New highway rest stop in Mansfield officially opened

New highway rest stop in Mansfield officially opened

A host of elected officials and bureaucrats gathered along Hwy. 148 in Mansfield on Friday morning for the official ribbon cutting of a new highway rest stop. The revamped property now features a self-cleaning bathroom, electric car charger, several picnic shelters and a map with tourism information for the entire Pontiac. It sits within view of the historic Felix-Gabriel-Marchand covered bridge and across the road from local museum Maison George Bryson.

Mansfield Mayor Sandra Armstrong explained that they decided to pursue grant funding for the project after receiving the “Village Relais” designation, making them a part of a network of designated rest stops in small municipalities across the province.

She said that they received funding from a variety of sources, including a $100,000 grant from component 2 of the FRR program through the MRC in 2022, another $90,000 from Tourisme Outaouais, as well as contributions from the Caisse Populaire, SADC Pontiac and the CREDDO. She said that the municipality’s contribution was roughly $50,000, but partially in work done towards the completion of the project.