Pontiac council report - poor ambulance response
Mo Laidlaw
QUYON
Twenty five people attended the Pontiac council meeting on 10 August 2010, held at the Lions Club hall in Quyon.
Public input
Several residents went to Luskville in error, apparently misdirected by the receptionist at the town hall in Luskville. Barrie Marfleet tried to find “Ferry” road, Quyon, on Google maps without success - it is still labelled “Onslow”. (This has now been reported: at the bottom right of a Google map there’s a link to “Report a problem”)
Ambulance service
Diane Deschamps complained that having called 911 at 5:30 on a Friday morning, an ambulance didn’t arrive until 7:15 am. At 6:15 she called Mayor Eddie McCann who also called 911 and was told an ambulance was in Hull and the dispatchers would send one from Shawville. When it arrived it came via Steele Line, not the quickest way to reach her house on Hammond. Another resident had the same problem last year, when an ambulance took 55 minutes to arrive, The mayor said that the Outaouais region needs two more ambulances. A resolution was passed to advise the authorities of the unacceptable response delays and to send a copy of the resolution to the MRCs that use this ambulance service.
Road racers
Ms Deschamps also suggested there should be speed bumps on Hammond to stop “kids racing” on ATVs (quads). Councillor Roger Larose said, “We need cops,” and Mr McCann said he had no interest in speed bumps which would slow up emergency vehicles and cause problems in the winter. It will be better to note the days of the week and times when racing occurs and arrange for police checks at these times. Another resident complained about dirt bikes speeding on Egan road, the riders not wearing helmets.
Pam Komm wants more police presence. The mayor said there is one police car within the municipality at all times, but it is a wide area to cover. He meets the police chief once a month and will raise the need for targeted coverage.
Carol Hager indicated that there was a serious accident on River road recently where the paving stops, 200 yards short of his house. This may have involved road racing. The speed limit here is 50 km/hr. He would also like dust treatment to be done right after grading, not a few weeks later. He’s concerned about heavy transport trucks crossing the bridge over Mohr Creek to access the Pontiac private airport subdivision [http://pontiacairpark.com]
Ms Komm asked why there’s no fee for travel trailers to dump sewage at the treatment plant. Mr McCann said that it would cost more to collect fees than obtained from the fees. She would like a sign to indicate the historic area of Smith’s field in Quyon (“Champ à Smith” on the topographical map). As many other residents have requested before, she would like traffic lights and/or a lower speed limit on highway 148 at the Egan/Wolf Lake road intersection, where it is hard to cross the highway.
Garbage collection
Jean-Claude Carisse indicated some confusion with the new contractor (Waste Management) for garbage pickup. Mr McCann said there are bound to be some teething problems as the workers didn’t yet know the municipality, causing late pickup, which should be corrected as they learn the route. Pickup is no longer a day late when Monday is a holiday; some residents missed the first pickup in August.
Mr Marfleet wanted clarification of “bulky items” (perhaps anything that doesn’t fit in a bag or wheely bin?) He also suggested a toxic waste collection and community clean up, as Waste Management organizes in other communities. Residents should be given the contractor’s phone number for problems and information (6 am to 8 pm).
Cost of new community centre in Quyon
Ms Deschamps was concerned about large tax increases to pay for a new community centre for Quyon. (The Lions Hall was an army surplus building, has no windows, water pools on the floor when it rains, and there are other problems.) Mr McCann explained that the municipality’s share would be up to $300,000 for a $1 million building, about $15 per taxpayer. The planning department will be asked to confirm costs and the ability of the municipality to pay for a new community centre.
Septic tank sludge treatment
Two or more engineering firms will be invited to tender for a study of the sewage plant in Quyon, including technologies for treatment and disposal, and recommendations for the treatment of existing and additional (septic tank) waste and possible expansion of the plant.
The liquid reported flowing into the Quyon river last month was water, from a burst 1" water pipe. The smell was a couple of dead animals nearby.
Subdivision requests
Council supports Kris Belsher’s request to the CPTAQ to build a house on farmland at 1592 ch Hammond.
Council approved Kirk Sturgeon joining two lots into one at 258 ch du Marquis.
Snowmobile trail
Council voted to reiterate its position on a right of way on ch du Lac Curley, Pellerin, and ch du Lac La Pêche roads (municipal roads) for a snowmobile trail for the 2010/11 season. The National Capital Commission wants to close this route to snowmobiles. The municipality of La Pêche will be consulted.
Money matters
Bills for $31,606 and fixed expenses of $425,528 for July were approved.
Other amounts approved:
$5079.38 to the J. Alexandre Desjardins road association for improvements.
$4,551 to enlarge air conditioning ductwork for town hall extension to maximize efficiency. Councillors Jim Coyle, Brian Middlemiss and Roger Larose voted against this - the latter feels that the architect should pay for “cost overruns.”
$2000 to the Kennedy Road association.
$1,100 to the Pontiac Village residents association.
Other business
One file was sent to the municipal lawyer for action against a taxpayer who did building work without a permit.
The Toponymy commission will be asked to change the name of Xonar Park to Omkar Park. At the recent official opening of this Park, a plaque with the former name was set in a rock and will presumably have to be corrected.
The decision last month to settle a claim out of court to pay for damage to a car was cancelled, following a claim by the owner’s insurance company.
A resolution was passed to ban smoking in all municipal buildings and vehicles to keep the municipality’s equipment clean, and comply with the law.
Next regular council meeting: Tuesday 13 September 2010 at 8 pm, at the community centre in Luskville.