Pontiac Council Report
Elections, language policy, and new equipment discussed
Nathan Quesnel-Girard
Local Journalism Initiative
Published in the Pontiac Journal on May 21, 2025.
BRECKENRIDGE – The Pontiac Municipal Council held its regular monthly meeting
on May 13 at the Breckenridge community centre.
All council members were present except Chantal Allen (District 5).
New election reserve fund
In accordance with Bill 49, which requires municipalities to create a reserve fund to
finance election-related expenses, council adopted a draft bylaw to establish such a fund.
Council stated that it is “in the municipality’s interest to create this fund for the benefit
of the entire territory.”
The reserve amount will be at least equal to the cost of the most expensive of the 2017
or 2021 elections and will also cover related preparatory expenses, such as dividing the municipality into electoral districts.
Creating this reserve fund will spread out election costs over several years and help
avoid a major spike in expenses during an election year.
The next municipal elections in Quebec are scheduled for November 2.
Pontiac affirms bilingual status
Council adopted a new policy on the use of a language other than French.
This policy will allow the Municipality of Pontiac to use English in its operations and will replace the general directive from the Minister of the French Language, in effect since February 22, 2023, which requires municipalities to use French in an exemplary manner.
Pontiac is a bilingual municipality. According to the 2021 census, just under
50% of residents reported English as their mother tongue.
The policy will be submitted to the Minister of the French Language and must be
reviewed every five years.
New equipment for public works
To meet operational needs, the Municipality of Pontiac plans to purchase a used
mobile office trailer measuring 60 feet by 12 feet through a specialized company.
An initial budget of $16,000 had been set aside for this purchase, but following a market reassessment, the municipality will now allocate $21,000. This expense will be covered
by the unallocated surplus.
The next regular Pontiac Council meeting will be held on June 10 at the
Quyon community centre, located at 2 Ferry Road.
