When Rolly Montpellier and his wife, Karen, moved from Sudbury to Plevna, in the Township of North Frontenac, two years ago, they worried about whether they would feel at home and fit in with the local residents. Their concerns were quickly allayed and they are enjoying the region’s beautiful forests, rolling meadows and the pristine lake where they built their energy-efficient cedar home. But the warm, open-hearted and neighbourly people they have met since their arrival have been the best part their experience.

Rolly was raised in a rural setting in Northern Ontario, in the Sudbury region. He lived on a farm until the time he completed university – dairy and beef cattle, large-scale potato farming, grains, etc. Living in the Sudbury area helped him understand the mining industry’s profound ecological impact, and motivated him to support the First Nations’ opposition to uranium mining in North Frontenac.

Rolly, who has two married children and two grandsons in the Ottawa area, retired four years ago from a very busy and demanding career as a school board superintendent of business. He has long been active in his community, as a school board trustee, member of two different hospital boards, and the board of a credit union. He has also participated in government study groups, and served as CFO of several provincial and federal election campaigns in the Nickel Belt riding.