Kayakers and swimmers enjoy a summer day at the Wakefield swimming rock last year.

Amy Creighton remembers staking out the Wakefield, Quebec swimming rock in the late 1960s; there was no staircase, no bathers and no parties. It was simply her family’s site of choice for a picnic.

It happened often, the Creightons spending a day on the rocks, watching the boom logs float past them on the Gatineau River. They would eat, swim and discuss the possibilities of building a home along the prime waterfront real estate. It never happened. [click to continue…]

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A mild winter was not the only challenge for ski hill operators when it came to snowmaking this past year. The group that represents ski hill owners across Quebec says their electrical bills are too high. They are calling on the provincial government and Hydro-Quebec to do something about it. Click to continue

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Norma Geggie wants your pennies.

Your thoughts on a penny for a palliative care facility, you’re asked? That’s what Norma Geggie is after.

The longtime Wakefield resident has placed glass mason jars around the Gatineau Hills, in a penny-collecting push for a needed facility in the region.

“What do people do with their pennies?” she said, especially now that the federal government is phasing out the small iconic coin. Click to continue

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Sara Picard gracefully dances at the La Peche figure skating show April 21. Lucy Scholey photo

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It could only have been figure skating. The Masham, Quebec arena was full April 21, as more than 350 people filled the seats (for a sold out show) to proudly watch kids and youth dance on ice at the La Peche year-end figure skating show. This year’s theme was “IPod Shuffle.” Low Down Reporter Lucy Scholey was at the event, wishing she could skate half as well as the most of the performers. For more, pick up next week’s Low Down.

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Godspeed You! Black Emperor plays the Mojave stage at Coachella Music Festival’s first weekend April 14. The band, which features Wakefield Acupuncturist Bruce Cawdron on drums, also plays the festival’s second weekend this Saturday. The band plays right before Radiohead headlines. You can live stream the festival all weekend live at www.coachella.com

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Students in Wakefield may not have to study in this building any longer, if the province give the go-ahead for a new school

The Western Quebec School Board (WQSB) is on “pins and needles,” sitting and waiting  for the province to decide if Wakefield will get a new state-of-the-art elementary school.

The land is ready, the proposals are in and if Quebec’s education ministry gives the go-ahead, parents and students would no longer need to worry about mould and asbestos problems and poor air quality any longer. [click to continue…]

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Papineau MP Justin Trudeau (red) throws a right hook at the face of Conservative Sen. Patrick Brazeau during the Fight for the Cure boxing match March 31. Photo courtesy Justin Trudeau

“You haven’t figured it out yet, have you? I win, I win, I win. It’s what I am genetically programmed to do.”

That’s what Justin Trudeau told this reporter in an interview when asked how he did in a sparring match with Wakefield boxer Randy Woods.
It could have been the son of late Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau telling the political world that he was coming and what his foes could expect.

The interview was conducted April 12. The 40-year-old Papineau MP was aksed how he would have fared in the ring with a Woods in  top fighting condition. He didn’t call  Woods a wimp, a chump or a weakling when describing his toe-to-toe sparring session with the Wakefield boxer. [click to continue…]

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Bonnie Vanasse holds up a chunk of clay she uses for her kids' art workshops.

When Bonnie Vanasse looks over her backyard, she doesn’t see just grass, trees, dirt or mud; she sees a completely open canvas.

The 23-year-old Low native uses everything from birch bark to mica to create art projects, which helps her save money on expensive art supplies.

“You don’t always have to buy materials,” said Vanasse, who only initiated her art form a year-and-a-half ago. “You can use scrap things to make whatever.” Now, the kids are starting to catch on. Click to continue

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April 18 Front Page

Wow, Wakefield, you are in for a shocker. What many of you assumed was yours is not; the iconic and popular swimming rock at the foot of the covered bridge is actually private property – and now it’s now up for sale.

In summer the small sandy beach area and large rock protruding from the Gatineau draws a dozen or two bathers. The 400 feet of shoreline that is part of the 1.5 acre lot on Wakefield Heights Road is up for grabs for anyone willing to pay the $269,000 asking price. If sold to a private buyer, it will likely mean that fences go up and there will no longer be any public river access at the bridge; that means no swimming, no chilling with friends on the rocks and it could leave bridge jumpers with nowhere to swim to after somersaulting off the big red structure.

But local real estate broker Christian Ouellet, who has the listing, is hoping that the community will mobilize fast and work together to find the $269,000 and save the spot that means so much to so many people in Wakefield. He has been working with the owner and said she is open to an offer from a group.

“Time is of the essence,” Ouellet told the Low Down, adding that if a serious buyer comes along, he will have no choice but to close the deal.

“I really do think it should stay with the village. It’s the rock of Wakefield.”

For more information or to inquire, contact Ouellet at 819-360-4068 or email him at chris@gatineauhills.com. Anybody looking to join forces and save the swimming hole can also contact Paul Lemelin, who is organizing such a group. He can be reached at 613-854-3457 or email him at paulolemelin@gmail.com. Pick up this week’s print edition to read the full version, including reaction from La Peche Mayor Robert Bussiere.

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