booking Ottawa singer-songwriter and Sheep favourite Jim Bryson for the late fall, Ontario indie-folk group Great Lake Swimmers and Ottawa blues sensations MonkeyJunk. In the meantime, stay tuned for a number of pop-up shows over the next few weeks, including an open mic night. 

Stay tuned for more information about upcoming shows. The Sheep will soon launch a refreshed website and social media accounts.

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New ward, younger face for Edelweiss

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By Trevor Greenway

Benoit Hudon got his first taste of politics at age 11. 

“I visited the parliament in Quebec, representing the local MNA as an elementary student,” Hudon told the Low Down. “It was a very powerful experience to be in the National Assembly, and that got me to look into how it works.”

After spending many years in business consulting, management and organizing social causes in the region, the Edelweiss resident is now looking to get back into the political ring as the La Pêche councillor for Ward 6.  

“Being based in La Pêche, I now realize that being a municipal councillor in local politics has a real impact on people. It’s an accessible service. It’s where we can be in contact with the population. And I feel this is a very important level of interaction and service which I now want to be involved in,” he said about running for councillor in the upcoming November municipal elections.

Hudon said he wants to continue the good work of his predecessor, outgoing Edelweiss Coun. Richard Gervais. He said he hopes to continue being a voice for his constituents in the newly formed Ward 6, which encompasses every La Pêche resident east of the Gatineau River. The area is vast, but not densely populated, with around 1,000 residents. Despite the smaller population, Hudon said he will fight for his constituents’ share of the municipal pie if elected. 

“It’s important for me that even if it’s a … low demographic area we have a voice on the council, and we’re not forgotten in regard to road infrastructure and investment in that part,” he said. 

“New people are coming here and people are biking. It’s important for me that when we take on new projects and evolve the road infrastructure in that area alongside the 366 that we keep it safe for people biking to and from the Edelweiss valley to the village, or Clark Road to the village, and the same for Chemin la Montagne and so on,” he said. 

In terms of general La Pêche priorities, Hudon said he was pleased to see that the municipality is taking water protection seriously, but he wants to push further to ensure that people aren’t faced with dry wells or other water issues as more development heads to the village. 

The new Esplanade development on MacLaren Road, once all its phases are completed, could feature up to 250 new housing units. Hamilton Gardens near Valley Drive in Wakefield, which is set to break ground in the next few weeks, will boast 40 units across multiple buildings. 

“We need to have this good balance between development, which I think is still the case at the moment, but always we have to be vigilant,” he said. “It’s how we develop versus the quality of life of the resident.”

Hudon grew up in Buckingham but has lived in La Pêche since 2020. He is the current executive-director at Ski à l’école, a non-profit organization that introduces cross-country skiing at no cost to kids, adolescents, teens, adults and seniors – anyone between the ages of four and 104. Ski à l’école has visited local schools and senior groups. Since Hudon took over as director, more than 100,000 free ski outings have taken place in the region.

At just 33, he is among the youngest councillors in the province, as only 10 per cent of municipal councillors in Quebec are between the ages of 18 and 34. Hudon said he feels that this gives him a bit of an advantage, as it will help him engage with youth and young adults when working on projects such as climate change, recreation services and municipal budgets. 

“Without having this intention of being a role model of any kind … I think just having the passion for myself and the will to serve … it can create this conversation around me,” said Hudon. 

“I think among people of my age or younger it creates interest and I hope to bring that into the political realm as well.”

The municipal elections take place Nov. 2.

New ward, younger face for Edelweiss Read More »

Norma Geggie Research Centre opens

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By Trevor Greenway

Wakefield hasn’t been the same since longtime volunteer and village champion Norma Geggie died in 2024. 

But Maison Fairbairn and the Gatineau Valley Historical Society (GVHS) are making sure that Geggie, who founded the Wakefield Grannies, raised tens of thousands for the local hospital and helped create Wakefield’s palliative care home, isn’t forgotten. 

The GVHS and The Fairbairn House Heritage Centre are turning the second floor of the Wakefield museum into the Norma Geggie Research Centre – a gathering place for people to share stories of Geggie and La Pêche, as well as an archive room for those looking to learn more about the history of the Gatineau Hills. 

“Norma is the basis of all we know about the heritage in the area, and we’ve all learned from her,” said GVHS former president Marc Cockburn. “We’re all using her resources. And you know, she’s been an inspiration to a lot of people, and we just felt this was a way to show what she’s done for the community.”

Geggie was a village champion in the Hills, from raising funds for the Wakefield Hospital by holding her annual garden parties, to founding the first-ever grandmother-to-grandmother group, The Wakefield Grannies in 2004. The Grannies connected Wakefield grandmothers with their South African counterparts, who are facing an AIDS epidemic. The Wakefield Grannies was the first-ever Granny Group in the world, and more than 250 of them are now set up across North America through the Stephen Lewis Foundation. 

Geggie may not have been born in the Hills, but she spent 71 years of her life here after moving from Australia. She worked as a nurse and midwife in the 1950s and later married Stuart Geggie, the son of Dr. Harold Geggie, who founded the Wakefield Memorial Hospital in 1953. 

Geggie died in 2024 at the age of 99, just days before her 100th birthday. 

Cockburn said that Norma was committed to preserving the history of the Hills and, with her husband, wrote several books detailing the history of La Pêche. She also contributed more than 800 photographs to the GVHS’ image bank. 

“She was just a great documenter. And, like I say, her books are just – they’re priceless,” added Cockburn. “She connected all these people together in Wakefield for all these years. And you know, this is just taking it further – just having a gathering place in her name where people can share stories and learn about our history – all in the spirit of Norma.”

The research room is open to the public and features computer terminals linked to the GVHS, allowing residents to access historical articles and photographs. Cockburn said the research centre will also feature ancestry and genealogy services for people to connect with their own heritage. An official opening ceremony will take place at Maison Fairbairn Sept. 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. RSVP at the following email to attend: info@fairbairn.ca.

Norma Geggie Research Centre opens Read More »

‘Fast food medicine’ – doctors decry Bill 106

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By Trevor Greenway

The head of family medicine in the Outaouais says that doctors in the region are feeling “undervalued” in the face of Bill 106 – so much so that 33 of them have already moved to Ontario or taken early retirement. 

Dr. Guillaume Charbonneau, president of the Association of General Practitioners of Western Quebec (AMOOQ), and his team conducted a survey of their doctors earlier this summer on the impact of Bill 106. The survey found that 33 doctors had already decided to either move to Ontario or close their practice. Hundreds more reported that they are considering leaving the Outaouais. 

Bill 106, tabled in May, would link up to 25 per cent of physicians’ pay to their performance in an effort to get them to take on more patients. And with the Outaouais already short 2,000 family doctors, practitioners are preparing for another healthcare crisis in the region. 

“If we lose 30 to 40 doctors, it will take years, maybe, to catch up, with the way it’s going now, and that will create a lot of difficulty for the people in the Outaouais, in a region where citizens already struggle to get access to healthcare,” said Dr. Charbonneau, “So we cannot be a side effect of the way that the government decides to approach the negotiation with doctors.”

Charbonneau and other doctors  the Low Down recently spoke to about this bill cited fear over Santé Québec’s push for “quantity over quality.”

“So with this bill, we feel that they will ask us to do fast food medicine, and we fear that we won’t be satisfied with the job that we do with the patient. And for us, that’s more important,” said Charbonneau about Bill 106.  “We want everybody to have access, but what is more important at the moment is the patient that we have in front of us, and that we feel that we don’t want to risk his or her safety because we have pressure to see the next patient.”

One of the doctors surveyed by Charbonneau and his team this summer and who said he’s leaving the province is CISSSO department head Dr. Joseph Youssef, who’s already taken steps to obtain a licence to practice medicine in Ontario. 

“In Ontario, doctors are valued,” said Joseph, who is the head of Home Support Services, CLSCs and Day Hospitals, and the medical coordinator for Hospitalization at the Hull and Gatineau hospitals. “Here, it’s the opposite.”

According to several doctors and health advocates the Low Down has spoken with, including SOS Outouais and Vigi Santé, the Outaouais region is particularly vulnerable because of its close proximity to Ottawa. Ontario’s health department has more resources, better working conditions and higher salaries for doctors, nurses and technicians. 

But Dr. Charbonneau says that a “blanket approach” to healthcare in Quebec won’t work because the region is so unique. 

SOS Outaouais president Jean Pigeon said the fact that 33 doctors have already left and hundreds more are considering leaving in the face of Bill 106 is concerning.

“It’s kind of worrisome to think that that’s already taking place and the law has not yet been put into service,” he told the Low Down. “[The government doesn’t] even care that a doctor can just say, ‘Well, I’m not happy with this. I’m just going to cross the bridge in the morning. I don’t have to move. I don’t have to change schools for my children. I don’t have to go and reside in a different province. I can stay in my nice home in Wakefield or Chelsea and just drive and go and work in Ottawa, and I won’t have to have this new law that I have to abide by.’”

According to Vigi Santé, Wakefield has lost four doctors at its two clinics in the past two years. There are currently close to 8,000 people in the MRC des Collines region without a family doctor, which represents about 18 per cent of the region’s population. 

Gatineau Emergency room practitioner Dr. Peter Bonneville told the Low Down that, “I’m not leaving and I’m not considering leaving.” 

However he said that he is “on the fence” when it comes to Bill 106, as the bill’s intention is about giving more patients access to healthcare. Where it falls short, according to Bonneville, is the forceful nature of the bill.

“We want people to have access to healthcare, mainly to the frontline. That’s sort of a good thing of the bill,” said Bonneville. “I think the bad thing of the bill is that it’s sort of being rammed down doctors’ throats.”

Bonneville said that he understands what Santé Québec is trying to do – to increase the number of patients a doctor sees, ultimately giving Quebecers more access to healthcare. However he and others have argued that the region lacks resources and technology to seamlessly integrate remuneration linked to performance, as family doctors need access to hospital staff, scanners and experts to fully care for a patient. 

He had a pointed message for Health Minister Christian Dubé: “You want me to be more performant, but when I see patients in my office, it’s a one-year waiting list for a scan, a two-year waiting list for an MRI. It’s a three-year waiting list for a cardiac ultrasound. And you want me to be performant, but those people, they keep on coming back to my office because their problem is not solved, because I did not have access to tests.” 

Vigi Santé is hosting a doctor’s recruitment event this week to woo some young doctors into practising locally in Wakefield, as well as at the new family medical clinic that is set to open its doors in Chelsea next year. 

‘Fast food medicine’ – doctors decry Bill 106 Read More »

Masham senior died after substandard care at Villa

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

A Quebec coroner has concluded that Masham resident Aline Maisonneuve died of a kidney infection “in a context of suboptimal care” that she received while staying at the Villa des Brises care home in Hull.

Maisonneuve, 95, was found “drowsy and hypotensive” in her bed on the morning of April 12, 2024, after several fellow patients reported hearing her screams go unanswered the night before. She died two days later at the Hull Hospital, where doctors reported finding bed sores and bruises across her torso and neck. 

An external examination of Maisonneuve’s body on April 16, 2024, and an autopsy performed on April 23, 2024, confirmed these wounds and her cause of death. 

The external examination revealed “two bedsores in the [tailbone] region and three bruises on the back,” wrote Coroner Marie Pinault in her report, which the Low Down has obtained. “Ms. Aline Besner died of pyelonephritis in a context of suboptimal care,” she stated in the report.

Besner is Aline Maisonneuve’s legal surname, however she is known around the Hills as Maisonneuve. 

Pyelonephritis is a kidney infection that needs prompt medical treatment, according to Health Canada. If not treated properly, an infection can cause lasting damage to the kidneys, or the bacteria can spread to the bloodstream and cause a potentially life-threatening infection. This is what happened to Maisonneuve, according to the coroner’s report. 

The autopsy, performed at the Laboratory of Forensic Science and Medicine in Montreal, revealed “acute pyelonephritis with blood-borne spread to the lungs and liver,” wrote Pinault. “In addition, the pathologist noted pressure sores on the back of the shoulder blades, calves and heels, as well as a one-centimetre superficial ulcer on the sacrum.”

Maisonneuve had been staying at Villa des Brises since Feb. 26, 2024, and within just a few weeks her condition had deteriorated rapidly, according to her son, Guy Maisonneuve. She was admitted after caring for her became too much for Guy and his wife, Shelley Langlois so she was moved to the Wakefield Hospital on Dec. 22, 2023, where she was treated for “delirium and loss of independence” until Feb. 26, 2024, according to the report. 

She was later admitted to Villa des Brises, but the move there wasn’t supposed to be permanent, as Maisonneuve was waiting for a spot to open up at the Masham long-term care facility, the CHSLD. But she never made it there. 

Patient wasn’t bathed for two weeks: commissioner

A Quebec Commissioner for Complaints and Quality of Services report released in May suggested that Maisonneuve hadn’t been given a bath in two weeks while staying at the home. Commissioner John Benoit concluded that she was the victim of “physical and organizational abuse through negligence” by staff at the care home and the CISSS de l’Outaouais home support (SAD) clinical team. 

Benoit’s report also noted incomplete records at the Villa, the absence of a treatment plan for the period from April 1 to April 12, 2024, and “delays (or lack thereof) in responding to call bells” – alarms that residents can use to alert staff when they need help. The report also showed that Maisonneuve had fallen four times between March 20 and 30, 2024; no incident/accident reports had been filed and follow-up was very poor. 

The commissioner’s report also highlighted several shortcomings at the Villa, including problematic “hygiene and sanitation concepts, infection prevention and control, regulations on the certification of private residences for seniors, assessment of the quality of the living environment, the medication, nursing care and risk management.”

Following the commissioner’s report, an action plan was developed at Villa des Brises. While some of the improvements are ongoing, a new manager with a nursing background was appointed last fall, and her office is located at the Villa. 

However, questions remain surrounding why Maisonneuve was fully dressed in her daytime clothes when she was found unresponsive at the Villa and why the bedsores and bruises were not reported. 

“It was not possible to determine why Ms. Besner was dressed early in the morning when she was found unconscious,” wrote Pinault. “In addition, staff at the residence and SAD denied any skin integrity issues when she left for the hospital on April 12, 2024, while hospital staff reported bedsores that same day.”

Family endured year of ‘agony’

Maisonneuve’s son, Guy told the Low Down Sept. 1, about a week after the coroner’s report was published, that despite already being aware of the disturbing details of his mother’s death, reading the coroner’s report was yet another traumatic day in their 17-month fight for justice. 

“It was not fun to reread it, but it’s not the first time or last – we’ve gone over this so many times, and you don’t get used to it,” said Guy. “I will never get used to hearing the descriptions of my mom’s conditions. I’m going to have to find a place for it because it’s never going to be okay; I will never be okay with what happened to her.”

While the family will never have their mom, mother-in-law, and “Grandmama” back, Guy and Langlois are satisfied with the report, the findings and the action plan that the Villa has been implementing.

When asked if he feels justice has been served, Guy said, “To a certain degree.” He said that the multiple stories published in this local community paper helped the family push forward and ultimately led to the community knowing her story. 

“I think that this is part of what has helped my mom get some justice – we told her story, it was acknowledged, it was talked about, and if it can even help one person…” he trailed off with emotion. 

“It feels like we did accomplish something. And it wasn’t just Shelley and I,” he continued. “It was, again, with your help and with the help of Dr. Pinault. I think she did get some justice. They didn’t know her name. They had no idea –  she was just an anonymous patient, but now I’m pretty sure they know her name.”

“They can’t ignore her now,” added Shelley. 

The Centre intégré de santé et des services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO) told the Low Down that it implemented a “continuous improvement plan” to improve care at the home and monitor for quality control following the death of Maisonneuve. The regional health authority said that it installed a CISSS manager following her death and has implemented “safety nets” to address alleged abuse or negligence. 

“The CISSS de l’Outaouais takes each of these incidents seriously and has investigated them with the support of the Nursing Department (DSI) and the Quality, Performance Evaluation, and Ethics Department (DQEPE),” said CISSSO spokesperson Qeren Boua. “We were proactive in this matter and, following this event, a CISSS manager was present at Villa des Brises. As soon as we became aware of the situation, we implemented, in collaboration with the RPA, a continuous improvement plan that allowed us to monitor the actions taken and ensure the quality and sustainability of services.”

