Glen Hartle, reporter
Funded by the Local Journalism Initiative
The second annual Warden’s Breakfast, in support of the Centraide Outaouais 2023 campaign, was held at the Recreation Centre in Campbell’s Bay on Monday morning. With 129 tickets sold in advance and more at the door, it was a big success.
MRC Pontiac Warden Jane Toller served as both host and emcee of the buffet-style meal which featured a broad array of breakfast fare and a diverse parade of speakers.
Toller was joined by Centraide team members Denis Harrison (President of the campaign), Cédric Tessier (Director General), Noëlla Beausoleil (Philanthropic Development Director) and Sara Ait Jilali (Philanthropic Development Advisor).
Also in attendance were several mayors including Colleen Larivière (Litchfield), Lynne Cameron (Portage du Fort), Sandra Armstrong (Mansfield and Pontefract), Christine Francoeur (Fort Coulonge) and Doris Ranger (Sheenboro). Those unable to attend contributed their purchased tickets to a pool to enable residents of retirement home Freinds of St-Joseph’s Manor to attend.
The seven associations that Centraide supports locally are Bouffe Pontiac, Centre Serge-Bélair, Comptoir St-Pierre de Fort-Coulonge/Mansfield, Le Jardin Éducatif du Pontiac, Les Maisons des jeunes du Pontiac, Maison de la famille du Pontiac and Patro Fort Coulonge/Mansfield.
A final tally of funds raised from the event is forthcoming, however, Toller suspects it will be more than double last year’s contributions to the association.
“Let’s not see this as an end point, but as a beginning,” she said. “We look forward to growing this event bigger and better with each passing year, ensuring that our community continues to thrive and support one another.”