Featured Articles
Military training near Portage-du-Fort Wednesday
Canadian Special Operations Forces Command is advising residents that they will be conducting military drills near the Chenaux Dam in Portage-du-Fort on Wednesday February 5. “Residents may notice an increase in military and civilian pattern vehicles, aircraft, as well as uniformed military personnel with firearms,” the statement notes. “Residents may hear noises associated with small […]
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TransCollines expands on-demand transit service to Municipality of Pontiac
Starting last month, regional public transportation group TransCollines has expanded their on-demand ride sharing service to the Municipality of Pontiac. MRC des Collines Warden Marc Carrière explained that they have had on-demand service in the rest of the region for several years, but had difficulty finding a service provider to partner with in the MoP, […]
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Nurse bursary grows thanks to donations from community
A bursary to help train and retain local nurses has been given a funding boost thanks to additional donations from the community. Pontiac Community Hospital Foundation vice-president Allan Dean explained that in April 2024 they received a $100,000 donation from the MacLachlan family, to be put towards bursaries for local nursing students, conditional on them […]
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Upper Pontiac power outages: 2024 one of the worst on record
Frequent power outages are nothing new for residents of the upper Pontiac, the western edge of the MRC that encompasses Sheenboro, Chichester, Waltham, l’Isle-aux-Allumettes and parts of Mansfield. L’Isle-aux-Allumettes farmer David Gillespie has been tracking the length and frequency of outages since 2009, and said that after a decline in the numbers over the previous […]
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Hwy. 148 temporarily closed for TransporAction mini-bus in ditch, no injuries
Yesterday’s windy weather caused a mini-bus operated by local collective transportation group TransporAction Pontiac to get stuck in the ditch in Bristol Monday afternoon, temporarily closing Hwy. 148. Sûreté du Québec spokesperson Sgt. Marc Tessier said that they were called at around 5 p.m. on January 28 near the intersection of Hwy. 148 and Wharf Road, where […]
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MRC to take legal action to recover Alleyn-et-Cawood shares, interest
The saga of the Municipality of Alleyn-et-Cawood’s 2024 shares continued at the MRC Pontiac council of mayors meeting on January 22, as council voted to mandate a law firm to recover the nearly $300,000 they are owed, plus interest and costs. Shares are the fees that municipalities are charged by the MRC for various services, […]
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Local family doctors seeking patients
There’s good news for those without a family doctor in the Pontiac region, as the local family medicine network (GMF) is seeking out patients not currently assigned to one. Pontiac GMF coordinator Danielle Romain explained that this was an extremely uncommon situation, however, they added four new doctors to the region in the last 12 […]
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Police investigating Mansfield fire that left family of eight homeless
Police are investigating a fire that claimed a home at 154 rue Graveline in Mansfield early this morning (January 23), leaving a family of eight homeless. No injuries were reported but the home was a total loss. Mansfield-et-Pontefract Fire Chief Patrick Bertrand said that they received the call at around 3 a.m. and when they […]
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Flu season nearing its peak according to public health department
Experts with the regional public health authority are advising that the flu season is nearing its peak, and are inviting the public to take efforts to reduce its spread. Dr. Carol McConnery, a medical consultant with the Outaouais public health department, explained that they measure the presence of influenza in the population through multiple indicators. […]
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Pontiac Community Players’ new comedy hits the stage next week
Local theatre troupe the Pontiac Community Players will be performing a new comedy at Pontiac High School at the end of the month, from a playwright known for his stories about small-town life. Director Val Twolan-Graham explained that they had chosen another piece by renowned Canadian playwright Norm Foster entitled “Halfway There”, which is a […]
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