Masham senior died after substandard care at Villa Read More »

Wakefield hopeful wants return of joie de vivre

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

Shaughn McArthur wants Wakefield to return to the funky, grassroots, artist-driven village that made it such a desirable place for the many walks of life who have called it home. 

The Wakefield resident has announced that he is running for the Wakefield Ward in the upcoming municipal elections, and he said he wants to see the village’s quirky joie de vivre return. 

“I think Wakefield is about to see some explosive change, and it’s important for it to be done sensibly and with some real, attentive, local representation,” McArthur told the Low Down during a sit-down interview at Wakefield’s turntable park. 

Turntable park, officially known as Parc Roquebrune, is significant, as the municipality is looking to revamp it, and the next council will be tasked with how to do that – in particular whether or not to remove the turntable itself or memorialize it as part of the redesign. 

“We need to make sure that, as we build more of these developments, there are spaces like turntable park, like the docks, and we should come back to the covered bridge, where people can continue to come together outside of their backyards,” added McArthur. “I don’t want this to become a gated community, where people are having barbecues and pools in their backyards for that to happen. We still need places like the community centre, like the parks, where we come, and we are together in community.”

McArthur is no stranger to politics, as he ran federally for the Green Party of Canada in 2021, finishing in sixth place with 1,710 votes. He is currently the government relations associate director with Nature United, the Canadian chapter of the world’s largest conservation organization. He has extensive experience working with Indigenous groups on climate action and solutions in agriculture and forestry. 

Locally, McArthur, 43, has lived in the village for over a decade, where he raised his two children and has been engaged in multiple community efforts over the years, including as former board member of the Centre Wakefield La Pêche (CWLP) and was the chair of the centre’s transfer committee, which oversaw the recent community centre building transfer to the municipality. 

Through his work and volunteer efforts, he said he has built strong relationships with local representatives, including MP Sophie Chatel, and other La Pêche councillors currently serving. 

“It’s about pulling all that stuff together to make sure that Wakefield continues to be this incredible hub in La Pêche, the broader MRC and the Pontiac, but in a way that it doesn’t lose its flavour and its quirkiness,” he said. 

McArthur added that Wakefield needs a councillor who is engaged and ready to tackle big problems. He said he wants to help businesses thrive, ensure service workers have places to live – rental properties they can afford – and that Wakefield and the broader community commit to serious plans on climate action, emergency preparedness and housing for the aging population. 

“We’ve got incredible densification going on – that’s great – but it needs to come with the right municipal infrastructure that plays into disaster preparedness, but also plays into the flavour of the community that we have,” he said. “You need affordable housing. You need people on lower, different income scales to contribute to the culture of this place, because that’s what makes it so great.”

He continued: “This community and its flavour and its commerce will not move forward in the way that we want if we can’t find places to house folks that are waiting our tables, tending our bars, cleaning our trails.”

Quebecers head to the municipal polls on Nov. 2.

Wakefield hopeful wants return of joie de vivre Read More »

French laws hamper Heritage College’s expansion

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

Every school year staff at Heritage College take a “calculated risk” when enrolling students into classes to avoid hefty fines from the province, says its new director-general. 

Bill 96 – now Law 14, the province’s overhaul of the Charter of the French Language, passed in 2022 – places enrollment caps on English CEGEPS across the province, preventing schools like Heritage College from expanding its programs and growing its student population. 

Heritage College is capped at 1,198 students, and if the college accepts between one and 50 additional students, they face a $7,000 fine from the province. However, if they go over by 50 or more additional students, the fine doubles to $14,000 per student. 

“So you really have to be careful, right? Because you can’t let somebody in and then tell them that they can’t study here,” said Heritage College’s new director-general Lisa Peldjak. 

She explained the college’s dilemma under Bill 96: “You never know from one year to the next. It’s a calculated risk to think about how many students are going to stay on another year. How many are going to leave after that first year so you have an idea how many you can admit? And then, between the time they accept their letter of admission to the first day of class, how many do we historically lose? And then we are hoping that we’ve done the right calculation to be as close to that cap as possible.”

The enrollment caps have been a major barrier to the College’s growth, Peldjak said, as enrollment numbers used to be around $1,500 pre-Bill 96 – and growing. This allowed Heritage to grow in the past, adding programs like women’s hockey and ultimate frisbee. But the caps have stifled future growth, she said, as the fear of additional French classes for students made Ontario students initially reluctant to cross the river. 

Peldjak said the school has done a good job of sending the message that anglophone students are welcome at Heritage College. 

“There were students who were afraid of coming here, especially that first year – the francophones, the non-certificate holders, because there was a misunderstanding that they weren’t allowed to come here or how many French courses they have to take,” explained Peldjak. “But this year we had even more from the anglophone population. Once that first group went through, they were talking with friends and realizing it’s not detrimental to their successes.”

New cohort more prepared than COVID kids

Director-general Peldjak told the Low Down that the wave of new students entering Heritage College this year is far more prepared than the past few years of students who were feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and years of virtual learning. 

However, this new crop of students were in elementary school when COVID was at its peak, and while they lost some social time with their friends, they didn’t lose the full high-school experience that prepares teenagers for college. 

“They had more of their experience in high school and not that online component,” said Peldjak, adding that the school broke a record for the number of students who attended orientation day this year. “They seem to be more well-adjusted and not as dependent on waiting to be told what to do or where to go or being guided in every single direction. They seem very comfortable here; smiling faces – just the overall vibe between the students, the faculty coming back, the vibe has been great.”

Peldjak said she is a firm believer on day one of school being a positive experience, as that lays the foundation for a successful academic year. She said she understands that the “fear of the unknown can be crippling,” and the school does everything it can to make students feel comfortable and safe during the entire year but especially during that first week. 

Budget cuts hurt colleges

In June of this year, Quebec’s Education Ministry announced that it was cutting $150 million in funding for Quebec’s 48 CEGEPs – money that has forced Heritage College to cut contract workers. Peldjak said the school eliminated up to six contract positions but was able to keep all permanent staff employed through the cuts. 

“The $150 million cuts in post secondary education, the student cap, the capping of our total hours worked, as well as the recruitment freeze, has had significant impacts in services, some more than others. We can’t control that – it is our regional reality,” she said, continuing, “So [we’re] making sure that whatever it is that [students] need to be successful moving forward [they have], even in spite of the budget cuts.”

French laws hamper Heritage College’s expansion Read More »

Alpengruss to be demolished for apartments

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

After years of sitting empty and slowly deteriorating in the heart of Wakefield village, the former Alpengruss Restaurant is finally coming down – and a new apartment building with ground-floor commercial space will take its place. 

It’s been nearly a decade since the locally-famous German breakfast spot closed in 2016, and co-owner Chris Harris said he’s excited to finally turn that page over. 

“We’d like to do one building…with possibly commercial space on the bottom floor and 10 or 12 units upstairs – three stories high,” Harris recently told the Low Down, adding that the building would feature one and two-bedroom rental apartments. “So a pretty, fairly substantial building, and we’re thinking of doing a timber-frame kind of style – a rustic-style building, sort of like our building that we did in Ottawa.”

Harris, a longtime resident of La Pêche and former municipal councillor for the Edelweiss ward, built the iconic timber-frame Trailhead building in Westboro, Ottawa (which has since been torn down), which he and his son, Jason, plan to model the new Wakefield design after. 

According to Harris, the zoning of the current lot where the former building sits needed to be changed to allow two separate uses: commercial and residential. 

That zoning change was completed earlier this year, according to La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux, as the municipality passed its new urban plan. However, Lamoureux told the Low Down that the Harris family will now have to decide whether or not to subdivide the property in order to have one building per lot, or if they will instead go for an “integrated mixed-use project.” If it’s the latter, Lamoureux said the development would be subject to the municipality’s conditional uses by-law. 

“This area is located in a zone in which certain commercial uses and residential uses are permitted up to a maximum of 12 dwellings,” explained Lamoureux. 

Despite having experience as a La Pêche municipal councillor, Harris told the Low Down that he forgets just how delayed things can get when dealing with zoning changes and other minor variance items when planning a development. 

Harris said he knows just how anxious the public has been over the derelict building facing Riverside Drive in the village, and said his family has been doing everything they can to get the ball rolling. 

“We’ve been working on this for a while. It’s a long process,” he said. “Right now, the biggest project you can have there is a four-unit house. That was another obstacle, which we finally figured out, but that delayed tearing down the old restaurant. If you tear it down, you lose your rights to rebuild if you don’t do it right away.”

What’s more, the development also tackles one of the Hills’ biggest barriers for young families, professionals and couples when moving to the village: a lack of rental properties. 

According to the region’s housing roundtable, La Table de développement social des Collines-de-l’Outaouais (TDSCO), there is a major divide between homeowners and those who rent in the region. According to the TDSCO’s 2021 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 housing. The 30 per cent income-to-housing ratio is the threshold used by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to consider a home as “affordable.” 

Of the 835 residents surveyed by TDSCO’s, a majority identified a lack of housing diversity, a lack of affordable housing and housing conditions as the top three issues facing the region. 

Bed & Breakfast Phase 2

Harris told the Low Down that his family purchased the entirety of the property – the multiple buildings that formed the old Alpengruss hotel, the open field that faces Riverside Drive and the parking lot that spans the entire front of the property. The plan, according to Harris, is to operate the hotel as a new bed and breakfast. 

“For now, we are leaving the parking lot open to the public,” said Harris. “No immediate plans to change anything there, but it does open up possibilities for future projects.”

Alpengruss to be demolished for apartments Read More »

Villagers debate future of Wakefield turntable

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

Former Wakefield Trails president Ken Bouchard feels that the turntable installed in the heart of Wakefield “has no place” in the village. 

Speaking at an Aug. 14 consultation on Parc Roquebrune, better known by locals as turntable park, Bouchard told the Low Down that the turntable has no history connecting it to Wakefield and should be removed as the municipality gets set to give the park a major makeover. 

“I personally think, and I’m persuading some of the others, that the turntable has no place,” said Bouchard during a breakout session at the Wakefield community centre with several other residents. It never was part of railroading in the Gatineau Valley. It was introduced by the National Capital Commission (NCC) to promote the tourism train in conjunction with the Museum of Science and Technology. And it never had a role.”

The NCC acquired the old turntable from Kingston in 1974 and installed it in Wakefield that same year so that the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield tourist train could turn around in the village and make its return trip back to Hull. The NCC, in partnership with the Canada Science and Technology Museum, ran the excursions, which became a popular tourist attraction. 

Whether you feel the turntable should remain in the village or not, it does come with some storied Wakefield history, notably the 1977 trip that saw Queen Elizabeth II ride the train from Hull to Wakefield on her royal visit. 

Wakefield resident Stanley Britton and his Wakefield’s Rail Heritage Advocacy Group told the Low Down in the spring that they believed the Wakefield turntable to be among the last remaining working turntables in Canada. 

Engine House in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., contains an enclosed turntable at its National Historic Site of Canada. The former Canadian Northern Railway turntable in Dauphin, one of the last ones in Manitoba, will also be dismantled this summer. 

Others at the consultation disagreed with Bouchard’s take and said they felt the turntable should be preserved and incorporated into any new design the municipality comes up with. 

“I think the name should be changed from Parc Roquebrune to Turntable Park, because nobody in Wakefield knows what Parc Roquebrune represents,” said resident David Pritchard. “We should maintain our railway, because it is historic, and we should keep that infrastructure.” 

The municipality is considering several options for the Wakefield turntable and the railway along the village’s main drag. These include: removing the turntable and commemorating it with a plaque and other educational installations, partially incorporating the turntable into the design, or completely preserving the turntable. The municipality is also considering whether to remove the train tracks throughout the village or incorporate them into a new multi-use pathway for pedestrians and cyclists. 

La Pêche has been seeking input from residents on what to do with turntable park since it launched an online survey on July 1 this summer. The survey asks residents what amenities they would want to see at the park, and many of the responses have included shaded picnic areas, a community stage, chess tables, a children’s playground, an expanded swimming area, improved washrooms and changerooms and a rethink on the parking that bookends the park on Chemin de la Rivière. 

“We bake in the sun there during Art in the Park,” said Paul Brown, who works with the 100-Mile Arts Network in Wakefield. The network has been hosting weekend art shows, but Brown said without any infrastructure, it’s been tough during heat wave weekends. 

“It’s really hard to work in that park. There is shade and trees on the other side, but we can’t get to it because of the rails,” he added. “We’ve had funding to do this Art in the Park, but it would be a lot better if we had some infrastructure.”

Other ideas brought up during the consultations included building a tourist information kiosk that would have information for visitors on where to go and what to see, but that idea was met with strong criticism from Wakefielder Shoshana Stein, who says info kiosks are “outdated, tacky” and bad for the environment.

“When we used to come to Wakefield before we moved here, the pleasure was actually just talking to people and learning about Wakefield through those conversations,” she said. 

“It happens organically, we don’t need somebody to point it out, and we have to preserve that,” added Wakefield resident Denise Giroux. 

About 20 people attended the in-person consultation Aug. 14. The survey is available online at https://lapecheconsulte.ca until Sept. 5.

Villagers debate future of Wakefield turntable Read More »

New mental health apps to help people cope

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

The Quebec government has launched a series of new mental health apps that enable residents to get immediate, real-time help for conditions like anxiety, depression, sleep disorders and substance abuse. 

And the majority of the apps are free and bilingual. 

The new Appmentalhealth.ca site features 19 mental health apps that have been carefully selected by teams of clinicians, mental health professionals and patient partners in Quebec. Healthcare professionals tested out more than 350,000 health applications and used a rigorous selection process to highlight 19 apps they tested to help those struggling with mental health conditions the most.

“Each app was evaluated using a detailed analysis grid with over 100 criteria for clinical effectiveness, data security, simplicity and accessibility,” reads the mental health app website. “Healthcare professionals and patient partners tested each app to refine the assessment and ensure the app was relevant. Out of thousands of available apps, only 19 made it through the full process.”

The apps are broken down into several categories, depending on what a user is experiencing. There are apps for stress and anxiety, mood and emotions, sleep, exercise and nutrition, confidence and relationships and substance use. Within each category are a series of apps to download, including Mindshift Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Rootd for panic attacks, I am Sober for substance abuse and Freeletics nutrition, among others. 

Experts looked at 350,000 health apps and filtered them down to 5,000 when looking at data security and privacy; accessibility and ease of use; and scientific validity. From there, patients and healthcare professionals tested the apps for “real-life usefulness, user experience and accessibility, and respect for diversity and ethical standards.”

A small portion of the apps are French-only, and some offer in-app purchases, but most are free to use and download. 

The app site was created by CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, which was mandated by Quebec to increase access to mental healthcare and services through digital tools. 

The apps can be downloaded from the app store or via Appmentalhealth.ca. 

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
  • 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: 

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

New mental health apps to help people cope Read More »

MRC prefect, province at odds over internet connectivity

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By Trevor Greenway

The Quebec government says it’s the first province to make high-speed internet accessible to every household in the province. 

However, having access to high-speed internet doesn’t necessarily mean you will be connected to it. 

“As part of Operation High Speed launched in 2021, the Quebec government committed to providing the entire population of Quebec with high-speed internet access, not to connecting 100 per cent of households,” wrote Emile Boudreau, spokesperson for the Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs. “So, having access to high-speed internet does not necessarily mean being connected to it. It is important to note that the Quebec government is not an internet service provider. These services are provided by private telecommunications companies.

Since 2021, Quebec has invested $2.08 billion to provide all homes with access to high speed internet, whether through fibre optics or satellite technology. The investment is part of a broader, Canada-wide effort to connect 100 per cent of households to high speed Internet by 20230. 

According to MRC Vallée-de-la-Gatineau Prefect Chantal Lamarche, there are still many dark spots throughout the Outaouais, mainly in the rural areas to the north, that do not have access to high-speed internet – places such as Thurso, Que, east of Buckingham, according to Lamarche.

