MRC names private businesses from latest FRR 2 report

MRC names private businesses from latest FRR 2 report

MRC Pontiac’s economic development department has released the latest unredacted Fond régions et ruralité (FRR) component 2 report, along with one that was sought through an access to information request filed in May.

The FRR is a provincial envelope that the Ministry of Municipal Affairs (MAMH) distributes for MRCs to divvy up within their region, with different components dedicated to different priorities. The vast majority of the component 2 funding is for projects by municipal bodies and non-profits, though roughly 10-15% each year goes to private businesses, primarily in the agriculture or tourism industries.

Back in late May, CHIP 101.9 filed an access to information request for the names of the private businesses that received funding through component 2, as the reports only listed their sector (such as agriculture), and a description of the project. At the time, MRC Director General Kim Lesage stated that the MAMH did not initially require the names of businesses in their reports, which is why they were left out but included in the reports for other FRR components. Lesage added that the information is not confidential and should be published proactively going forward.

Despite Lesage’s statements, the latest FRR component 2 report for the first quarter of this year (released at the end of June) didn’t include the private business names. It was released today (July 16) following a request from CHIP 101.9: FRR2 Q1 2025.

The MRC also finally released the full report from 2020, nearly two months after it was first requested: FRR2 2020. No explanation was given for why it wasn’t included in the initial access to information request.