Pierre St-Cyr
Published online December 3, 2025, at www.pontiacjournal.com.
FORT-COULONGE – About a dozen elected officials and residents from Mansfield and Fort-Coulonge responded to the call of the Outaouais Development Observatory (ODO) from the University of Québec in Outaouais (UQO) on November 25, offering their views on the current state and future of their communities.
Held at the Fort-Coulonge Golden Age Club, the public consultation gave participants the opportunity to complete a survey, review key socio-economic indicators for the region and discuss a range of issues affecting the present and future of Pontiac.
This is the first time since 2011 that the ODO has undertaken such an exercise. The final report, expected in fall 2026, will present a qualitative portrait not only of Pontiac, but also of all 115 communities in the Outaouais.
“Meetings like the one we’re holding tonight in Fort-Coulonge allow us to gather information that will help regional decision-makers make choices to support local development,” said Richard Sévigny, a research officer with the ODO. He noted that the ultimate goal of the consultation process is to support long-term poverty reduction in the region.
After completing the ODO survey, participants heard a short presentation on the overall health and vitality of their municipalities.
None of the statistics presented came as a surprise. Whether in terms of life expectancy, education levels, rates of crimes against the person, wages or the condition of the housing stock, all indicators are in the red compared with the rest of Pontiac and the Outaouais.
Despite this challenging picture, participants avoided dwelling on discouraging aspects. Instead, they emphasized the strengths of life in Pontiac. Julie Martin highlighted the pride, resilience and resourcefulness of a population that, she said, “is used to doing more with less, organizing independently and rolling up its sleeves in the face of adversity.”
Others pointed to the region’s potential — in agriculture, recreation and tourism, and post-secondary education.
Several participants also noted that progress takes time to materialize in Pontiac. Louise Laroche expressed her frustration: “I left the region in 1976 to work in Toronto. Having returned a few years ago, I realize the job market has hardly improved.”
Overall, the consultation showed that the heart of Pontiac still beats strongly — but that there is room for improvement. The ODO will continue its work in early 2026 with additional consultations scheduled for Shawville on January 21, Campbell’s Bay on January 22, and Otter Lake on February 11.
Photo – Participants listen as Richard Sévigny, a research officer with the Outaouais Development Observatory, leads the public consultation in Fort-Coulonge. (PSC)
