An SME owner targeted in the NPDQ letter is the Pontiac warden, Jane Toller

An SME owner targeted in the NPDQ letter is the Pontiac warden, Jane Toller

A report by Élizabeth Séguin

The CHIP 101.9 news room has obtained the identity of the business person targeted in the letter of the Nouveau partidémocratique du Québec (NPDQ), which was published in the Pontiac Journal on August 15, 2018, entitled “Des obstacles réels à la participation politique”. After multiple verifications and testimonials, CHIP 101.9 can confirm that the person targeted by the allegations of the NPDQ is business woman and the warden of the MRC Pontiac Jane Toller.

On August 10, 2018, the regional association of the NPDQ – Outaouais published an open letter on their Facebook page, alleges that an SME owner, who was informed that one of their employees was considering becoming a candidate for the NPDQ, threatened said employee with a demotion and, according to the letter, even a lay-off. The letter was also published in the August 15, 2018 edition of the Pontiac Journal, which specifies that the NPDQ claimed that the reason given by the employer for the demotion/termination was that she deemed it unacceptable for an employee to occupy a management position within her company while being a candidate against a Liberal.

On August 16, 2018, the CHIP 101.9 news room received a call from an anonymous source confirming they knew who the employer targeted in the letter was. CHIP’s news room conducted an investigation and can confirm with certainty that the identity of the business woman, not revealed by the NPDQ, was the Warden of the MRC Jane Toller.

The president of the regional association of the NPDQ– Outaouais, Pierre Ducasse, who was reached by telephone, refused to divulge any additional information but did not deny that it was in fact Jane Toller that the letter was referring to. He said he was “furious” and added that “the association wanted to denounce the situation, while protecting the identity of the young woman who is just starting her professional career”. However, certain individuals involved in the NPDQ anonymously confirmed that it was Jane Toller.

The potential candidate for the NPDQ, who left her job and has stepped down as a candidate for NPDQ, is Jessica Bérard. She also signed the letter in the Pontiac Journal.

After many weeks of research, CHIP 101.9 was able to obtain enough sources and collect enough evidence confirming that Jane Toller was the person identified in the NPDQ case. Jessica Bérard refused to answer questions from CHIP 101.9.

CHIP contacted Jane Toller by email. She replied and did not deny the information but said she was ”surprised to hear this” and plans to comment once she returns to the Pontiac in a few days. She is currently out of the country.

Please note that no complaints have been filed against Jane Toller so far in this case. The letter was signed by 7 people, including the current candidate in the Pontiac Samuel Gendron.