Published in the Pontiac Journal on January 14, 2026.
Tashi Farmilo
MRC PONTIAC – Community-raised funds are making a tangible difference in health care across the Pontiac. In December, the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais (CISSSO) announced that more than $269,000 had been invested in four local health care sites in 2025, made possible through contributions from three community foundations.
The Pontiac Community Hospital Foundation contributed $180,200 to improvements at the hospital and its long-term care wing. Funds were used to modernize essential clinical equipment in the laboratory and sterilization unit, purchase oncology chairs and patient lifts, and enhance the atmosphere in care spaces with murals and sleeper chairs for family
members. Part of the donation also supported nursing students through the MacLachlan family bursary program, which seeks to address workforce needs with local talent.
The CLSC Pontiac Foundation followed with $52,500, funding several quality-of-life upgrades, particularly at the CHSLD Manoir Sacré-Cœur in Mansfield. Investments included bariatric beds, therapeutic mattresses, a digital scale, and a renovated hair salon.
A further $37,056 from the Centre d’accueil du Pontiac (CAP) Foundation supported fall prevention measures and comfort-based initiatives, such as therapeutic dolls and communal breakfasts. The foundation also contributed to the site’s transformation into a Maison des Aînés — a provincial model of elder care that emphasizes warmth, autonomy, and dignity in residential living.
That transformation, now complete, resulted in the creation of 12 themed areas designed to evoke familiar, homelike environments. According to the CISSS, these renovations mark a shift away from traditional institutional design, favouring spaces that reflect the needs and identities of residents.
“Behind every dollar invested is a face: a patient receiving more comfortable care, a resident living in a more human space, a user who feels welcomed and respected,”
said Nicole Boucher-Larivière, director of the Pontiac Local Services Network. “The Pontiac foundations are truly changing lives.”
Photo : A rehabilitation lift, funded by the Pontiac Community Hospital Foundation, is used by staff at the Shawville hospital to safely assist patients with mobility during recovery. (Photo: CISSSO)