“The MRC remains very concerned about the situation and is monitoring the matter closely in collaboration with municipal-elected officials,” Lamarche wrote in an email to the Low Down. “The majority of MRC residents are now connected to high-speed internet. However, a minority of households located in more remote or hard-to-reach areas still do not benefit from adequate service. This situation remains a concern.”

Lamarche said that when Quebec launched Operation High-Speed in 2021, it promised to “connect” all households to fibre optic service. She said she’s still waiting for that to happen. 

“The Quebec government committed to ensuring that every home with access to electricity would also be connected to high-speed fiber optic internet,” said Lamarche. “We firmly believe that this commitment must be kept. A sustainable solution requires structural investment and clear political will.”

According to the ministry, while not every home in Quebec is connected to fibre optic, 338,438 additional households have been connected since 2021, including 9,676 via low-orbit satellite.

“Thanks to low-orbit satellite service, all residential, institutional and resort homes now have access to high-speed internet,” added Boudreau. “The goal of providing high-speed internet access to 100 per cent of residential households has been achieved since 2024.”

However, Lamarche is adamant that this is not the case, and said she will continue to work with colleagues to continue to pressure Quebec to improve connectivity.

MRC prefect, province at odds over internet connectivity Read More »

 Check municipal bylaws before having open fires

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

Is there a fire ban in the Gatineau Hills?

That depends on where you live. 

Despite the lack of restrictions from Wildfire Prevention and Suppression in Quebec (SOPFEU) in La Pêche, Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux confirmed to the Low Down on Aug. 11 that open fires are currently banned in the municipality. 

“Right now, our index is at ‘tres élevé,’ so very high,” said Lamoureux. So, definitely no open fires allowed.”

Lamoureux explained that while the SOPFEU website shows no restrictions for La Pêche, the municipality has its own by-law that bans open fires when the fire danger index level reaches “high” or greater. 

According to the bylaw, open fires are also banned in La Pêche when winds exceed 20 km/h. 

“Only fires made in an installation equipped with a spark arrestor are permitted when the flammability index reaches the high or very high rating,” reads the bylaw. A spark arrestor is any device which prevents the emission of flammable debris from combustion sources, such as internal combustion engines, fireplaces, and wood-burning stoves.

All fires in La Pêche are banned when the SOPFEU levels reach “extreme.”

Open fires are also banned on National Capital Commission (NCC) property, including throughout Gatineau Park. According to the NCC, it places a ban on open fires, including campfires and charcoal barbecues, when the index level reaches “very high” or “extremely high.”

The current SOPFEU index for Chelsea is set at “very high.”

However, throughout the municipality of Chelsa, open fires are still permitted, as its bylaw states that open fires are banned only when the index level reaches “extreme.”

Despite the lack of a full fire ban in Chelsea, SOPFEU still has recommendations for homeowners when they are having open fires in their backyards. 

“There is currently no restriction, like a provincial-wide restriction, so whenever people are calling, we’re telling them that the fire danger index is very high, to extreme,” said SOPFEU spokesperson Melanie Morin. “We’re encouraging everyone to find out what their municipal bylaws are.”

Morin explained that each index level comes with a set of recommendations and considerations for homeowners when having open fires. 

“If the fire danger is low, that means that there is a very low risk of a spark making it to the forest, which would cause a wildfire. At the other end of that scale is very high to extreme, and there is a very, very high likelihood that if a spark were to make it to the forest, that it would cause a wildfire,” she added. 

When the fire danger index is very high to extreme, SOPFEU recommends not having open fires and using propane fire pits instead. SOPFEU also warns against using fireworks or smoking in forests.  “Whenever those fire dangers are present, we ask people to abstain from the use of fire if it’s possible, follow any and all rule regulations that are in place – use a propane fire pit,  don’t use an open-air fire,” she said.  “Don’t use anything that will cause sparks, such as fireworks. If you’re out and about in the forest, then abstain from smoking and that sort of thing.”

Kazabazua firefighter Melanie Irwin said that while there may be no official fire ban in the municipality, she urges homeowners against having open fires when the levels are “high” or greater. 

“I believe that they do have a fire ban in Bristol and places like that, but I haven’t seen anything like for Kaz, although I think that there should be, because it’s extremely dry out there – even the weeds are dying,” Irwin told the Low Down. 

“We’ve been super lucky – we haven’t had [any wildfires] and I think that people are getting smarter over the last few years because of the amount of fires that have been burning out of control,” she added.  “So I think that people are being more careful.”

Despite this recent prudence, Irwin said she personally wouldn’t risk having an open fire. 

“I don’t have the authority to say yes or no, but common sense would say no.” 

There are currently six active fires burning across the province, according to SOPFEU. Of the 194 wildfires, 176 of them – or over 90 per cent – have been ignited by humans. Nine other fires were caused by lightning. 

Locally, there were two wildfires burning in La Pêche over the past week, one near Lac Notre Dame this weekend and another near Lac Bernard. Both have been extinguished. 

There are currently three active fires in the Outaouais. 

Check with your municipality on the status of its fire danger index or visit the SOPFEU website at www.sopfeu.qc.ca. 

 Check municipal bylaws before having open fires Read More »

Kaz man dies in motorcycle crash on Hwy 105

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway and Madeline Kerr

A man in his late 60s from Kazabazua has died following a crash involving a motorcycle and a truck on Hwy 105 Aug. 2. 

According to Kazabazua firefighter Melanie Irwin, who was among the first on the scene, the crash happened at around 6:30 p.m. as a young male driver was turning into a driveway off Hwy 105 he collided with the bike. Irwin said she was en route to the accident when she learned that the motorcyclist was receiving CPR on the side of the road. 

“I’m heading down, and then I can hear on the CB radio the deputy chief is asking 911 if they have any details, and they said, ‘It’s a motorcycle and a truck, and they’re doing CPR,’ and I knew it was bad,” said Irwin. “Right in front of the truck, there was a paramedic who was on her way to Gracefield to take over the shift in the ambulance, and she saw it happen in her rearview mirror and stopped, pulled him out of the ditch and started CPR in the driveway.”

When firefighters arrived, they continued CPR, and Irwin connected a defibrillator to his chest. But it was too late. The man’s injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. 

“The fire chief from Low started doing chest compressions, and I grabbed the defibrillator, cut the guy’s shirt off, put the pads on and there was nothing. He was gone,” she said.

Officers from the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) continue to investigate. According to information officer Marc Tessier no criminal charges have been laid, and it could take the SQ weeks to determine if there was any wrongdoing on the part of the young male driver. 

Following the accident, Irwin was parking the firetruck back at the municipal hall when a woman approached and asked why the highway was closed. When Irwin told her there was an accident, the woman asked, “Did it involve a motorcycle?”

Irwin immediately asked the woman if she was expecting someone travelling on a motorbike, and the woman replied that her husband was driving up to their new Kazabazua home, and he was travelling on a BMW motorcycle. After conversing for a few more moments, Irwin was able to confirm the man’s name and that it was her husband who died on the highway. But, according to Irwin, she was in no position, nor authority, to deliver this tragic news to his wife. 

“What do I say to her?” asked a shaken Irwin. “They just moved here from Cantley. They just retired, and she is about to have the worst day of her life. That really hurt. I didn’t know what to say.”

Irwin said she remained professional, and told the woman to consult the SQ for information, but she said she knew what kind of heartbreaking news they would give her. 

The SQ has not confirmed the name of the deceased driver. The Low Down has chosen not to name him out of respect for the family. 

The accident is part of what the SQ is calling the worst construction holiday in a decade, as 38 people died in 30 collisions across the province from July 18 to Aug. 3. The death toll of 38 for this year is nearly double last year’s 17 deaths over the construction holiday. 

Locally, numbers have remained relatively low, according to Tessier, who said that the fatal accident in Kazabazua was the only one to occur in the region during the construction holiday. 

“Still, one is too many,” Tessier added. 

Kaz man dies in motorcycle crash on Hwy 105 Read More »

Forget the leaking toilets, plan a concert instead

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

The municipality of La Pêche is the proud new owner of Wakefield’s $4.9 million community centre, but that doesn’t mean it will be getting into the events business anytime soon. 

“The municipality is not in the business of organizing events and all of that, and we really want the co-op to continue focusing on what they do best, which is planning events,” La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux  told the Low Down. He was speaking just days after the municipality and Centre Wakefield La Pêche (CWLP) signed a deal that sees the municipality become the landlord of the building, while the cooperative becomes a tenant, which will have rent-free access to the centre 24/7. 

The new agreement will see the municipality handle everything that has to do with maintenance – fixing leaky toilets, repairing the roof, floors and keeping the lights on, while staffers and board members will continue to focus on programming – increasing classes, events and concerts, and keeping the centre buzzing with activity.  

“[The centre] will need support from the community as they did before,” added Lamoureux. “And the fact that the co-op can now really solely focus its energy on community services, that’s paramount.”

The municipality has similar agreements in place with Maison Fairbairn and Place des Arts Farrellton, where La Pêche is the landlord and maintains the buildings, while members run the day-to-day operations. 

When board members presented the draft agreement to the membership a couple of years ago, concerns arose around how the member-run community centre could turn into a regional cultural facility, and its English programming could be cut significantly. 

But the board held a referendum on the issue in June 2022, where 82 per cent of the membership voted in favour of transferring the building over to the municipality. 

And if you ask CWLP board chair Julie Coté, she’ll tell you that board members and staff still have control over the day-to-day operations at the centre, and they will now have more time and flexibility to focus on growing the centre’s offerings for members and the general public. She said that throughout the draft agreement process, board members felt confident that the municipality had their best interests at heart. 

“Working with [the mayor] has been very enlightening, because he’s very community focused. He lives within an arm’s throw of the centre, and I really believe that he’s been a real help with that positive narrative,” said Coté. “Even if you look on the La Pêche website, you see that one of their pillars is to encourage member-led activities within the municipality, and they really want to be that partner to help assist us with obtaining grants and opportunities that will take our programming to the next level.”

Staffers Rob Passmore and Annie Rompre said they were excited to get to work, especially since they no longer have things like fixing toilets or sourcing flooring prices on their list of daily duties. 

“All this maintenance costs a lot, and if there can be more money for programs or staff, that’s amazing, because we have a lot of work to do,” said Passmore. 

Former board member Shaugh McArthur spent hundreds of hours working through the draft agreement with the municipality and said what’s key is that the cooperative’s history is cemented into the agreement and that captures the entire spirit of the centre’s initial mandate when it first opened its doors in 2011. McArthur told the Low Down that the move “sets the tone for a new era partnership” between the CWLP members and the municipality. 

“The preamble [in the agreement] captures the whole history of the community-led grassroots effort, the founding members, the community really rallying, as well as the municipality having our backs and helping out,” he said. 

McArthur said there are a number of clauses in the agreement that “ensure that the community centre always remains a community centre,” and another that allows the CWLP membership to cancel the agreement and revert back to the initial agreement should both parties become unsatisfied with the new agreement. 

The CWLP will host an AGM this fall, where it will look to elect a new board and chair, as Coté is ready to step down after serving on the board since 2023.

Forget the leaking toilets, plan a concert instead Read More »

Rapids equip 43 kids for next hockey season

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Rapids season gets underway in October.

Rapids equip 43 kids for next hockey season Read More »

 Mayor Lamoureux gunning for political hat trick

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

Guillaume Lamoureux is looking for a hat trick. 

A third term as La Pêche mayor, that is. 

“I love this community,” Lamoureux told the Low Down after officially announcing he is running again in the upcoming Nov. 2 municipal elections. “I am super honoured to serve it, and I have the energy and love required to do it for the next four years.”

Lamoureux was a first-time candidate in 2017 when he staged a major upset over longtime mayor Robert Bussière, who had held the title of mayor for five consecutive mandates since 1997. Lamoureux beat Bussière by just 32 votes. 

Since taking office, Lamoureux has managed several significant projects – including overhauling the municipality’s communications to be more accessible; the COVID-19 pandemic; and the new, award-winning $11 million town hall, half of which was funded by grants. 

He said that the next four years will be crucial in La Pêche, particularly with issues such as the future of turntable park (see Page 1), municipal infrastructure and housing. 

“Housing is on everyone’s mind,” said Lamoureux. “We must find the right balance for La Pêche. We need to diversify housing, but we do not want to lose the feel of our community.”

Housing will be a significant issue in the Hills for years to come, particularly in terms of housing diversity, as the region lacks many options for rentals or affordable housing. 

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 Corporation (CMHC) to consider a home as “affordable.” 

Of the 835 residents surveyed by the TDSCO  in 2021, most identified a lack of housing diversity, a lack of affordable housing and housing conditions as the top three issues facing the region. 

Aside from housing, Lamoureux said that his “personal goal is to remain a good listener and always be respectful of everyone’s point of view, especially when we do not agree.” This approach has led to a relatively cohesive and well-functioning council, especially when compared to other municipalities in the region. 

Quebecers head to the polls to choose mayors and municipal councillors on Nov. 2.

 Mayor Lamoureux gunning for political hat trick Read More »

Gatineau River receives ‘green’ bill of health

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

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

Or dots.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HOW CAN I PROTECT THE RIVER?

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

Maintain good septic systems 

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

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

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

Shoreline regulations 

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

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

Chelsea health facility en route

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

Chelsea is one step closer to building its long-anticipated health facility, where up to six local doctors will staff the new state-of-the-art clinic. 

Cargo Developments has just unveiled its ambitious plan for 48 new housing units; a medical clinic; physiotherapist business, PhysioSport Chelsea; and a number of commercial units for small businesses near the Meredith Centre. 

“We are very excited,” Cargo’s chief operating officer Marco Tascona told the Low Down. “We know that there is a lack of health services in the community and in the region, and the more initiatives like this that we can bring to address the community needs, that’s what we’re all about.”

The project is a partnership between Cargo and Chelsea doctor Dr. Henri-Servante Gaspard, who will co-own the space with the developers. Gaspard did not return the Low Down’s request for comment, however past reporting suggests that up to seven local doctors – some of whom live in Chelsea – could staff the clinic. 

The doctors are a major need in the area, as there are close to 8,000 residents in the Des Collines region without a family physician. 

The new health clinic comes as Quebec’s centralized health department, Santé Québec, announced $1.5 billion in global health cuts across the province last year with the CISSS de l’Outaouais (CISSSO) mandated to cut $90 million from its budget. 

That figure was reduced to $45 million in June of this year. Those cuts resulted in 800 health positions axed from the CISSSO, many of which were vacant at the time of the cuts. 

The new health clinic is also being built despite Chelsea’s moratorium on new developments until it can expand its sewer and water system. 

That system could come at a hefty price tag of around $20 million, according to municipal councillors. Tascona said the project, because it includes a health facility, is exempt from the moratorium. 

The project has already been approved by Chelsea, and once building permits have been acquired – potentially this fall – developers said they hope to break ground before the end of the year, with an opening date sometime in late 2026 or early 2027. Being the project lead on a Chelsea development, Tascona said he has heard the concerns of some residents who feel that Chelsea is growing too big, too fast. As evidenced by the development moratorium, it’s clear that Chelsea doesn’t have the infrastructure to support its rapid growth. Tascona told the Low Down that Cargo has listened to these concerns and built a plan that integrates well into the existing environment. According to Cargo, this means using natural wood or stone cladding on the buildings and creating “vibrant” village hubs that diversely mix residential and commercial units into lively shared spaces. 

The project also tackles the region’s lack of housing rentals. Cargo’s development will include one, two and three-bedroom rental units for singles, professional couples and small families. 

A lack of housing diversity was one of the top three issues facing the Des Collines region, as noted in a 2021 housing study by the region’s housing roundtable, the La Table de développement social des Collines-de-l’Outaouais (TDSCO). 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. 

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

The project will be built on Old Chelsea Road at the intersection of Chemin Cecil. 

Chelsea health facility en route Read More »

La Peche adopts ‘zone-by-zone’ housing approach

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

La Pêche has adopted its new zoning regulations to provide more diversified housing for low-income families, young professionals and first-time home buyers. 

