Swisha opens new splash pad in honour of late mayor

Swisha opens new splash pad in honour of late mayor

On Saturday (June 22) residents of Rapides-des-Joachims gathered at the municipal park for the inauguration of their new splash pad, named in honour of late mayor Doug Rousselle.

Rousselle was elected mayor of the small, far-flung municipality of around 150 year-round residents back in 2021 and passed away from cancer in September 2023. The new structure features a large stone engraved with his name.

MRC Pontiac Warden Jane Toller was on hand for the ribbon-cutting and spoke highly of Rousselle and his efforts to construct the splash pad.

Rapides Director General Alana Bowes said that the park had been a project that she and Doug had worked on since 2022, eventually securing funding through the MRC’s FRR component 4 program. She said that the infrastructure means a lot for a small, remote municipality like theirs.

Rousselle’s widow Joanne was in attendance and said that she was proud of the work that her late husband had invested in the community. She said she’d seen the splash pad get a lot of use over last week’s heat wave.

The full interview with Joanne Rousselle is available here: