Chimney sweep, Ramoneur

Since I purchased my house in 2000 I have been using Black Cat Chimney Sweeps. They are based in Gatineau and provide excellent & reliable service at comparable rates.

(819) 450-2205  (819) 685-2049   www.blackcatchimney.ca

Two more recommended businesses

Pump services (for those with wells, sump pumps etc), and plumbing:
Services de pompe Danny's pump services, 819-647-6723, cell 819-775-8682

Réparation générale d'automobile, car repair
Garage Euro J&P, Henryk Janeczek, 819-684-3841 (rue Front, Aylmer).

Recommended businesses & services

Second edition

This is copied without changes from March 2011, at the bottom of the blog.

Thanks to those of you who have sent me recommendations for this second issue.

This is a way to encourage local businesses and activities as well as local community awareness. This list is of businesses/services based in the municipality of Pontiac that have been personally recommended by one of you (not by the business itself), but because of the rural/suburban nature of Pontiac, some based in Aylmer or Shawville (for example) may be included, if recommended.

This will be updated as material comes in, as well as information about petty crimes and vandalism in the neighborhood. If you hear of any such incidents, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can alert our neighbours. 

Each of the following recommendations comes from someone known to me personally. And each recommendation is printed verbatim, as received by me. Thus the "I" is not necessarily me! Please send me your recommendations too, so they can be added to the next issue. (En français ou en anglais). The more input we have the better the list will be. My apologies to anyone I've left out of this first attempt.

Mo molaidlaw@videotron.ca

Bird observation and Nature protection: Club des ornithologues de l'Outaouais, C.P. 1419, Succ. Hull, Gatineau, Québec - J8x 3Y1 courriel: Info@coo.qc.ca Site web: www.coo.qc.ca

"A comment: We have an almost identical facility in Champlain Park and Area through an undisclosed web exchange that we call the Forum. It has run for a couple of years now. It has worked very well indeed not only for recommended businesses but also exchanges on local problems such as drainage, tree removal, septic tank and well issues and a neighbourhood watch and policing during periods of break and enters, marauding bears, deer, coyotes, and loose dogs. Bad or poor experiences with businesses are also included but can be tricky unless done gently.

The main problem has been stopping individuals and businesses from promoting their own stuff.

Both languages are used, with a higher proportion of French."

Neighbourhood watch:

Ideas for anti-burglary tips:

Ask a neighbour to remove newspaper (Citizen, Le Droit etc...) if you're not home. You can also ask the paper to stop delivery for a few days when you're away.

Have interior/exterior lights on a timer. Some timers can be programmed up to 4 times per day. Suggestion. Have your exterior lights on two different times during the night, i.e. 9-11pm & 2:30-4:30am

During the winter, make sure your driveway is cleared of snow. In the summer, make sure your grass is cut on a regular basis. Thieves will notice that there's no one around if your grass hasn't been cut for 2 or so weeks. Hire a student to cut the grass while you're away.

There were some robberies of building materials (door, window, tools) from isolated building sites in Breckenridge In November. Be warned.

Recommendations

Maison de la famille Quyon Family Centre, 1074 rue Clarendon, Quyon, 819-458-2808

lundi au jeudi, Monday to Thursday, 0830 - 12:00 & 13:00 - 16:30.

Nancy Provost, provost.nancy_mfdquyon@bellnet.ca:

- atelier de jeux, playgroups

- support parental, parental support

- comptoir vestimentaire, clothing counter

- distribution d'habits de neige, snowsuit fund

- clinique d'impôt, income tax clinic

- rencontre mensuelle d'artisanat (la soirée des femmes), women's night - monthly craft project

- cours de gardiens d'enfants pour les jeunes de 6e année et plus, babysitting course for grade 6 and up

- programme retour en classe, back to school program

- cuisines collectives, collective kitchens

- service de photocopies, photocopying

- service de télécopies, fax

Daycare, Garderie:

Centre de la petite enfance l'Univers des bambinos, 1955 ch de la Montagene, 819-455-9697

Building trades:

General Contractor, renovation, Novoclimat - Jude Gervais, Judand Ltée, 819-455-2525, 819-213-2529 (mobile)

Painting and small home repairs - Greg Leach, 819-684-1892, 819-661-6897 (mobile)

Mason, stonework, pointing - Johnny Leach (contact through Greg Leach). The Leach brothers are from Quyon.

Electrical work

- JC Nadon, 819-684-1129

- Jim Desormeaux, 819-213-3942

Plumbing - Dominic, 819-213-3232

Cement flooring (finishing, staining) - Jeff Kesterton, 613-978-8787 (mobile). He can make a cement floor look as if it's tiled, marble, or just coloured and sealed.

Architect - Hélène Tremblay Allen, 819-685-1230, tremblay.arch@videotron.ca. From plans up, she will take your wishes into account to let you build your dream house.