La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux told the Low Down that the municipality adopted new zoning regulations earlier this month that will see up to 45 units per hectare in the urban perimeters of Wakefield and Masham. However, he was clear that both towns are broken up into multiple zones, and it’s unlikely that developments or housing projects will actually reach the maximum allowed density. 

“The approach that we have in each urban perimeter is a zone-by-zone approach,” Lamoureux explained. “The zoning is not uniform throughout each urban perimeter.”

Lamoureux said that, despite some online rhetoric suggesting zoning is increasing at an alarming rate across the entire municipality, the global maximum of 45 units per hectare in urban perimeters isn’t changing from the previous zoning bylaws. He added that, in many cases, the maximum density of 45 units won’t be reached, as each urban perimeter is broken up into separate “zones,” each with unique conditions and challenges. 

“There are a number of factors to take into account, like groundwater, waste water, treatment systems that are available in this location; [and] the size of the lots that are considered by developers,” said Lamoureux. “There are restrictions on the number of units per building that vary throughout each zone. There’s a series of criteria that are different from one zone to another. So, the maximum theoretical density is rarely actually attained.”

Lamoureux said the urban planning changes were democratic, as La Pêche held several public consultations in Masham and Wakefield over the winter before adopting them. He said he is proud of the outcome, as it will make it easier for young families and first-time home buyers to enter the housing market. 

“The issue that many MRCs like ours have is that we have very uniform housing opportunities, like single dwellings, and that’s a major factor for people who are trying to either downsize or access their first property or access a rental property,” he said. “The way to counter this is to focus on your urban perimeters and diversify the kind of housing that is available.”

Lamoureux also explained that already fully developed areas won’t see many changes. He used the example of a neighbourhood in Masham that is “90 per cent developed,” and said residents won’t wake up to see apartments being built on the final lot. 

“In a neighbourhood where 90 per cent-plus of the neighbourhood has already been developed, and it’s very uniform, we’re not going to come in and allow new densities and new buildings with more units than it actually currently has.” 

La Pêche is hosting an information session on the urban planning process on June 19 at its town hall in Masham at 7:30 p.m. The meeting can also be streamed online virtually.

La Peche adopts ‘zone-by-zone’ housing approach Read More »

Kaz dad raises stink over smelly wedding

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

If you smell something, say something. 

Brent Gabie certainly smelled something fierce during his daughter’s wedding reception on May 31 at the Kazabazua Community Hall – raw sewage – and he certainly said a few choice words during the subsequent council meeting as he pleaded with councillors for a full refund over the hall rental. 

“It was real bad, like really, really bad,” Gabie told the Low Down, describing the wafting smell of raw sewage that plagued his daughter Lisa’s wedding reception. “At around 10 or 11 o’clock [p.m.], you couldn’t go outside because the smell was so bad.”

According to Gabie and other wedding attendees the Low Down spoke with, guests couldn’t get away from the smell of sewage – during dinner, the first dance and all throughout the night. Many were flushing toilets constantly to rid the building of the stench, but the smell from the septic tank outside permeated into the building. Wedding organizers then closed the doors, but it got stiflingly hot, so the doors had to remain open, and the smell was “just awful.”

“As soon as you opened the door, you could smell [it],” said Gabie. 

Two weeks later, Gabie showed up at the June 3 Kazabazua council meeting to demand answers – and a refund for the $320 hall rental for his daughter’s wedding reception. At the meeting he was told by Mayor Robert Bergeron that they were basically sh*t out of luck. 

“So, are you going to give us our money back?” asked Gabie. 

“I’m sorry, no,” replied Bergeron with a laugh. “We would like to, but no. This has to be tabled. For any decision from council, it has to be brought to council, tabled, analyzed and then brought for a resolution.”

His answer flared up the room, with residents demanding a vote from councillors on whether or not to issue a refund, but Bergeron shut it down quickly. 

“If you have questions or desires for a decision from council, it has to be forwarded to the municipality in order to request a decision,” Bergeron fired back. 

During the meeting, Gabie claimed that the septic problems at the Kaz municipal hall were not new and had been going on for the past five years. He told the Low Down that they had to stop hosting the Kaz heavy-horse pull there because of the terrible smell and poor planning.

“It’s too bad to say, but Kaz is a real f*cking sh*thole,” said Gabie. “Like, they don’t do anything. They have spoiled everything.”

Bergeron agreed that the smelly septic at the Kaz hall has been a problem for “four or five years” and said that the municipality had hired plumbers multiple times, who thought they had fixed the problem, only for the smell to return during larger events. Bergeron told Gabie and other members of the public that the stinky septic was a priority file as a new splash pad will soon be built there, and he anticipated the increased use to cause more odorous problems. 

“No matter what, we’re going to fix it,” he said at the meeting. But the mayor wouldn’t budge on a refund for the Gabie family despite repeated calls from the attendees throughout the meeting to do so. When asked how long it would take to fix the smell, Bergeron said it will “take the time that is necessary.”

“That’s fu**ing bullsh*t,” yelled Gabie during the meeting. 

Gabie shot back at the mayor and argued that it was unfair for municipalities to penalize residents for non-compliant septic systems.

“I don’t understand it: If we have problems with our septic, we would be in trouble, but when you have problems with your septic, there’s no problem,” said Gabie about the municipality. 

Weeks later, when the Low Down contacted Bergeron for an interview, he immediately said that the Gabie family would in fact be getting their refund back for the hall rental after they did find problems with the septic system. 

P-Trap Problem

Bergeron told the Low Down that after plumbers found no issues, Kaz hired a technologist, who analyzed the town hall’s septic system and found that there were no P-traps installed in the drains. 

“For now, we closed off the drains,” said Bergeron. “The toilets have P-traps. The sinks have P-traps. But the drain, in case there was a flood, there was no P-trap. So now we’ll meet, we’ll find out what we’ll do and then we’ll take it from there. But for now, the drains are completely blocked.”

The Gabie family confirmed that they have been told the Gabies will receive a full refund for the hall rental and added that they were satisfied with Kazabazua’s response. 

Aside from the stench, Brent said his daughter’s wedding “went perfectly.”

Kaz dad raises stink over smelly wedding Read More »

Perfect for pollinators

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

Action Chelsea for the Respect of the Environment (ACRE) in partnership with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, is turning the Hundred Acre Wood in Wakefield into a year-round pollinator field to help insects thrive in the Hills. We’ve all heard about how important pollinating insects are to our lifecycle but don’t most hibernate in the winter? Why do we need to provide food for them year-round?

Hibernating pollinators need hearty spring breakfast

If you ask Canadian Wildlife Federation project coordinator and terrestrial conservation officer Maxime MacKinnon, he’ll tell you that despite the fact that bees, hoverflies and butterflies hibernate over winter, some stick around during colder months before heading south, including hummingbirds and other fowls. He says it’s important to plant winter pollinating flowers like goldenrods and wild lupins, so that when spring does come, the Hundred Acre Wood will be the site of a feast for early pollinators. 

“Some of them migrate, it depends,” says MacKinnon, who was the project lead on ACRE’s pollinator field. “And we want to provide nectarine flowers for species all year round. So they’re maybe not present, but they are here. Native wildflowers don’t bloom over the winter. We select a diverse mix of native species that bloom from spring through fall to support pollinators that hibernate and migrate throughout their active seasons.”

Elm, butternut trees not enough

ACRE president Stephen Woodley said his organization, which is a non-profit and made up of concerned citizens of the environment, planted 60 disease-resistant butternut trees as well as scores of elms last year at the Hundred ACRE Wood in Wakefield. “But it’s not enough to make it a good pollinator meadow because you have to provide food for the native pollinators throughout the year.”

Putting roofs over insects’ heads

Pollinator meadows do much more than just provide food for insects like native bees, beetles, hoverflies and butterflies – they offer “shelter, ground nesting and overwintering sites for hibernation,” explains MacKinnon. “Beyond providing nectar and pollen, native meadow habitat supports over 42 species at-risk in Western Quebec.”

Beetle, beetle, everywhere a beetle

Did you know that one in every four identified animal species is a beetle? Beetles are an extremely diverse group, with over 400,000 species known worldwide. They play many important roles in the ecosystem, from aiding with decomposition to reducing pest populations and pollinating plants.

A butterfly’s incubator

Did you know that milkweed is the only plant that a Monarch butterfly will lay its eggs on? Milkweed is considered the host plant for Monarchs. Caterpillars rely on milkweed as a food source, and they can’t develop into butterflies without this integral flower. “Since this is a migratory species, nectaring plants from spring to fall are crucial for the butterflies to feed from and [get] fuel for their travel back to Mexico,” says MacKinnon. 

Hoary and hairy: Do you know these 21 plant varieties?

ACRE, in partnership with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, planted 685 wildflower plugs at the Hundred Acre Wood including these 21 varieties: 

  • Common milkweed
  • Swamp milkweed
  • Upland white goldenrod
  • Grass-leaved goldenrod
  • Grey goldenrod
  • Lanced-leaved coreopsis
  • Tall meadow rue
  • Wild bergamot
  • Black-eyed Susan
  • Obedient plant
  • Prairie smoke
  • Foxglove beardtongue
  • Hairy beardtongue
  • Sneezeweed
  • Frost aster
  • Virginia mountain mint
  • Wild lupin
  • Closed bottle gentian
  • Frostweed
  • Hoary vervain
  • Panicled aster

Plants that love to ‘chillout”

Some native plants, like sneezeweed, need to go through a cold stratification, a process of exposing seeds to cold and moist conditions to break the seed’s dormancy and increase its ability to germinate in spring. That’s why ACRE volunteers, were planting flowers like Black-eyed Susans, goldenrods and Joe Pye weed (No, not former Wakefielder Geoffrey Pye of Yellow Jacket Avenger – but yellowjackets are pollinators, even though they are also predators.)

Olympian plants when not paddling

Chelsea Olympic paddler Sofia Jensen may have a summer full of intense competition lined up, but she still has time to volunteer for community organizations like ACRE. She, along with her father, Olaf, were among the dozen or so planters who helped turn this former farmer’s field into a pollinator meadow. 

Perfect for pollinators Read More »

ACRE wants to build ‘central park’ in Chelsea

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

ACRE wants to build a “central park” in Old Chelsea. 

But to do so, it needs to raise nearly $1 million by September so it can purchase a servitude on 71 acres of greenspace behind the St. Stephen’s Parish – and they’re targeting deep-pocket donors to make it happen. 

“We’re not asking for 100 bucks,” said ACRE (Action Chelsea for the Respect of the Environment) President Stephen Woodley. “We’re asking for $2,000, $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000 bucks if we’re gonna be successful. Because you only have to do the math: You can’t get to a million with a $100 donation.”

Woodley said that his organization, which has been purchasing land across the Hills to protect in perpetuity, has been working with the church for several years on the project, but he was clear that it wasn’t ACRE who approached the church –  rather the other way around. 

“I think that the community should realize that this is really a congregation-led effort,” noted Woodley. “They’re the ones who want to put it in conservation. They can sell it for development. It’s zoned residential. They [could] get 70 houses in there before you can say ‘Jack Robinson,’ but they don’t want to, so we’re partnering with them. And really, it’s a win-win situation for us and them.”

According to ACRE, the St. Stephen’s Forest is an “intact hardwood forest” that is home to a number of species at risk, rich flora and boasts a number of hiking trails throughout. Woodley told the Low Down that the trails would be maintained and the land would eventually connect to the Larrimac ecological corridor. 

ACRE and the St. Stephen’s Parish have agreed on a $1.5 million price tag for the land, and ACRE has already raised $900,000 to date. However ACRE also has to raise a stewardship fund and pay legal fees for the sale. They have secured close to $1 million in grants and said they are hoping another $341,000 grant comes in. If it doesn’t, the organization will need just over a million dollars by September. If the grant is successful, ACRE’s fundraising goal will be around $662,000. 

“We see this as the central park for Chelsea,” said Woodley. “You see how fast Chelsea is developing? It’s a bit daunting how fast the place is developing. But ACRE is not an anti-development organization. I will repeat: We are for smart development. And smart development means you keep appropriate green space to make sure that Chelsea is an environmentally friendly community.”

Woodley said ACRE has “sector captains” who will be canvassing the Hills for donations to help purchase the land. 

Donate to ACRE’s St. Stephen’s Forest project at acre@videotron.ca or visit https://acrechelsea.qc.ca.

ACRE wants to build ‘central park’ in Chelsea Read More »

CLSC in Low saved

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By Trevor Greenway

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CLSC in Low saved Read More »

Closed OR rooms…so he has to leave

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

An anesthesiologist from Chelsea is being forced to find work elsewhere in the province because there aren’t enough functional operating rooms in the Outaouais. 

Staffing levels are so low at the CISSS de l’Outaouais (CISSSO) that just seven out of the region’s 19 operating rooms will be functional this summer, sending medical specialists like Dr. Trevor Hennessey hundreds of kilometres across Quebec and Ontario just to find work. 

“Our CISSS is dying,” said Dr. Hennessey. “Surgeons can’t operate in a hallway, and anesthetists can’t operate without the operating room team. The surgeons and anesthetists in the Outaouais are ready, willing and want to work. We’ve entered into the profession to help and care for the population, and the lack of access to the operating rooms is really a big impact.”

Hennessey, the head of anesthesiology at CISSSO, said that his department has absorbed 17 full weeks of “essentially forced time off” because there was not enough staff to open operating rooms in Hull or Gatineau. This week, Hennessey is doing replacement work at the Roberval Hospital in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. 

He also had to travel as far as Estrie near Sherbrooke and also had to get certification in Ontario to work at the Montfort Hospital for six weeks last year in order to give some of his local immigrant colleagues the local work.

“We brought them from overseas. We brought them with their family. They’ve moved their entire lives here, and then we tell them to sit at home and don’t work and you can’t make any money? I don’t want to lose these colleagues. I don’t want them going back home either.”

He said he’s flexible and doesn’t have kids, so he has agreed to take remote jobs so his recruited workers can stay and work locally.

The problem, according to Hennessey and healthcare advocates in the region, comes down to money – specifically salaries for nurses in Quebec, when compared to Ontario. 

According to the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec, nurses in Quebec with a bachelor’s degree have the lowest starting salary in the country, at $53,000 a year. It’s a significant difference in Ontario, where starting salaries for nurses are $74,000 – a staggering 40 per cent more than their Quebec counterparts. This is sending nursing staff to Ontario in droves. And the lack of nurses in operating rooms in the Outaouais means more medical technicians are leaving, including the region’s only vascular surgeon, says Hennessey. 

“We’ve lost four out of six plastic surgeons. We’ve lost a general surgeon. We’ve lost gynecologists with operating room time and lack of equipment,” said Hennessey. “We’ve lost urologists, and – most recently and the big one – we’ll be losing our last and only vascular surgeon for the entire region.”

He continued: “That is a major, major impact for the care of the population. Very sick patients will have to go to Montreal, and emergency cases will have to be transferred further to Ottawa. But when you’ve got a rupture [abdominal aortic aneurysm], every single minute counts. People with major surgeries, such as brain cancers, are going to need to wait significant periods of time.”

Hennessey noted that CISSSO nurses are “phenomenal, but boy, they’re getting tired.”

Doctors facing ‘moral distress’

Hennessey wanted to be clear that surgeons are not leaving the area solely to find work and make money, but many have left the region over what he calls “moral distress,” as doctors feel they can’t follow their duty of care in the Outaouais. 

“They feel like they can’t provide the care to the patients that they need and this is causing such distress that they need to actually leave our area to go elsewhere,” he said. “Some people feel the surgeons are leaving because they want to make money. That’s not the sole reason. They are unable to provide care and are getting phone calls week after week from patients desperate for care and they can’t provide it to them.”

He said that occupancy levels in the region in 2014 and 2017 were at 93 per cent and 90 per cent, respectively. Within 10 years, those levels dropped below 50 per cent “due to a shortage of nurses and other staff.”

A consequence of chronic underfunding

SOS Outaouais president Jean Pigeon said the latest news about reduced operating rooms is just a consequence of the region’s chronic underfunding over the last 10 years. 

