More than $269,000 was invested in December 2025 in Pontiac health care facilities, with funds from three local foundations supporting new equipment, facility upgrades, and resident-focused improvements across four sites. The improvements include a mural in long-term care, a rehabilitation lift at the hospital, oncology treatment chairs, a mural at the CHSLD Centre d’accueil du Pontiac, and the newly styled hair salon at the Manoir Sacré-Cœur. Photo: Courtesy
Foundations fuel over $269K in care upgrades across Pontiac
Tashi Farmilo
A major infusion of community-raised funding is reshaping the experience of health care in the Pontiac. In December, the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) de l’Outaouais confirmed that more than $269,000 had been invested across four health care sites in the region over the course of 2025, thanks to the contributions of three local foundations.
The Pontiac Community Hospital Foundation led the effort, contributing $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, reinforcing the region’s efforts 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 stylishly renovated hair salon — a rare but welcome feature in institutional care settings.
A further $37,056 from the Centre d’accueil du Pontiac 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 RLS. “The Pontiac foundations are truly changing lives here at home. We owe them a great deal.”
