Environment
Future of Pontiac agriculture discussed at public consultation
On Wednesday morning around 50 people turned out to the Little Red Wagon Winery in Clarendon for a consultation on the future of agriculture in the Pontiac region. The event was the first of several public meetings to update the plan de développement de la zone agricole (PDZA), a document that sets the region’s agricultural […]
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Environmental writer Katharine Fletcher retires column after 34 years
Earlier this year, Katharine Fletcher, a Pontiac environmentalist and writer, announced that she would be stepping back from writing columns for several local publications after 34 years in the business. Most recently, her column “Our Environment” was published in the Pontiac Journal, Aylmer Bulletin and West Quebec Post, covering environmental issues both local and international. […]
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Nicolas Brodeur discusses Pontiac forestry industry 15 years after Smurfit-Stone closure
This month, the Pontiac region marks a bleak milestone with the 15th anniversary of the closure of the Smurfit-Stone mill in Litchfield, which was the area’s largest private employer at the time. The shuttering of the pulp mill in October 2008 resulted in the direct loss of more than 200 jobs and had a disastrous […]
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Mayors approve energy from waste proposal from Deloitte in split vote
A special sitting of the MRC Pontiac council of mayors took place October 25 at the MRC office in Campbell’s Bay. The sole item on the agenda was a resolution concerning a business plan the MRC had mandated the company Deloitte to produce for a proposed energy from waste facility. The council passed an initial […]
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Information in warden’s energy from waste presentation came from Covanta
Some slides and information used by Warden Jane Toller in public presentations on “Energy from Waste” came directly from the company Covanta, CHIP 101.9 has learned. The warden has been the public face of the project to establish a waste incinerator in the Pontiac for several years. During this time, she has repeatedly stated that […]
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Digging into Quyon’s history
A group of non-profit organizations focused on the region’s history are hosting a series of hands-on archeological digs near Quyon later this month. Audrey Lapointe, a local teacher who also sits on the board of the Outaouais Historical Society, explained that the idea for the event had originated with a bicycle trip that some students […]
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Energy from Waste project gets critical reception at Shawville meeting
On Monday evening (June 19), MRC Pontiac Warden Jane Toller hosted a town hall meeting at Shawville United Church to discuss the “Energy from Waste” project that she’s been an advocate of for many years, with 15 people in attendance. Her proposal is preliminary, and she noted the next step in the plan is to […]
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Two town halls next week discussing “Energy from Waste” project
MRC Pontiac Warden Jane Toller is hosting two town hall meetings next week to discuss the “Energy from Waste” project that she has been championing for years. She explained that the meetings will give the public a chance to ask questions and discuss the merits of the project. When asked about the progress that has […]
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Another air quality warning issued for Pontiac
Environment Canada has issued another air quality statement today, as smoke from northern wildfires is causing hazy conditions across the Pontiac region. It notes that high concentrations of particulate matter will lead to periods of poor air quality over the next few days. “Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone’s health even at low concentrations. […]
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Roads into Crown forests re-opened, fire ban still in place
As of this afternoon (June 12), residents are once again allowed to travel into the region’s Crown forests, as the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts has lifted its ban on travel for this section of the province. On June 4, the ministry closed the roads north of latitude 46° 15′ in the Pontiac […]
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