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

Pigeon has the same argument as many doctors and health advocates: The situation won’t improve until there is an alignment of nurse and medical technicians’ pay with those of their Ontario counterparts. 

“This is just going to slowly hurt our region more and more because nothing’s being done about it, right?” he said. “We’re the region in Quebec that has the fewest nurses per capita because … most of them are tempted to go and work elsewhere, especially in Ottawa.” Staff retention has been a constant struggle in the Outaouais region. In 2022, the Outaouais had the lowest number of nurses per resident in the province, with less than five nurses caring for every 1,000 people.

Gatineau MNA Robert Bussière did not respond to the Low Down’s call for comment. 

Closed OR rooms…so he has to leave Read More »

Hamilton Gardens’ to break ground ‘shortly’

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

It’s been nearly 15 years since developers laid out plans for a waterfront development along Wakefield’s iconic riverfront. Now, the 40-unit townhouse project known as Hamilton Gardens will finally break ground this spring. 

The municipality of La Pêche just approved a couple of minor variances to the project, which will see the buildings increase in size slightly. Developers are also switching up a colour scheme so that the homes blend “seamlessly” into the neighbouring environment. 

“When you look at the area there of Hamilton Gardens, it’s going to have the feeling it has always been there,” Devcore VP of development Daniel Landry told the Low Down in mid-May. “It’s not going to look like an anachronism to the existing urban fabric of the Wakefield sector,” he added.

The development will be built next to Cafe Earle on Wakefield’s main drag, overlooking the Gatineau River. 

In terms of changes, the minor variances approved by the municipality were indeed minor, as the surface area of the buildings in the development is increasing from 20 per cent to 23 per cent of the lot. Landry said there were issues with the design, as there wasn’t enough space for garbage trucks or emergency vehicles to turn around, and there would have been two dead ends in the development, which he said wouldn’t be efficient. So, they increased the size of buildings by three per cent globally and reduced the number of units from 45 to 40 to accommodate more space for vehicles to maneuver. Other changes included removing storm shutters on the windows and reducing setback requirements for three-family semi-detached buildings to 6.29 metres from the standard eight metres.

The homes’ cladding will consist of 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 unique in colour: earth-tone reds, greens, yellows and greys. However, because the existing Cafe Earle – which is adjacent to the development – is already yellow, developers didn’t want clusters and “repeating colours,” so they changed the colour scheme’s order. 

“Especially for the ones in the front, because we don’t want two yellow houses and two red or two red and one yellow,” said Landry. “Cafe Earle is yellow, and so we wanted to have not the same colours repeating. So that’s why we’ve put one red beside Cafe Earle, one grayish-blueish building in the middle and one yellow going towards the church,” he said referring to the Good Shepherd Anglican church, which is near to the development. 

Landry boasted that the project exceeds La Pêche’s mandatory 25 per cent of greenspace, as Hamilton’s will feature closer to 45 per cent. The homes will be built in a colonial style with peaked roofs, large windows and oversized covered porches where residents can sit and interact with village life passing by. “Everything around it is going to look like part of the project because of the architecture,” added Landry. 

La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux told the Low Down that the zoning for Hamilton Gardens was approved in 2013. However the changes are still subject to approval from the municipality’s Public Works department, its Environment department and the MRC’s Public Security sector. 

Landry said Devcore hopes to begin construction shortly. 

Hamilton Gardens’ to break ground ‘shortly’ Read More »

Health group worried about aging seniors in Hills

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

A health watchdog group in the Hills is concerned about the region’s aging population, as the MRC des Collines is already short 139 long-term care beds, saying the problem is only going to get worse. 

Vigi Santé spokesperson Marcel Chartrand told the Low Down that the province, nor the region, has a comprehensive plan to house seniors. With nearly 25 per cent of the region’s population over the age of 65, he said the need for a senior’s housing plan is long overdue. 

“How to adequately respond to seniors who wish to stay in their homes, rather than be forced to move to a long-term care facility?” Chartrand questioned. “First, do municipalities know how many of their seniors need home care? Do they know who they are, where they live? No. We need a comprehensive survey to identify them and their needs.”

According to Statistics Canada’s latest census profile, there are just over 50,000 residents in the MRC des Collines region. Of that population, nearly 15 per cent of residents are over the age of 65, while an additional 10 per cent are over 70. And with just 181 beds available, that leaves over 12,000 seniors with no option to grow old in the places they call home. 

“Les Collines’ population is aging fast,” said Chartrand.  

According to The Institut du Québec, projections show that in the next 20 years, the population growth of those aged 25–54 years will only be 128,000 people, while those 70-plus, which are larger users of the health system, will grow by 553,000 people. 

Quebec’s new health department, Santé Québec, has been slashing health budgets across the province in an effort to cut $1.5 billion from its budget. 

“Meanwhile, our hospitals in Wakefield and Gatineau are housing seniors waiting for long-term care beds,” said Chartrand. He added that long-term care patients are using at least 90 beds at the Gatineau Hospital and eight beds at the Wakefield Hospital.

“What facilities are in place to stimulate them, provide social activities?” said Chartrand. “Seniors from Les Collines, in long-term facilities, are displaced in CHSLDs in Gatineau mostly away from their families.”

Chartrand said that in 2024, 25 per cent of all emergency room visits were from residents aged 70 and up, and the cases are becoming “more complex, requiring more time and diagnostic equipment not available in Wakefield.”

“The need for home-care workers keeps growing, putting pressure on family members who are not trained to take care of parents, who require physical, psychological, mental, medical and basic home improvements,” he said. 

Santé Quebec responded to the Low Down after press time. 

Health group worried about aging seniors in Hills Read More »

Villa des Brises gets near failing grade on inspection

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By Trevor Greenway

An inspection by Quebec’s investigation department has found that Villa des Brises long-term care home, where Masham resident Aline Maisonneuve was found unconscious in her room and died two days later in April 2024, failed nearly half of its operational measures mandated by the province, including having a faulty call-for-help system for patients. 

According to the January 2024 inspection report by the Direction des Inspections et des Enquêtes, the Villa des Brises care home facility in Gatineau was non-compliant in 18 out of 37 categories. The report was obtained through an access-to-information request. 

Among the biggest infractions cited by the report were a faulty call-for-help system, which was connected to care staff’s cellphones rather than a central line in the home. Several patients of Villa des Brises the Low Down spoke with reported pulling the alarm systems for help, only for their pleas to go unanswered. 

Maisonneuve, a Masham senior, was a patient at the home in 2024. She died in the Hull Hospital on April 14, 2024, after fellow patients reported that her screams for help went unanswered throughout the night two days earlier at Villa des Brises. Doctors found bedsores on her back and torso and a coroner is now investigating her death. 

According to the inspection report, the home also got a failing grade for its fire safety plan, as its resident list was not up to date. The home also failed under the “risk of wandering” category, as it does not feature an alarm system to alert staff if patients wander out of the building. 

The inspection also revealed that staff regularly left hazardous products around the home unattended.

“Presence of a bottle of odoriferating solution concentrated in the fifth floor residents’ bedroom. Cart containing several household products left unattended,” the report stated. At the time of the report, the home also had issues with its liability insurance and had no collaboration or cooperation agreements with intensive care units or prescription drug providers. 

A second inspection in June 2024 revealed the home was still non compliant in six categories, including the faulty call-for-help system, the home’s fire safety plan, as well as a risk of wandering. 

Maisonneuve’s son, Guy, and her daughter-in-law, Shelley Langlois, have been trying to get justice for their loved one for over a year and say the inspection shows just how bad things were at Villa des Brises while Maisonneuve stayed there.

“It puts into perspective just how bad things were at the Villa des Brises/CISSS de l’Outaouais residence,” said Langlois. “Many of the serious problems were documented as far back as January 2024 and yet patients kept being placed there.”

A coroner’s report into Maisonneuve’s death is expected to be released sometime this June. 

Villa des Brises gets near failing grade on inspection Read More »

Masham senior was ‘victim of abuse’ at Gatineau care home

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

Aline Maisonneuve wasn’t given a bath for over two weeks while under the care of nurses at the Villa des Brises long-term care home in Gatineau, a report by Quebec’s complaint commission suggests. 

Quebec’s Commissioner for Complaints and Quality of Services found that the Masham senior, who died April 14, 2024, two days after being found unresponsive in her long-term care room in Gatineau, was the victim of “physical and organizational abuse through negligence” by staff at the care home and the CISSS de l’Outaouais home support (SAD) clinical team. 

Before she was taken to the Hull Hospital, witnesses reported hearing her scream throughout the night – screams that went unanswered. She was then found unconscious and taken to hospital, where she later died two days later. Doctors at the Hull Hospital found bed sores on her back and torso. A coroner is now investigating the circumstances of her death. 

While the details around how her mother-in-law was treated at the home are devastating to read, Shelley Langlois told the Low Down that after waiting for answers for over a year, she and her husband, Guy, feel that someone is finally listening to their heartbreaking story. 

“We feel validated,” said Langlois, flipping through the commissioner’s report. “Validated that our concerns were warranted. None of this felt right from the beginning.”

In his report, Commissioner John Benoit noted that on the day Maisonneuve was found unconscious, paramedics discovered a “clean bandage” on her arm, indicating that she had recent bloodwork done. But medical records showed that she had only received bloodwork on March 27, 2024 – 16 days before she was found unresponsive in her care home room. 

“They asked the staff about this, and they had no record of [Aline] having had bloodwork. We can only deduce that the bandage is from bloodwork that would have been taken during a hospitalization at Hull Hospital on March 27, 16 days ago,” Benoit wrote in his report. “As the bandage was clean, it indicates that [Aline] had not likely been bathed in over two weeks. 

The report referred to Maisonneuve’s treatment plan at the care home between Feb. 27 and March 31, 2024, and noted that, while she received personal hygiene assistance almost every day, “she never received a full bath in the bathtub/shower over the same period” according to her treatment plan. 

“I therefore find that there were shortcomings, not only in terms of assistance with hygiene care by VDB [Villa des Brises] staff, but also in terms of the clinical follow-up provided by the nurses of the home support clinical team working at VDB.”

The report went on to note that Aline was also “fully dressed” upon her arrival at the Hull Hospital, which Benoit wrote, “suggested to us that either she had slept in her clothing or someone dressed an unconscious woman prior to sending her by ambulance. Either scenario is deeply upsetting.” Benoit also noted that he has “doubts about the assistance offered” to Maisonneuve between April 1 and 12, 2024, as the care home has yet to submit her treatment plan for that timeframe, “despite several attempts to obtain it.” 

Staff failed to follow ‘rule of care’

Nurses at the care home noted in their file on April 9, 2024, a few days before Maisonneuve was transferred to hospital, that no pressure ulcers were found on her body, according to the report. However, the report referenced a “lack of detailed notes” on Maisonneuve’s file, especially in the days leading up to her admission to the hospital. Benoit wrote in his report that the discrepancies make it impossible to explain the bedsores found by doctors at the Hull Hospital. 

The report stated that notes from a triage nurse at the emergency room at the Hull Hospital did not indicate wounds found on Maisonneuve when she arrived on April 12, 2024. However, a complete physical examination was not performed in the emergency room. It wasn’t until 9:30 p.m. that night when a doctor and a charge nurse discovered bruises and a pressure sore on her tailbone and back. 

“I am concerned about the health condition observed by the nursing and medical team at the Hull Hospital when your mother was admitted on April 12,” wrote Benoit. “The incomplete record-keeping, the absence of the treatment plan for the period from April 1 to 12, the inadequate use of various documentation and follow-up tools, such as the assessment of the risk of falling and the risk of developing pressure ulcers, and the lack of follow-up on care protocols (e.g. post-falls) demonstrate major shortcomings in the care provided to your mother during her stay at the Résidence Villa des Brises.” The report also described four separate instances when Maisonneuve fell at the care home, and each time staff failed to follow the “rule of care,” which involves post-fall assessments and documentation. According to the report, these post-fall assessments were either “absent or incomplete” and documentation was “very limited.”

The report came with a lengthy list of recommendations and an action plan for Villa des Brises to follow. These include implementing assessment and follow-ups for users who have fallen, ensuring nursing staff are trained in delirium detection, ensuring that nurses include prevention-related clinical guidelines when the risk of pressure sores is identified and several other measures. According to the report, many of these recommendations have been implemented since last summer. 

‘We read it and were just bawling’

Langlois told the Low Down that she and her husband had felt abandoned by the system: nurses and staff at Villa des Brises; executives within the CISSS de l’Outaouais; and their own MNA, Robert Bussière, who has yet to contact the family personally. 

They said they’ve waited more than a year for any movement on their file. 

But now that their complaints have been validated, they said they feel confident that justice for their grandmama, mother and mother-in-law will eventually be served. 

Langlois said when she and Guy read in the report that Maisonneuve was “the victim of physical and organizational abuse through negligence on the part of the VDB and SAD care staff during her stay,” they began to weep.

“I highlighted it. We read it and were just bawling,” said Langlois. “What we were looking for was someone to say, ‘You’re not crazy. This place was a shithole.’ And then to follow up with the action plan.”

Langlois praised Quebec’s complaint commission and said that she hopes her and Guy’s story will give others the confidence to push for justice when they feel they or their family have been wronged. 

Guy said he still struggles with the fact that he couldn’t save his mother from neglect at the care home. 

“We knew something was wrong with that place, but we couldn’t do anything about it,” he said, fighting back tears. “We couldn’t save her.” 

MNA Bussière refused to comment on the case, citing that it was a confidential matter. 

A coroner’s report into Maisonneuve’s death is expected to be finalized in June.

Masham senior was ‘victim of abuse’ at Gatineau care home Read More »

Don’t ‘pave paradise’ for Wakefield parking lot

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

Stanley Britton is hoping that La Pêche doesn’t “pave paradise” to put up a parking lot. 

The municipality has plans to expand the parking at the popular Gatineau River beach near the Wakefield General Store, but Wakefield resident Britton, a member of Wakefield’s Rail Heritage Advocacy Group, has a much more ambitious plan to revitalize the rail network throughout the village while protecting its rich history by revamping the old train turntable.  

“When we’re talking about rail heritage and turntable park, we’re not just talking about the park,” Britton told the Low Down during a sit-down interview at Cafe Earle in late February. “We’re talking about the entire riverfront.”

Britton’s plan, which should really be called “Stan’s Plan,” features an expanded riverside boardwalk stretching the entire Wakefield village, an artists stage at Roquebrune Park – known locally as Turntable Park – and a new steam train replica, serving as a playground for local kids. His vision also calls for a replica of the old Rockhurst Junction, which would serve as a waiting shelter for trail users. 

The municipality has been considering what to do with the park ever since the Wakefield Steam Train stopped chugging through the village  in 2011. 

A major storm washed away part of the rail bed in Chelsea, and the multi-million dollar fix was too much to absorb. The rail bed became overgrown with weeds, the rail cars were sold off in pieces and the locomotive was sold to the Dalton Ecological Park in Gatineau. 

Chelsea ripped up the rails on its portion of the rail line and built the Voie Verte for pedestrians and cyclists. Britton said he’s hoping La Pêche doesn’t make the same mistake. 

“There’s a whole argument with this push to connect the trail to Chelsea, flatten it and pave it,” said Britton, referring to the Wakefield Rails to Trails group, which, in the past has argued in favour of ripping up the rails and connecting Wakefield to the Voie Verte in Chelsea. “But you’re paving over our history, really.” In Stan’s plan, paving stones would be installed between the rails, like it is in Wakefield’s centre-village.

La Pêche has since solicited proposals from consultants to revitalize the park, but in those plans, much of the history of Wakefield’s waterfront would disappear. 

“The only thing remaining would have been the water tower, and much of the green space between the turntable and the Wakefield General Store, which already accommodates a lot of parking, would essentially be all parking,” said Britton about the previous proposals submitted to the municipality. 

Britton said it would be a shame if the train turntable was removed, as the rail heritage group believes it is one of the last remaining working turntables in the country. The former Canadian Northern Railway turntable in Dauphin, one of the last ones in Manitoba, will be dismantled this summer. 

