On Friday (May 19), regional health authority Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais (CISSSO) held a press conference announcing the expansion of the Pontiac Hospital's oncology unit.

The expanded room now allows for the addition of two more chairs for a potential total of nine, which was made possible through an investment of nearly $30,000 by the Pontiac Community Hospital Foundation, a charitable group that fundraises for hospital improvements. The renovations included knocking out a wall, putting down a new floor and painting the unit. The press conference started off with Dr. Tom O'Neill and Foundation President Richard Grimard highlighting the work that the group has done over the years, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for a number of causes like the hospital's first CT scanner and the dialysis unit.

Foundation member Allan Dean explained that they were currently fundraising to cover the cost of replacing the unit's specialized treatment chairs, which come at a cost of about $3,000 per chair.

Linda Kenopic, a long-time nurse at the hospital with 20 years spent in oncology was grateful for the expansion as the previous space had been "cramped". She also explained why the specialized chairs are so important for cancer patients.