We all saw it. A red Massey Ferguson tractor, parked in front of a café, tavern, chip stand, or slowly traveling along a country road between villages. From St-Eugène to Vankleek Hill, Fournier, and Chute-à-Blondeau, Pierre Cusson was often on the road, and in all kinds of weather.
Cusson, 59, tragically died on Monday, September 7 as the result of a motor vehicle collision. According to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), at approximately 8:50 p.m. on September 7, officers responded to reports of a collision on Highway 34 near Ridge Road. Initial investigation indicates that a vehicle collided into the rear of a trailer being towed by the tractor driven by Cusson.
As a result of the collision, Cusson, despite lifesaving measures, was later pronounced deceased.
The other vehicle driver was transported to the local hospital as precautionary measures.
Champlain Fire Services, Prescott & Russell Paramedic Services, and an OPP Technical Collision Investigator and Reconstructionist assisted with the collision. Highway 34 was closed between Ridge Road and Highway 417 for several hours.
A resident of East Hawkesbury, Cusson was unable to drive a regular automobile, but he did not let that stop him from travelling around and enjoying life. He travelled by tractor instead. On Sunday, September 6, he was seen walking on Main Street in Vankleek Hill during the Festival of Flavours. On August 29, he was seen following County Road 10 on his tractor and then arrived at the Riceville Fair. He covered a lot of distance at 30 miles per hour.
Cusson was a regular visitor at places like La Patate du coin in St-Eugène, The Broken Kettle and The Windsor Tavern in Vankleek Hill, the Vankleek Hill Livestock Exchange restaurant, and CàB Café in Chute-à-Blondeau. He would always say hello and strike up a conversation with other customers and employees. Cusson was also a regular fixture—both as a spectator and tractor pull participant at Antique Days in Sainte-Anne de Prescott.
“We are all so heartbroken here. I hope he knew how much people cared about him,” said Élisabeth Arbaud, owner of CàB Café in Chute-à-Blondeau.
Since Cusson frequently travelled by tractor along County Road 10 east of Vankleek Hill, he helped with plowing the land used for community garden plots on Thaila Riden’s Grand Barn property.
Social media pages, including for CàB Café and the Vankleek Hill Livestock Exchange, have been full of tributes to Cusson and comments by area residents who remember him fondly. A recurring theme in them is Cusson’s thoughtfulness and friendly conversation.
It seemed like Pierre Cusson was someone in our community who would always be with us. He was a prominent citizen who contributed to our social fabric, not through money or politics, but through his presence and character. Citizens across the area also deserve credit for visiting with him like a friend and neighbour and welcoming him into their places of business. Many people showed empathy to Cusson for his wellbeing. His sudden, tragic death leaves a void in our community, but also memories of someone who was a part of our local social milieu.