“The key to a turntable park – and indeed to all of the rail heritage – is the turntable, because it really is a major structure,” added Britton. 

Britton has sourced out the cost for replacing the deck boards at turntable park as well as at the green bridge in Wakefield at $18,000. The replica steam train playground, however, will be closer to $300,000, but Britton said he’s confident in Wakefielders’ fundraising abilities. 

La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux confirmed that there is a plan to improve parking at the village beach near the general store, update the public washrooms located nearby and “improve access to the river,” but he added that the municipality’s public infrastructure, park and greenspaces department will be hosting public consultations this summer to get the public’s input on how to improve and develop turntable park. He said that parking would be expanded, but wouldn’t encroach on the beach area. 

“I am really looking forward to sitting down with the community and seeing what people have in mind,” said Lamoureux. “The goal is to come up with a plan for investing in that park. Clearly, there are additional needs to completely redo the bathrooms, improve parking and improve access to the river.”

A date for the municipality’s public consultation has not been set. 

Don’t ‘pave paradise’ for Wakefield parking lot Read More »

Relay for Life nets $60K for Cancer research

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

Teachers at Philemon Wright High School and Hadley Junior High had to deal with hundreds of “exhausted” students on Monday, May 12, who had been up all night on Friday, May 9.

But they weren’t partying. And they weren’t studying either. 

Instead, more than 280 students from both the high school and junior high walked all night at the school with their friends to raise money for cancer research, more than $59,000 worth of fundraising. 

Hadley and Philemon’s Relay for Life is an all-night cancer fundraiser, where students raise money, do endless laps around the school’s track, play games, eat snacks and stay up all night, from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. Parents have to deal with tired teenagers Saturday morning – an exhaustion that persists with the students even to Monday morning, according to teachers. But for close to $60,000 in cancer funding, it’s all worth it. 

“It was incredible to see so many students come out this year,” said Hadley phys-ed teacher Katie Campbell, who has volunteered at the Relay for Life since it launched six years ago. “We started this event back in 2019 and had under 200 participants that year. So this has been the most participants we’ve ever had by far, which was a lot to take on. But it ended up being a really great event.” 

Campbell told the Low Down that when the Relay for Life committee was organizing this year’s event, they had an ambitious goal of raising $50,000 for cancer research, which would have been the most money the event had raised to date. She admitted that it was an ambitious goal, but by Monday, money was still being tallied, and the total was already over $55,000. 

“It’s absolutely insane,” said Campbell. “And I was like, ‘All right, that’s a lot of money, I don’t know if we’re gonna be able to do that.’ And then we hit $50,000 before our event even started on Friday night.”

“I was exhausted, I slept for 14 hours when I got home,” said Grade 9 student Belle Harrison, who was part of the Mall Walkers team – a gaggle of teenage girls who donned 90s-style tracksuits, ankle weights and “old lady glasses” for the event. The Edelweiss teen has done the relay every year since she arrived at Hadley in Grade 7 and said she has family who experienced cancer in the past and wants to do her part to help more people fight the disease. 

“I do it because I have family that has either survived cancer or died from cancer,” said Harrison. “It’s meaningful, and also fun, staying up all night, raising money.”

Grade 9 student Capri Dolan said that the Relay committee did a good job with building in fun activities, like the giant inflatable obstacle course that kept kids running up and down, literally all night and into the wee hours of the morning. The La Pêche teen said she was the unofficial obstacle course champ. 

“My great grandma had cancer,” said Dolan, answering why she takes part in Relay for Life every year. “And also for the people who will get cancer and who are going through it now – I want to fundraise money for them.”

Campbell said school spirit was especially strong this year, with many teams dressing up in their own theme – everything from gorilla costumes to princesses, including a pig. She said the event blends both schools together seamlessly and creates a shared experience for older senior students as well as freshmen. 

“I think it’s just really incredible to see our students come together as a community because it really connects them from Grade 7 all the way through to Grade 11,” said Campbell. “So you get to see these students interacting with the older students and the younger ones, all coming together for a bigger cause. Cancer affects everyone here in our building in one way or another, with one in two Canadians being diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.”

Since its inception in 2019, Relay for Life at Philemon and Hadley has raised more than $170,000 for cancer research. 

Relay for Life nets $60K for Cancer research Read More »

Liberal’s Chatel cruises to victory

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By Trevor Greenway

Liberal incumbent Sophie Chatel was all smiles at Chelsea Pub, as she won a second term in the Pontiac-Kitigan Zibi riding and as her party formed a fourth consecutive government during Monday’s federal election on April 28. 

“I’m truly touched by the trust that you’ve given me to represent such a beautiful community,” said Chatel during her victory speech around 11 p.m. to a raucous crowd. “But this victory belongs to every one of you – everyone who believes in the power of community, the power of hope and hard work.”

And by the numbers, it was a breeze for Chatel in the riding. According to Elections Canada, with 97 per cent of the polls counted in this riding, Chatel took 52 per cent of the vote, with Conservative Brian Nolan taking just 30 per cent. The Bloc’s Suzanne Proulx took third place, while the NDP’s Gilbert Whiteduck fell to fourth on a night when his party lost official party status in the House of Commons with their projected seven seats. 

But it was a night of red and white at the Chelsea Pub, as Chatel cruised through the doors to the theme song from ‘Rocky’. There were close to 40 or so supporters cheering and waving mini Canadian flags. 

The cautious optimism that Liberals carried with them throughout the night quickly gave way to pure celebration, as the Liberals took an early lead and maintained it. And when Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s riding came on screen to show that he was losing by a large margin, the room erupted in cheers. 

Chatel told the Low Down that she felt the most significant shift in the campaign came when former Liberal prime minister Justin Trudeau stepped down, paving the way for Mark Carney to become the new face of the Liberal party, and offering the best chance at facing the tariff threats from the U.S. President Donald Trump. She called the move a “game changer.”

“Mark Carney is an amazing individual, but he has the experience, the vision, the plan, to face perhaps the biggest economic crisis that Canada has ever lived through since the Great Depression,” said Chatel. “And to face Donald Trump and also the AI revolution and the transition to a clean economy.”

Locally, Chatel spoke of the “opportunity” in the riding to remove interprovincial trade barriers, increase support for farmers and small business owners, and to support affordable housing in the region. On that note, she said the Liberals would support axing GST for new home purchases. 

Chatel also spoke about the schism that Canada had seen over the past few years with the pandemic, language and politics, but she said that she is done feeding into “divisive Canada.”

“There’s no time for division,” she said. “It’s time to unite. No matter who you voted for this election, it’s time to unite and build. It’s time to speak with one voice.”

Chatel also said she would stand up for English rights in Quebec and stated her support for a Liberal intervention at the Supreme Court of Canada over Bill 96 should Quebec’s controversial language law make it to Canada’s highest court. 

But Chatel voted for C-13, an Act to amend the Official Languages Act, and defended her stance, arguing that C-13 actually strengthens French outside of Quebec while supporting anglophones in Quebec. 

“C-13 to me is legislation to protect the French minority outside of Quebec, which is really at risk,” said Chatel. “It’s good legislation because it brought investment for our minority groups so that they have equal opportunities, especially for employment.”

As for her first order of business, Chatel said she is immediately dusting off her Gatineau Park protection bill and will work with Senator Rosa Galvez to push it through. 

“It’s a natural jewel,” said Chatel of Gatineau Park, which attracts more than two million visitors each year to the region. “It is an economic attraction. And when we talk about unlocking economic potential, there is a lot of eco tourism there, so we need to protect it.”

By press time, polls were still being counted, and it’s unclear if the Liberals will form a majority or minority government. 

Conservatives ‘proud’ of gains in riding

Brian Nolan’s Conservative campaign won a level of support for the Tories not seen in the riding in more than a decade. 

Though final counts are not quite complete, by press time Nolan had placed in second, with about 28 per cent of the vote in Pontiac-Kitigan Zibi – an eight-point increase from the 2021 election. 

After conceding the race just before midnight on April 28, Nolan told the Low Down he was proud of the campaign he ran and appreciative of the volunteers and supporters. 

“I was really present, and I tried to connect with people,” Nolan said in an interview after the results came out. He added that he thinks that’s why his campaign resonated with over 15,000 Hills voters.

At 9 p.m., Nolan saw a pathway to victory locally and nationally for the Conservatives. He predicted strong support for his campaign in the north and west portions of the riding. Standing outside his campaign office on Old Chelsea Road, waiting for results to come in, Nolan told the Low Down that he had been throughout the riding to polling stations on April 28, thanking supporters who were out casting their vote. He said he was happy with the campaign he ran, accumulating 9,000 kilometres on his truck and speaking with about 4,000 constituents in the month-long campaign.

At 9:30 p.m., when polls closed, the chatter and energy in the office increased as 18 people, including Nolan and his family, watched the TV for results. 

When Nolan’s name came on screen, there was a cheer and proclamation of, “We’re tied right now,” as the broadcast showed a 0-0 tie for all the candidates in the riding. 

Thirty-five minutes after Quebec polls closed, however, the broadcast called the election in favour of the Liberals, and the room sat motionless. Someone made a fake retching noise when Carney’s picture came on screen. 

Discussion of Pierre Poilievre in the room grew as the Liberals opened a wide lead, but criticisms of the party leader subsided, as results changed and it became clear that the Conservatives had made gains across the country but not enough to form government. 

Liberal candidate Sophie Chatel maintained a narrow lead over Nolan for a couple of hours, with Nolan keeping a close eye on the number of votes still to come. Just before midnight, however, Chatel’s lead had begun to widen, and Nolan conceded the election.

“It’s been a long day,” Nolan said at midnight. “Discouraged a little bit and disappointed.” 

Nolan told the Low Down that he had had a good feeling he had a chance, but said the residents had made their choice. 

“I think we did everything right,” he said, adding that he felt he “had the pulse” of the riding’s rural population in the north and west, but he said much of the riding was attracted to the message of Mark Carney. 

“I don’t think [voters] were supporting Sophie much because she hasn’t done much [for] the riding,” he said, criticizing her for focusing on the tourism industry. “People wanted to vote for Mr. Carney … Sophie was never selling herself, she was mostly selling Carney,” he added. 

Nolan wished the best for Chatel, and said he’ll be back at it again when the next election comes. He said he hopes the minority government will fall in two years so he can run again.

Pontiac-Kitigan Zibi NDP candidate falls to Liberals

NDP candidate Gilbert Whiteduck may have lost in Monday’s federal election, but the former Kitigan-Zibi chief and Algonquin from the Anishinabeg First Nation says he will continue to stand up for what he believes in.

“Tomorrow’s another day. Many of the issues in the riding are still going to be there. I’ll work on those that I have time to work on,” said Whiteduck to the Low Down. He said he will continue to advocate for environmental issues, the Gatineau River and many other issues in the riding.

Nationally and locally, the NDP came in 4th in the election, after the Bloc Quebecois. With so few seats, the NDP lost its official party status.

Whiteduck’s campaign team sat in campaign manager Toby Sanger’s house Monday night, in Wakefield, watching the election results coming in around 11 p.m. 

He got just five per cent of the vote – 2,921 by press time. 

Shortly after Whiteduck and his wife, Patricia, arrived closer to 10:45 p.m., the room erupted in applause, and he said a few words, including thanking his wife and the people gathered around the television. 

“I don’t think I could have done it without all of you,” he said to the group. It was Whiteduck’s first time running in an election. 

A couple of the people in the room mentioned to the Low Down that Whiteduck was the reason they wanted to be involved in the first place. 

“He has the integrity I long for in a politician,” said Ilse Turnsen, a member of his campaign team. She said she’s happy to vote for someone she believes in.  

Whiteduck ran a unique campaign throughout the Pontiac-Kitigan Zibi riding, with no political pamphlets being handed out to residents. Instead, Whiteduck said he created dialogue “circles”  where people gathered and spoke.

As a message to all voters, he thanked them for considering him, and said that “the importance of working together and working on common issues is really important.” 

Despite falling to fourth place, the room remained positive throughout the night. 

Whiteduck said he may run again, but he mentioned that a lot can happen in four years, so he is unsure if he will run again at this time. 

By press time, the riding counted 97 per cent of the vote. 

Liberal’s Chatel cruises to victory Read More »

 QUAIL hosting dinner to help displaced residents

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

Seven QUAIL House residents displaced by a house fire in mid-March still haven’t been able to return to their home in Chelsea. 

An electrical fire consumed the garage March 18, causing $100,000 in damages as it charred appliances, tools, supplies and the QUAIL van, which is used to take its residents – adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities – to doctors’ appointments and field trips. 

“We have not yet been able to return to the house, but all of our residents and staff are staying together at a temporary location in Wakefield,” said QUAIL volunteer Celine Nadreau. “It has been a big transition, especially for some of our residents, but the team has done an incredible job maintaining routines and a sense of stability.”

Nadreau said that QUAIL has been moved by the “outpouring of support” from the community, as many have donated meals and transportation to help support the local charity. QUAIL House is an independent living facility for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. 

 “We feel very fortunate to be surrounded by such generosity,” said Nadreau.

To help raise more money and expedite a return to the building, QUAIL is hosting a memorial dinner for QUAIL founding member, the late Audrey Jessup, at Les Fougères in Chelsea on May 14 at 6 p.m.

Chefs at Les Fougères are preparing a three-course meal for the event, which will cost attendees $125 per plate, which includes a $60 tax receipt. Tickets are available here: https://square.link/u/bumV1pwR. 

Visit www.maisonquailhouse.org for more information or to donate to the charity.

 QUAIL hosting dinner to help displaced residents Read More »

Election Q&A: The environment how will parties save our planet

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Environmental protection is a big topic among local voters these days. With increased mining claims being staked in our region, continued development near Gatineau Park and the Gatineau River and threatened species in the Gatineau Hills, what will your party to do conserve more green space, protect wetlands, and save threatened flora and fauna in our region?

Gilbert Whiteduck, New Democratic Party 

The rivers, land and all species should be sacred to everyone. To protect our environment, the Gatineau River needs legal protection and personhood, which is why I co-founded the Tenàgàdino Alliance: to achieve legal rights for the Gatineau River. I’m not opposed to development, but it must be responsible. Building a nuclear waste dump beside the Ottawa River is not responsible: Conservative and Liberal governments should never have allowed it to proceed. I’m also concerned about the recent explosion of mining claims in our region, which could lead to a destructive legacy.  The NDP was the first party – 20 years ago – to introduce a bill to protect Gatineau Park as an actual national park and prevent it from shrinking further, but the Liberals defeated it. As traditional guardians of this land, the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg community should become stewards of the park. This needs to be a collaborative effort. 

Todd Hoffman, People’s Party of Canada

My response might be surprising to some. On the environment, while the PPC is strongly opposed to the globalist approach to climate change, when it comes to local concerns we weigh towards the will of the community. Our principals have always been based on fairness, respect and responsibility. As to the questions raised, civic responsibility and respect for nature are areas we hold in high regard. The PPC belief is that citizens and municipal and regional governments are the best to work on finding the right fit to find the balance between those that are concerned and those who wish to develop. In human agency, just as in nature, a balance can be found for everything. We believe in the will of the people. If the people on the ground want it, good. If they do not, forget it. But never, no outside lobbyist to influence the outcome.

Sophie Chatel, Liberal party (Incumbent)

Protecting the natural heritage of Pontiac-Kitigan Zibi is a top priority for me. I led a conservation project with Kitigan Zibi that made our region the first in Canada with a roadmap to meet our international nature protection goals. This is the Kidjimaninan initiative, which brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to protect our region’s biodiversity. I co-led a bill to give Gatineau Park the legal protections it deserves, and I am committed to reintroducing it in the next session. This is part of my vision for a green and prosperous Outaouais, where conservation and economic opportunity go hand in hand. Under Mark Carney’s leadership, a Liberal government will go further by creating 10 new national parks, expanding Indigenous-led conservation, investing $100 million in freshwater protection and funding nature-based climate solutions that preserve wetlands, biodiversity and critical habitats. This is how we build a greener future for Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi.