Furnace and air-conditioning - 819 455-9181 (Pierre Alary)

Spray insulation: Inso-tec, 819-647-5022

Other building trades:

House painter

Roofing

Drywall, plastering

House and garden maintenance etc:

Picture framing - Espace 33, 33 rue Principale, Aylmer

Alain Lauzon in Quyon (819) 455-9293 does interlock walkways/driveways/retaining walls and patios. He will also do all the landscaping, including planting trees, shrubs and perenniels. He puts a lot of emphasis on proper drainage and sound structures so that there won't be problems later on. But he also pays attention to esthetics so that the final result is very attractive.

Machine rental, garden tools, repairs - Aylmer Service Centre, 819 685-5005

Lawn tractors, chain saws, etc sales and service - Yvon Robert et fils, 819-455-2497 (Mountain road/ ch de la Montagne near hwy 148 junction).

Firewood - Stephen Olmsted, 819-684-2214

Water softener, sales and repairs - Lu Marion, 819-684-6166

Snow plowing, excavation:

- Gilles Proulx, 613-858-4717 (mobile), 819-682-3301 (home)

- BreckenRidge contracting, Rick Knox, 819-455-9725 "is highly reliable"

- Raymond Bélisle, 819455-2314

Lawncare and Landscaping:

- BreckenRidge contracting, Rick Knox, 819-455-9725

- Denis Bélisle, 819-455-2439

- Sacha Gagné, 819-332-1047

Service d'appareils ménagers, Appliances, such as dishwashers - Appliance repair, Gilbert Joly, 819 682-2567

A good friend of ours, Frank Caron has a business cleaning air ducts.He is the owner/operator of his business, very conscientious, andknows his business. His prices are very fair and his quality is excellent. He does not push his business on anyone. I know you will be very pleased with his work.
Frank Caron, Air-Pure Systems, 819-685-9994

House cleaner - DIANE 819 458-2736

Car repairs and maintenance:

Mechanic automobile repair: General repairs with mobile service, body work, undercoating and repaint: Peter Balderson, 165, Maple Lane, Breckenridge (819) 682-8695.

Bodyshop:

- Luke, 819-455-9428

- Towing Aylmer, 819-684-4251

Oil change - M&M (Hwy 148 at Maple)

Welding, Bill Twolan, 819-455-9423

New and used car sales and service: - Vladimir Tolstoy lives in Pontiac, owns the Kia dealership on McConnell (Aylmer), and Lallier Honda in Hull.

Other categories:

Propane - Dépanneur Eardley, 819-684-0911

Vétérinaire, Veterinarian:

- horses, cows, Dr Étienne Palerme, 819-210-7210

- cats, dogs, Dr Suzanne Michaud, 819-684-1188, Hôpital vétérinaire Eardley, 30 ch Eardley.

Video rentals - Dépanneur Eardley, 819-684-0911

High speed internet:

- Cliff Bellis, Pioneer Wireless, 819-455-1100, pioneerwireless@me.com

- Geoff Garceau, Northwind Wireless, 819-455-9354

Local produce: Potager Eardley, 819-684-0273

Lavender, soaps, creams, wine - Joanne Labadie, jlabadie@lavenderridge.ca, 1983 route 148, tel 819-455-2544.

Honey, Sempels, 613-720-3267 (mobile)

Farm produce - Garry & Charleen Overton, 819-827-1714, Kelly Rd, Aylmer

Tree nursery:

- Jochen Braun, 819-455-1045, 613-222-4893 (mobile)

- 819 455-9171 (Alexis Latrémouille), 1892 ch de la Montagne

Hairdresser for both women and men - Hélène Bélisle, 819-455-2310, Salon Chez-Hélène at 1992 route 148, (near Hôtel-de-Ville) (Thursday, Friday, Saturday only).

Artists:

- Marcio Melo, art@marciomelo.com

- Linda Baril, 819-455-9351

Black-oil sunflower seed for birds, M & R feeds, Shawville (formerly in Quyon), 819 647-2814. They deliver free.

Bread/pastries, Boulangerie/patisserie - Pontiac Home Bakery:, 315 Bristol Street, Shawville, QC, J0X 2Y0

Phone: 819.647.2575 Tues - Fri: 6:00 am - 5:00 pm Sat: 6:00 am - 3:00 pm

Lunches etc - Toujours frais, toujours fait maison. Café 349, 349 Main Shawville, 819-647-6424 Open Mon - Wed 8 - 4, Thursday to Saturday 8 - 8.www.cafe349.com

Notary - 819 771-3231 (Hull) or 819 647-6300 (Shawville) Me Mireille Alary

Furniture maker:

 - 819 455-9137 (Georges Labrosse)

 - 819 455-9459 (Richard Blais)

For music entertainment: Venturing Hills, 819-455-2574 (ask for Deborah Bradley)

For a good restaurant and hotel service : The Pine Lodge in Bristol ... where we did organise a couple of conference these last past years.

For bed and breakfeast: Au Gîte du Vieux Moulin à Bryson (Danielle Bélec, 819-648-5422)

Other suggested categories - send me your recommendations for the next issue:

Hardwood floor refinishing

Computer repairs

Chimney sweep

Window cleaning

Upholsterer

Lawyer

Dentist

Locksmith

Watch repair

Books

Mover

It would be interesting to have a list of students for occasional farm work.