The LowDown to Hull & Back News

WE DID IT! Cascades Club members celebrate their $90,000 win Jan. 25. The non-profit social and athletic organization was among 12 winners in the Aviva Community Fund competition, which awards funding to select community-oriented projects. Chelsea's club will use the grant to lease land from Hydro-Quebec and build an equipment shed. Lucy Scholey photo

You could say 2011 was a year of firsts for the Cascades Club. The club sent its record-high number of paddlers to the nationals, won their first medals at that level and played host to their first regatta on their home base.

Here’s another first to top all that, announced on Jan. 25. Cascades members landed on the podium in a funding competition that secured $90,000 for the little Chelsea paddling facility on the Gatineau River.

The non-profit social and athletic organization competed in the Aviva Community Fund, a contest that awards community-oriented projects with financial boosts. Cascades was among the 12 winners in the cross-Canada competition. [click to continue…]

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Tina Trineer won't forget to lock her car doors again after she received a $52 fine for not doing so at the Wakefield hospital

When Tina Trineer went to the Wakefield, Quebec hospital in early January, she didn’t even think about locking the doors in her vehicle. There was absolutely nothing of value in the car, which she describes as an old run-down beater.

But when the Wakefield resident opened her mail a week later to find notification of a $52 fine for not locking her vehicle doors, she was shocked.

“No thief in the right mind would steal my car or anything in it,” said Trineer.

She said the ticket has pushed her over the edge of her finances and she’s now forced to sell the car to pay the ticket, among other things.

“It’s another way for cops to harass us,” she said. [click to continue…]

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Nicolas Bisaillon

A former university football star touched down in a Hull jail after fighting with police officers, urinating on the Wakefield police station floor and then clogging the toilet in the  jail cell after his arrest for driving while impaired. The Laval Rouge et Or player also refused to provide a breath sample.

Nicolas Bisaillon, a 29-year-old native of La Tuque, Que., was stopped on Hwy 307 in Cantley, near Mont Cascades Road, at around 4:30 a.m. Jan. 28, and gave the MRC des Collines police a hard time when they tried to handcuff him.

The officers pepper-sprayed Bisaillon and waited for backup. When reinforcements arrived, the ex-grid star continued to resist arrest. [click to continue…]

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MRC cops seek white French male 18-25 year’s-old suspect

Regional police were on the lookout for a man, armed with a brass-knuckle knife, who robbed two Cantley convenience stores Jan. 30.

The first robbery took place at the Petro Canada station, at 890 ch. Montee de la Source, at 9:35 p.m. The robber then headed south and hit Depanneur 307, located at 188 ch. Montee de la Source. Click to continue

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Despite burning issues within the Chelsea fire department that led to several sackings and retirements, the smoke has cleared long enough for the chief to win a prestigious award.

Andre Hamelin was presented with the Governor General’s Fire Services Exemplary Medal at the volunteer organization’s annual Christmas dinner Jan. 20. The award recognizes his 20 years with the department. Click to continue

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Melanie Pulla is selling her Wakefield natural foods store La Foret for about $60,000

Melanie Pulla has 30 days to sell her Wakefield, Quebec natural foods store – or else close the doors for good.

Pulla really wants La Foret Natural Foods to continue its existence in the Heart of the Village building on Wakefield’s main drag where it was born two years ago, but running a business with a six-month-old baby is just too much for the 34-year-old new mother.

“I don’t want to take any more time away from Tavio,” said Pulla, referring to her son.   “I’m struggling to give the shop the time and energy it needs.” [click to continue…]

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Buck 65, A.K.A Rich Terfry, played two completely sold out shows at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, Quebec Jan. 28-29. His second matinee show had kids out in numbers, all of whom were dancing up a storm on stage with the Nova Scotia rapper himself. Video by Trevor Greenway of the Low Down.

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Elizabeth Gorka rips down the back of the snow dragon on a crazy carpet. Trevor Greenway photo

Click here for more photos of the event

More than 500 people rode through the Wakefield Community Centre grounds Jan. 27-28 to take in this year’s Dragonfest events. The kids were never left with nothing to do, as most took in storytime, winter bowling, tobogganing down the enormous snow dragon. Pick up this week’s Low Down to read more or click here to see more photos

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Masham, Quebec rapper Willy D drops his hot new single Ain’t Good Enough. The video is part of the Low Down’s latest installments of Video Fridays on LDTV.

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