Claude Bertrand, Green party

Protecting the environment has been the GPC’s raison d’être for the past 41 years. It has a very substantial popular support amongst Canadians of all stripes, but thanks to Canada’s dramatically flawed first-past-the-post electoral system, the GPC currently only has two MPs in the House of Commons.  Mining activities carried out within or even near populated areas severely undermine the citizen’s quality of life and the environment. In the same way, housing developments within park boundaries are very enticing for those who can afford them but are detrimental to the enjoyment of users who seek a connection with nature. Quebec may be the most environmentally responsible province, and many volunteer organizations struggle to protect the local environment. The GPC carries out targeted actions by fostering a network of like-minded organizations and citizens who aim to shape local environmental laws and programming by province and municipalities.

Brian Nolan, Conservative party

Environmental protection is a priority for the Conservative Party of Canada, especially in regions like ours, where natural beauty and biodiversity are at risk. We recognize the importance of preserving green space, protecting wetlands and conserving threatened species in the Gatineau Hills, Gatineau Park and along the Gatineau River. Our approach is practical and science-based. We will work collaboratively with local communities, First Nations and provincial governments to protect ecologically sensitive areas, while supporting responsible development. We are committed to strengthening environmental assessments, promoting habitat restoration and empowering community-led conservation initiatives. Our goal is to ensure future generations can enjoy the same natural treasures we value today. Conservatives believe environmental protection and economic growth can go hand-in-hand through smart, sustainable decision-making. By respecting nature and empowering those closest to it, we can build a greener, more prosperous future for Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi and all Canadians.

Election Q&A: The environment how will parties save our planet Read More »

Quebec’s fantastic plastic overhaul

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway


Plastic is everywhere. 

From water and pop bottles to coffee lids and milk containers, Canadians – and Hills’ families – can’t seem to get away from single-use plastics. 

Despite a federal ban on single-use plastic bags, straws and cutlery in 2020, plastic continues to pollute the country – and plastic bottles are one of biggest contributors. According to Statistics Canada, of the 43,140 tonnes of plastic leaked permanently into the environment in 2019, over three-fifths (62.7 per cent) were used in packaging, with plastic bottles accounting for more than 5,595 tonnes. 

Stats Canada also found that only nine per cent of all plastic in Canada is recycled, with the majority ending up in landfills while the rest litters parks, beaches and neighbourhoods. 

Quebec is trying to change that. The province has been overhauling its recycling system since 2020 and is implementing a phased-in approach to expand its list of recyclable items. 

This is great news for families like the Merrills in Masham. With four on-the-go children, it’s safe to say the family goes through a lot of pop and water bottles throughout the year. 

Heather Merrill, the Low Down’s general manager, said that Quebec’s new Consignaction refund system, with its increased payouts, makes the headache of returning bottles finally worth it. 

“When the kids were little, we used to save the cans for them to bring in for candy money, but it wasn’t worth the trouble,” said Merrill. “The bags would sit outside for months until filled, which was super annoying: we’d have to separate the tall cans from the shorties, and in the summer, the wasps were all over the bags – all for about $12. No thanks. Into the blue bin with them.”

But with the amount received doubling – $24 bucks a bag – it’s more than “worthwhile,” according to Merrill, especially now that she has teens and goes through even more cans. Merrill said she is also excited about Consignactions’ new plastic bottle return program.

“Adding the plastic bottles to the return system was a great idea. Water bottles, coffee cream bottles, Black Fly bottles … all now go in a bag that can be returned for $18. We plan to find some outdoor bins to store them in until full [in order] to discourage the wasps, and so I won’t be annoyed by looking at the bags,” she added.

Consignaction launched in 2023, with the amount collected for aluminum cans doubling –  from five to 10 cents – and with the addition of the plastic bottle return program in March 2025. All glass, including wine bottles, will be phased in by 2027. 

How much can I get back?

All aluminum beverage containers from 100 ml to 2 L = 10 cents

  • beer, pop cans
  • ready-to-drink beverages: fruit juices, sparkling waters, flavoured waters, cocktails or small vegetable juices

All plastic ready-to-drink beverage containers from 100 ml to 2 L = 10 cents

  • bottles of water, sparkling water, juice 
  • any other beverage containers, such as flavoured water, spirits

Glass – certain 500 ml to 2 L glass bottles = 25 cents

  • Presently, most Quebec-based craft brewery bottles, but check full returns list: www.consignaction.ca
  • by 2027, all glass to be phased in 

Where can I return my bottles?

La Peche:

  • Marché Masham – 245 Hwy 366 
  • Beausoleil Luc Épicerie et Quincaillerie – 292 Ch. Pontbriand
  • Le P’tit Magasin Général – 952 Ch. Cléo-Fournier

Chelsea

  • Charles Family IGA – 1703 Hwy 105
  • Marché Chelsea – 528-A Hwy 105

Cantley

  • Charles Family IGA – 455 Montée de la Source

Gracefield:

  • Marché Kelly Gracefield inc. (Metro) – 27 Rue Principale

By the numbers

  • 43,140 tonnes of plastic leaked permanently into environment in 2019 in Canada
  • 62.7% of leaked plastic from packaging
  • 5,595 tonnes of plastic bottles in landfills
  • 1.5 billion plastic beverage containers now returnable under Consignaction
  • 5 billion items recycled annually is program’s goal
  • 90% recovery rate is project’s aim
  • 9% of all plastic recycled in Canada

Quebec’s fantastic plastic overhaul Read More »

Arborist found not guilty

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

Tommy Townsend has an ear-to-ear smile as he sits on the back of his work truck outside of the MRC des Collines courthouse in Chelsea. 

He’s smiling because a judge just threw out his case in which he was accused of wandering around the village of Wakefield with a knife two summers ago. 

“It feels good,” says Townsend, minutes after Justice Joanne Cousineau found him not guilty of a bylaw infraction April 10. “I’m glad someone had some common sense. I don’t feel the police had any common sense on that day, personally, and I don’t think the prosecutor had too much either, but the judge did…I was not wandering around. I was in my vehicle, as she stated. It’s good to get some closure.”

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

During the trial, the Wakefield single dad told the judge that he had just returned from a quick job as an arborist and had his two daughters in the car, as they were going to buy shoes at Giant Tiger. He was suddenly pulled over by police, who drew their guns and ordered Townsend onto the ground in front of Kaffe 1870. 

He was later released and was not charged criminally. Weeks later, police fined him for a bylaw infraction for carrying a knife without a reasonable excuse. 

That was the crux of the trial, as Cousineau needed to determine whether or not Townsend had a reasonable excuse to carry a knife. In her decision, she said that the police, and Crown prosecutor Olivier Gosselin failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Townsend was “wandering around.”

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

“When I have two contradictory versions, I don’t need to see who spoke the truth. I wasn’t there,” said Cousineau. “[The Crown] has a burden of proving every element of the infraction beyond reasonable doubt.”

She continued: “Nobody in that file came and testified saying that they saw you wandering around with a knife. You were in your vehicle. That’s not public property,” she said to Townsend during her decision. “It’s maybe not the best move to be driving around with a knife on you when you’re with your daughters, but who am I to judge on that? You were arrested, and the police say they saw you in your vehicle. Now, do I believe your version? Not so much, but the long and the short of it is, the police did not see you wandering around, and that is the infraction in this bylaw.”

Townsend submitted photos of his work truck to prove he was an arborist. 

“If you’re an arborist, you have an excuse,” she said. “The part of you having [a knife] on you is a little disturbing. The long and short of it is that you were in your vehicle; you were not wandering around on the street. If the people saw you, they should have come and testified, which they did not.”

Townsend said he is happy to get “closure,” but he hesitated when asked if he felt justice was served. 

“I feel this whole thing was unjustified to begin with,” he said, adding that the traumatic event still affects his daughters. At the time of the arrest, his daughters were six and 11.

He said his youngest has nightmares about gun violence, and his oldest is now afraid of police officers.

“The most tragic part of this unnecessary event is that two small children have no faith or trust in police officers anymore.”

Arborist found not guilty Read More »

Prefect says she will fight for Low CLSC

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By Trevor Greenway

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Low seniors worry about home care 

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

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

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

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

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

Prefect says she will fight for Low CLSC Read More »

Federal election Q&A: Bill 96 where parties stand on language

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By Trevor Greenway

The Quebec government passed Bill 96, which restricts the use of English in businesses and public services, using the notwithstanding clause. This allowed the government to bypass the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Bill 96 negatively impacts minority language constituents in their day-to-day lives, such as by restricting access to services. How would your party address this bill and/or improve the situation for the minority language population of this riding?

Claude Bertrand, Green party

Because of its language, culture and unique history within the Canadian federation, Quebec has a special status within Canada. On Nov. 22, 2006, a “Québécois nation” motion was tabled in Parliament by Stephen Harper, then prime minister of Canada. Five days later, on Nov. 27, the motion was approved, 265–16, with support from every party in the House of Commons. Living in a predominantly French-speaking “island” in an otherwise predominantly English-speaking North America (excluding Mexico), Quebecers have managed to this day to preserve their distinct character, language and culture. Like the Green party, Quebecers value inclusion, diversity and social democracy. The Green Party of Canada fully recognizes Quebec’s status as a distinct nation within Canada. We thus recognize the right of Quebecers to decide together their political and constitutional future, including the decision, manifested through their democratically-elected national assembly, to make French the only official language in Quebec.

Brian Nolan, Conservative party

The Conservative Party of Canada is deeply concerned about the use of the notwithstanding clause to override Charter rights. Bill 96 has created real challenges for English-speaking Quebecers, especially in regions like Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi, where bilingualism is a way of life. A Conservative government would work constructively with Quebec to ensure that essential services such as healthcare, education and justice remain accessible in both official languages. We believe in protecting minority rights, supporting language duality and ensuring no one is left behind because of the language they speak. As your local Conservative candidate, I will be a strong voice for all residents of the Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi riding. I will always defend the rights of English-speaking communities and work to ensure they are treated with fairness, respect and equality, because language should never be a barrier to accessing services or opportunities.

Todd Hoffman, People’s Party of Canada (PPC)

The PPC is the best federal party to tackle the question of English minority rights within Quebec. We are the party of freedom of expression, protecting Canadians from censorship and discrimination. The PPC would repeal bad legislation on the federal level. For Bill 96 and the notwithstanding clause, we would review Bill C-13 “Act to amend the Official Languages Act” that our MP, Ms. [Sophie] Chatel, voted in favour of in 2023. This amendment tied a federal act to a discriminatory provincial act, bypassing the Canadian Charter of Rights. A very disappointing vote on her part. My record in advocating language rights is well documented. Like many other local businesses, I have in the past been served with papers from the Office québécois de la langue française (OLF) for a perceived social media violation. My resistance to being put on notice by the OLF was featured in a National Post article in 2024. 

Sophie Chatel, Liberal party (Incumbent)

Bill 96 has created challenges for anglophones in Quebec, including in Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi. The Quebec government pre-emptively invoked the notwithstanding clause to shield the law from Charter challenges, raising significant concerns about its impact on fundamental rights. This use of the clause prevents courts from reviewing whether the law respects the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Liberal party believes in protecting both of Canada’s official languages and supports efforts to promote French in Quebec. But that must never come at the expense of people’s rights. No government should be able to bypass the Charter without accountability. A Liberal government will intervene in any Supreme Court challenge of a government’s pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause, as such use would effectively make the Charter of Rights optional. Defending the Charter is how we protect the rights of minority language communities, including in Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi, and ensure their voices are heard.

Gilbert Whiteduck, New Democratic Party (NDP)

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has recently stated that, if elected government, the NDP would not intervene if a challenge to Bill 96 reached the Supreme Court. I completely sympathize with those, including francophones and anglophones, who feel their native language is under threat. Through colonization, the Algonquin Anishininabeg language, Anishinaabwemowin, was negatively impacted. We collectively continue to work hard to preserve it, but it is still less well-known among some of our members than English or French. I deeply object to those who opportunistically use language politics to divide us. I believe the preservation and growth of our rich and diverse cultural heritages makes us stronger.  Knowledge and appreciation of different languages and cultures enriches us and shouldn’t come at the expense of our native languages. I support all minority language rights and would do whatever I can to protect and support them through federal legislation and financial support.

Federal election Q&A: Bill 96 where parties stand on language Read More »

School boards gearing up for Bill 94 fight

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

While English school boards across the province are celebrating a key victory with Bill 40, another fight is brewing over Bill 94, the province’s extension of Bill 21 that restricts public servants from wearing religious symbols on the job. Bill 94 will extend the law to include all staff and volunteers – including janitors, after-care staffers, volunteers and librarians – from wearing religious symbols at work. 

Bill 21 had a significant impact locally in 2021 after a Chelsea teacher, Fatemeh Anvari, was banned from her Grade 3 classroom for wearing a hijab. The case reignited the debate around Bill 21, and the controversial law is now headed to the Supreme Court of Canada for a constitutional challenge. 

Labadie told the Low Down that the WQSB is hesitant to agree to the bill, as it contains language that could later be used against the school board when Bill 21 heads to the Supreme Court. 

“There’s a lot of language in that bill that if we adopted it as a code of ethics for staff and teachers, it would show that we supported Bill 21, and that we agreed with the policies,” said Labadie. She added that the WQSB lawyers are now parsing through the bill before the board signs off. 

“The last thing we wanted to do was to have this language that was embedded in these blanket laws that we were supposed to adopt as a board to then be used against us.”

Singfield said the extension of Bill 21 is an attack on the school board’s policy on inclusion, equity and diversity. 

“We speak about the importance of honouring the integrity of our diverse population,” Singfield told the Low Down. “We speak about inclusion, we speak about equity and not as things that we check off on boxes on a list, but rather things that we want to cultivate as pillars of our community.”

The legislation would also prohibit Muslim girls from wearing a full-face veil. The bill states that students will be obliged to “have their face uncovered when they are on the premises placed at the disposal of a school, a vocational training centre or adult education centre or a private educational institution.” The bill would also restrict parents from wearing face coverings when picking up their kids from school. 

School boards gearing up for Bill 94 fight Read More »

English school boards celebrate ‘historic’ victory

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

The head of the Western Quebec School Board (WQSB) is praising Quebec’s highest court after it found that sections of Bill 40, which would have abolished English school boards, were unconstitutional. 

In a unanimous decision handed down on April 3, three judges from the Quebec Court of Appeal largely upheld a 2023 Superior Court ruling that declared several parts of the bill violated rights guaranteed under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Executive director of the WQSB George Singfield says the result – which keeps English school boards intact with elected commissioners – is a huge victory, not only for English education in Quebec, but English rights as a whole.  

“I think at the root of everything is the infringement that has been brought forward by the Quebec English School Board on the rights of the anglophone community,” said Singfield, referring to the QESBA, the Montreal English School that first brought the court challenge against Bill 40.  “And so that, I believe, is probably the biggest gain in the decision that was made yesterday – the recognition of those fundamental rights.”

The Legault government introduced Bill 40 to abolish all school boards across the province and turn them into service centres with appointed commissioners. The bill was passed in 2020, but English school boards fought – and won – to keep control of its schools. French school boards were abolished and are now called service centres. 

“It really does reinforce our English-speaking communities in the province, to manage and control our schools and centres, our institutions – that’s the underlying piece,” said Singfield. 

He explained that under Bill 40, English school boards would’ve been abolished and converted into school service centres. The WQSB’s elected council of commissioners would’ve been abolished, and the government would’ve appointed commissioners. This was among the major fears of English school boards across the province, as local representatives – current, former and prospective parents and residents – would be barred from running in elections, and a commissioner would’ve been appointed. 

“At stake was losing the ability to govern our own schools,” said WQSB Commissioner chair Joanne Labadie. “Pre Bill 40, it is the Council of Commissioners that chooses the director general, and the director general reports directly to them, and so this would have given the government the opportunity to appoint whoever they wanted in that – it could have been a friend, someone with different political ideology or cultural leanings, and they would have been able to impose it.”

The 90-page ruling also stated that funding must be the responsibility of minority language representatives and can’t be controlled by the provincial government. 

