BONNIE JAMES – LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE
SHAWVILLE – The Pontiac Union of Agricultural Producers (UPA) held its annual general meeting, March 28, at the Little Red Wagon Winery in Shawville.
The meeting opened with a message and activity report from Pontiac UPA President Claude Vallière. He focused on the UPA’s work with the MRC and other organizations to save the Abattoir les Viandes du Pontiac. The UPA supported the MRC’s bid on the business’ assets, dated March 15, and expressed the UPA’s desire to partner with the MRC on the Agrisaveur agri-food processing project.
After, Stéphane Alary, Outaouais-Laurentides UPA president, spoke about the challenges faced by farmers in 2023, including rising interest rates and costs and the impacts of climate change. He mentioned the UPA’s participation in federal consultations on land use, Nature Plan 2030, agricultural land and activities, and agricultural planning policy implementation.
Alary stressed the urgent need for government support for the sector and expressed frustration at the province’s failure to make agriculture a priority in the recently released budget, which placed agriculture at the bottom of the list. In response, the UPA is planning a Farmers’ Protest on April 17 in Gatineau. While exact plans haven’t been announced, Simon Durand, Outaouais- Laurentides UPA regional manager, and Alary called for 100 – 150 tractors to converge on Gatineau to apply pressure to the Legault government and draw attention to the plight of farmers. Durand said they hope to have people on overpasses along the highways and may plan a route along Hwy 148 or Hwy 50.
Elections were held and the board for 2024 includes: Claude Vallière, president; Gema Villavicencio, vice-president; Justin O’Brien, vice-president; and members: David Gillepsie, Ursina Studhalter, Ron Hodgins, Morgan Lance, David Ingalls, Andrew Simms, Robert Boulet, Andrew Graveline, Amanda Amyotte, and Patrick La Rochelle.
Christine Rieux, Shawville Ministry of Agriculture (MAPAQ) field crops advisor, highlighted the offerings of the local MAPAQ office. She encouraged producers to bring in their projects to find out what assistance may be available to them.
Specialized advisors covering many types of production are ready to assist producers.
Rieux also announced her husband, Thierry Raimbault, will be leaving his current position of Environmental Coordinator at MRC Pontiac to join MAPAQ as a Food Transformation and Marketing Advisor later this month.
Gene O’Brien of the Chapeau Ag. Society gave a presentation on the Chapeau Farmers’ Market. She reviewed the history and evolution of the market and the ag. society and presented the new market building expected to open in June.
Presentations were also made by Kim Maloney of Brylee Farm who explained her family’s on-farm sales and marketing strategy and Caroline Chénier of Serres de Gatineau who discussed challenges she and her husband faced in purchasing a family farm from relatives.
The meeting closed with Shanna Armstrong, MRC Economic Development Commissioner for Agriculture, announcing the next Agricultural Zone Development Plan (PDZA) consultation for producers will be held at Little Red Wagon Winery on April 12 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.