The ruling also struck down a Quebec provision that argued that only parents with children presently enrolled in English schools are rights holders under section 23 of the Canadian Charter. 

No real path to Supreme Court

“This came quick,” said Labadie about the court’s decision, comparing this trial to the original QESBA challenge, which took a judge 28 months to render a decision.  “And the decision was pretty clear, and we’re all just so thrilled to have our rights recognized once again with this decision and just hope that the government will not appeal it to the Supreme Court. If they do, we’re ready for it.”

The Quebec government has not announced whether or not it will seek to appeal the decision. However QESBA president Joe Ortona told the Montreal Gazette that he doesn’t see a path for the government to appeal the new ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada. 

“This is now, on Bill 40, the fourth sweeping victory that we got … so the government has lost on every single point, in every single argument, in every single instance of the Quebec courts, over and over and over again,” he said.

The English Parents’ Committee Association (EPCA), a coalition of parents’ committees of Quebec English school boards, said it was “thrilled” with the announcement. 

“This is a historic victory,” said EPCA president Katherine Korakakis. “Not just for parents, but for every member of our community who believes in shaping our children’s future. The court’s decision is a powerful reminder that our voices matter, and our right to govern our schools is non-negotiable.”

English school boards celebrate ‘historic’ victory Read More »

Conservative candidate said he didn’t approve ‘best-looking candidate’ post

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Reporter

Conservative candidate for the Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi riding Brian Nolan says he did not approve a fake news post claiming that he was “Pontiac’s best-looking candidate.”

Nolan’s communications team posted a photo of The Equity’s front page from last week, but photoshopped it to read, “The Pontiac’s best looking candidate: Brian Nolan” with a heart penciled over Nolan’s photo. 

In an interview with the Low Down March 31, two days after the post went up on social media, Nolan said he did not approve the post, nor was he aware it was even made. 

“No, it’s not me, it’s the person that’s in charge of my social media,” said Nolan. “I was not aware of it.”

Nolan said he has had a busy week knocking on doors in the riding and “didn’t have a chance to check all my social media.” He said that after speaking with The Equity about the post, he asked if they wanted him to remove it. 

“I said, ‘Do you have a problem with it?’ I said I could remove it, I have no issue,” Nolan said he told The Equity. “I don’t know why it was there and who put it there, so I did my investigation and found that it’s the person that’s in charge of my social media. They put it there, and I never approved it, and I removed it since.”

Nolan confirmed that the post has since been removed. 

Canadians head to the polls on April 28.

Conservative candidate said he didn’t approve ‘best-looking candidate’ post Read More »

QUAIL fire displaces seven residents at independent living home

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

Seven residents at the independent living home QUAIL House in Chelsea were displaced after a fire tore through the home’s garage on March 18. 

According to Chelsea Fire Chief Charles Éthier, staff at QUAIL House called 911 just after 2 p.m., after they noticed smoke and flames coming from the garage. 

“The fire started in the garage, and it was contained to the garage area by the quick response of the fire department,” Éthier told the Low Down. He added that, while a cause hasn’t been determined, it was likely an electrical fire.

It took 17 firefighters about 45 minutes to extinguish the blaze, however Éthier said it could have been much worse. 

“Time is always essential in fighting fires,” added Éthier. “Every minute a fire can double in size – there’s a reason to call 911 before trying to extinguish a fire.”

Chelsea resident Dennis Walker was picking up his wife, who works at QUAIL, when the fire started and said that firefighters were on the scene within minutes. He said the fire spread quickly and could’ve ignited the rest of the house if the firefighters weren’t so quick. 

“Five more minutes and the house would have been gone,” said Walker. “The fire department was amazing. Thank god it didn’t happen at night, with the residents sleeping.”

There was only one resident and two staff members home at the time of the fire, as the others were out on a field trip. 

“Luckily, the fire happened during the daytime, and staff acted quickly to make sure that everyone was safely out of the house,” said QUAIL volunteer Lissa Heringer. She explained that the most challenging part of the incident is aiding residents, many of whom have intellectual disabilities, in adapting to new, temporary housing in the fire’s aftermath. 

“The most difficult thing for residents since the fire has been adjusting to unfamiliar homes and a big change to their daily routine. Our staff and volunteers have rallied to help residents settle in and adjust to the unfamiliar. They’ve really gone above and beyond the call,” added Heringer. “Our key concern throughout has been to keep our QUAIL family together under one roof.”

Heringer said the residents were initially housed at Motel Chelsea for the first few days before moving to Chelsea Vélo Nordic B&B. QUAIL has found a longer-term rental in Wakefield, where the residents can all stay together until they are permitted to go back into the home. Éthier said the home needs to be inspected by an electrician before the residents can return. QUAIL has no timeline for a return to the house. 

QUAIL lost everything in their garage, including a fridge, the residence van, equipment and more than 1,400 jars of jam that were ready for sale.  

“There has been a tremendous outpouring of support from the community from day one,” added Heringer. “We’ve had offers of meal prep, laundry services and temporary housing and accommodation. The QUAIL family is fortunate to be surrounded by such a caring and generous community.”

Éthier estimated the damage at $100,000.

Visit QUAIL online at www.quailhouse.org to donate.

QUAIL fire displaces seven residents at independent living home Read More »

ACRE secures 11 more to expand Larrimac eco corridor

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , ,

By Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Reporter

ACRE has saved another 11 acres of undeveloped forest in Larrimac, which is full of old-growth trees, birds, coyotes, bears and a natural wetland. 

Action Chelsea for the Respect of the Environment (ACRE) announced the deal in December of last year and said the Brink Forest is an important property that will link up with the Larrimac ecological corridor, which is home to more than 190 species of flora and fauna, the latter travelling to and from Gatineau Park. 

“This was one of the larger properties that had potential,” said ACRE president Stephen Woodley, explaining that his non-profit organization had been eyeing the Brink Forest for a decade, but only started talking seriously with the owners about four years ago. He said ACRE saw the opportunity to expand the Larrimac ecological corridor and link this property up with other land in the area that it has already protected. 

The Larrimac ecological corridor is a federally-recognized protected area for wildlife to move between Gatineau Park and the Gatineau River. 

“We’ve gotten the golf course property. We’ve got the Dionne-Wilson Forest and we got the Jolicoeur-McMartin Forest,” said Woodley, referring to past land acquisitions. “They all come together to make a large block. We’re interested in other properties up there as well to really make a large protected area for Chelsea.”

ACRE preserved 77 acres of land in the Jolicoeur-McMartin Forest in 2022 after 144 donors in Chelsea came up with close to half a million dollars in funding. That same year ACRE also secured 44-acres of the nearby Dionne-Wilson Forest after landowners, Maryse Dionne and Mark Wilson, donated the land for ACRE to protect in perpetuity. 

Woodley praised the generosity of Hills residents – notably Dionne and Wilson, the 144 donors on the Jolicoeur-McMartin deal and Lars and Satya Brink, who donated the recent 11 acres of the Brink Forest to ACRE. 

“People love nature here,” said Woodley. “There’s also kind of a unique cultural thing happening in the Hills … but you know, culture and nature are intertwined, and protecting nature and loving nature is part of who we are in the Gatineau Hills. We [ACRE] are a tool, which is really implementing the community’s desire to conserve and protect nature.”

Woodley clearly noted that ACRE is “not anti-development,” but an organization that wants to monitor smart growth and work with developers to protect key areas while municipalities grow. 

“We’re for smart development, and smart development means that there’s areas which are important to protect as we build out,” added Woodley. “And we’ve always said we will be remembered for what we protect more than what we develop.”

Woodley said he was especially happy about protecting the Brink Forest, as it is rich in old-growth trees, including sugar maples, hemlock-white pine and other mature growth. But the forest is also an important nesting site for interior bird species, including the ovenbird, hermit thrush, American redstart and red-eyed vireo. ACRE cameras installed along the trails of the property have captured black bears, eastern coyotes and fishers moving through the corridor. 

Woodley also said that the forest contains many trails throughout, which link up with various other trails in the Larrimac area. Woodley confirmed that those trails would be maintained for community use. 

This latest acquisition marks the 11th property that ACRE has acquired, totalling an impressive 365 acres of greenspace worth $5.6 million, which will never be developed.

ACRES land acquisition by the numbers

365 acres

11 properties

$1.6M cash donations

$1.6M land donations

$3.3M total donations

$5.6M raised for land acquisitions

ACRE secures 11 more to expand Larrimac eco corridor Read More »

Election Q&As: Hills housing crisis

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , , ,

by Trevor Greenway

Local Journalism Reporter

The federal election is upon us – and it’s coming fast. With just three or so weeks left until Canadians head to the polls to pick their next MP and ruling party on April 28, the intensity will ramp up fast. 

National headlines will give you the latest on Canada vs. Trump and how the respective leaders stack up against the U.S. president, but here in the Hills, we will be grilling our candidates on the local economy, the environment, Quebec politics and local journalism as we inch towards election day. With just three publications left until the vote, we are focussing our coverage on a series of Q&As focused on local issues. 

Issue number one is the housing crisis in the Gatineau Hills. We asked all five candidates to answer the following question and gave them a 150-word limit on their answers, which have been edited for grammar, length and style. 

Q: The Table de développement social des Collines-de-l’Outaouais (TDSCO) found that more than 3,000 residents in the region are living in homes they can’t afford. This is based upon the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) affordable housing threshold of 30 per cent of a household income being put towards housing. What will your party do to ease the housing crunch in the region?

Sophie Chatel, Liberal party

Families across Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi are struggling to afford a place to live. 

The housing crisis is real, and it’s hitting our region. Under Mark Carney’s leadership, the Liberal party is ready to act with an ambitious housing plan. 

We’ll double the pace of construction to 500,000 homes a year, launch Build Canada Homes to get the federal government back into building, eliminate the GST for first-time homebuyers, unlock private capital, cut red tape and lower building costs. 

No single solution exists, but we’ll be an active partner in getting more homes built. Programs like the Rapid Housing Initiative and Housing Accelerator Fund have delivered over 1,000 homes in the Outaouais, with a new phase supporting water infrastructure, so municipalities can build more housing. 

[Pierre] Poilievre says he’ll cut these programs. I’m committed to working with all levels of government and local partners to ensure everyone has an affordable home.

Claude Bertrand, Green party

Shelter, like food, water and clothing, is fundamental to survival. The Green party recognizes that for many Canadians the high cost of housing is making it difficult to meet other basic needs. 

Canada needs to rapidly double its stock of social housing. 

The Green party wants publicly-funded housing to be truly affordable. It makes no sense to continue basing payments for a social housing unit on prices in today’s inflated housing market. 

Real affordability means that an individual or family in social housing should be able to pay their rent or mortgage with 30 per cent of their regular income. 

And there should be covenants to ensure that public housing cannot at some future time be purchased by profit-driven corporations. Given our 150-word limit, there is no room to cover other Green party ideas for responding to the crisis in private and public housing. 

I look forward to further opportunities to communicate with voters on this critical topic.

Gilbert Whiteduck, NDP

Under Conservative and Liberal governments, the federal government severely cut support for affordable housing over recent decades. Billions in federal funding since has gone to private developers, who have hiked rents and house prices. This resulted in the affordable housing crisis we are in. To help solve this crisis, the NDP would:

  • Make federal Crown land available to build 100,000 rent-controlled homes and speed up approvals, while respecting the treaty and inherent rights of Indigenous communities;
  • Invest $1 billion to purchase more federal land to build more rent-controlled homes;
  • Create a Community Housing Bank to provide low-cost financing to co-ops, non-profits and Indigenous communities;
  • Help non-profits buy affordable apartments;
  • Ban corporations from buying existing affordable rental buildings and hiking rents;
  • Provide low-interest publicly-backed loans to families buying their first home, saving families thousands annually.

Todd Hoffman, People’s Party of Canada

nada is a concern for many. 

The People’s Party of Canada (PPC) has a plan to help ease this problem which in essence is the shrinking of individual savings. Here are three, of several, consideration points. Firstly, the PPC would privatize or dismantle the CMHC, a government agency that fuels the housing crisis instead of cooling it down. All it has done is encourage Canadians to buy houses they cannot afford. 

Secondly, The Bank of Canada inflation targets need to be modified, from two per cent to zero per cent. This would cool down inflation in all sectors, including housing. 

Thirdly, the PPC would work to end supply management by the food cartel. This would lower the next biggest household expense, which is groceries, thereby putting more disposable income in people’s pockets. 

The PPC will have people living in homes without financial stress.

Brian Nolan, Conservative party

A Conservative government will take concrete action to address this crisis by increasing housing supply, making home ownership more affordable and supporting rental and affordable housing projects.

  • Increasing housing supply

We will work with municipalities to cut red tape and fast-track housing approvals, ensuring that new homes can be built faster and more efficiently. By incentivizing local governments to meet housing targets, we can increase the number of homes available and reduce upward pressure on prices. Additionally, we will promote the development of multi-unit housing and rental projects to create more affordable living options for residents.

  • Making home ownership more affordable

The rising cost of home ownership is pushing families out of the market. A Conservative government will focus on lowering inflation and stabilizing interest rates through responsible fiscal management, making it easier for families to afford mortgages. We have announced that we will remove the GST on homes below $1.3 million for everyone, which will provide significant relief, particularly in our riding. 

Election Q&As: Hills housing crisis Read More »

Hills hopefuls hit the campaign trail

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Trevor Greenway

The campaign is underway to find Canada’s next prime minister – and the Hills’ next MP.

On March 23, Prime Minister Mark Carney went to Rideau Hall and requested that Governor General Mary Simon dissolve Parliament, which triggered a spring election, with Canadians heading to the polls on April 28. 

The snap election call doesn’t leave a lot of time for candidates to pitch their platforms to constituents, and it will be a mad dash for Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi hopefuls to convince local voters that their plan is the best moving forward. 

It will be the shortest possible campaign allowed by Canadian law – just six weeks – with advance polls opening over the Easter weekend. 

Here in the Hills, The Low Down will bring you the low down on all your local candidates, information on how and where to vote, how to ensure you’re on the registered list of voters and other useful election information. 

2025 Federal Election – Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi riding

Election date: April 28, 2025

Advance Polls: Friday, April 18 – Monday, April 21

Where to vote: visit www.elections.ca on April 1 for polling station locations.

How to register: visit www.elections.ca and click on “check or update your registration.” Follow through the required steps and register online.

Voter requirements: 

  • One piece of government-issued ID (driver’s licence or other government ID with photo and current address);

OR

  • two pieces of ID that have your name; at least one must have your current address. (e.g. voter eligibility card and utility bill with current address);

OR

  • If you do not have an ID, you must declare your identity and address in writing and have someone who knows you and who is assigned to your polling station vouch for you. The voucher must be able to prove their identity and address. A person can vouch for only one person (except in long-term care facilities).

Keep picking up the Low Down in the coming weeks for more election coverage, where we hope to dig into party platforms with Q&As, reader questions, local initiatives and issues that affect us in the Hills. There will be plenty of issues to dig into with a housing shortage, a health crisis and a federal fight over religious symbols that is winding its way to the Supreme Court. The Low Down is your source for everything local this election. 

Meet your candidates:

Liberal Party of Canada – Sophie Chatel (incumbent)

  • Gatineau resident
  • Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Rural Development
  • Chair, rural caucus

Conservative Party of Canada – Brian Nolan

  • Chelsea resident
  • Technology consultant
  • Business leader for cannabis startups

NDP – Gilbert Whiteduck

  • Kitigan Zibi resident
  • Former chief, Kitigan Zibi
  • Indigenous leader
  • Executive-director, Gatineau Valley Historical Society
  • Former teacher, guidance counsellor, school principal

Green Party of Canada – Claude Bertrand

  • Masham resident
  • Engineer
  • Former RCAF pilot

People’s Party of Canada – Todd Hoffman

  • Campbell’s Bay resident
  • Former RCAF member
  • Business owner
  • High school teacher

*The Bloc Quebecois party has yet to announce a candidate for the Pontiac–Kitigan Zibi riding.

Hills hopefuls hit the campaign trail Read More »

Brennan’s Hill Beer Bust

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , ,

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. 

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