The Gaspé Spec

Water and sewer project finally settled in Gascons

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / January 15, 2025 / gascons, muncipal, nelson sergerie, sewage, water

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

PORT-DANIEL-GASCONS: – After being on the table for two decades, the water and sewer project in the Gascons district of Port-Daniel-Gascons has finally received authorization from Quebec to begin the tendering process for the work.

“This is my fourth term as mayor of the municipality. In other words, I have been working on the water and sewer files in the Gascons sector for 16 years. As soon as the holidays are over, we will launch the tendering process,” says Mayor Henri Grenier.

In the long term, 100% of the population will be served by the water system and 75% will be served by the sewer network.

It was an obstacle course since finding the water to supply the water system was complicated. “Every time we did tests, it was never conclusive enough,” says the elected official.

In 2009, a water source was found, but further studies in 2014 revealed that it could not provide sufficient water.

The municipality has invested several million dollars into water research.

The mayor would have liked to extend the Port-Daniel water system, but the government of Quebec preferred Chandler, namely the Newport district, due to lower costs.

A first memorandum of understanding was concluded in 2018 for the work to be carried out, but costs have since skyrocketed.

“The pandemic hit and the cost of living increased. The price of materials doubled. We had to make new government representations to get the project accepted. We were listened to and our provincial MNA (Member of the National Assembly) worked hard on the file,” emphasizes Mr. Grenier.

In total, the Quebec government will subsidize 95% of the water supply, regardless of the bill, and a fixed portion of the sewers network costs, which could represent 85% of a $40 million project.

The call for tenders will be launched in January. The opening of proposals will take place in late February or early March. The mayor hopes construction will begin next summer, with the work expected to last two years.

Of the 170 easements required, 60 have been completed. “Things are going very well. People are cooperating. 80% of people consume non-potable water. It was a public health issue and it was a big point in the file,” notes the mayor.

Once the work is done, the sector could experience potential for residential development.

“In Port-Daniel, there is a water supply and sewer network, but construction is limited. In Gascons, with the water and sewer service, it’s a good service to have when in the summer, there was a water shortage,” says the mayor.

Mr. Grenier does not want to make it a political legacy. “I will remain humble, but I can tell you one thing: I worked hard. I believed in it. Perseverance pays off. I am very happy to have concluded this file for the people of Gascons,” says the mayor.

He plans to seek a fifth term to oversee construction. “I want to see it through to the end,” concludes the mayor.

Water and sewer project finally settled in Gascons Read More »

Gaspé Peninsula CISSS needs to reduce 160,000 working hours

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / January 15, 2025 / cisss, gaspe peninsula, Health cuts, nelson sergerie, sante quebec

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre (CISSS) is considering how to respond to the request to reduce hours worked by 3% in order to make up for part of Santé Québec’s shortfall.

The organization calculates that this request represents 160,000 working hours, equivalent to 100 full-time positions.

However, for the current year, the use of independent labour to maintain services alone represents 400,000 working hours and costs between $25 million and $30 million.

In an email, the CISSS indicated that it is continuing its review of how to reorganize services to reduce hours worked, with the intention to prioritize a reduction in independent labour.

This could ultimately result in a reduction in hours worked, without reducing the number of positions as is happening in other regions of Quebec.

The review also involves maintaining a sufficient number of employees to provide services.

Among other measures, a moratorium is underway on the posting of administrative positions which will lead to a reduction in hours worked.

In addition, discussions are held every week with Santé Québec on the evolution of the financial situation and on the directions to take.

The Gaspé Peninsula CISSS must recover $40 million by March 31 to meet the budgetary restraints requested by Quebec, which is the equivalent of a month and a half of activities.

The President and CEO of the Gaspé Peninsula CISSS, Martin Pelletier, has already indicated that it was impossible to achieve this objective in the short time frame set out by the Quebec government.

“I’ll tell you right away. It won’t be $40 million. It will be what we are able to do. Forty million dollars in five months would take drastic measures. We will not do that,” the leader said at the organization’s last board meeting at the end of November.

Gaspé Peninsula CISSS needs to reduce 160,000 working hours Read More »

Obstetrics in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts: A situation that could happen elsewhere in the Gaspé

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / January 15, 2025 / cisss, labour shortage, nelson sergerie, nurses, saint anne des monts

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

SAINTE-ANNE-DES-MONTS – A disagreement between the Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre (CISSS) and two independent labour nurses has led to service disruptions and shortages in the obstetrics department of the Sainte-Anne-des-Monts hospital since December 22.

Two experienced nurses, who requested anonymity for fear of backlash, had been working at the Sainte-Anne-des-Monts hospital for two years through their respective agencies.

The CISSS provided $120 per night to cover the costs of their accommodation. The presence of the two nurses kept the obstetrics service running. However, one nurse renting an AirBnB-type home revealed that her accommodation fees had not been paid since September 5, without having been notified of the situation.

The nurses had been staying at the same residence since December 2022. Their accommodations were cancelled and the CISSS wanted to relocate them to an apartment, one where they wouldn’t be permitted pets or their spouses to stay with them, and they’d be sharing an apartment, similar to mining sector workers.

One nurse expressed dissatisfaction with the arrangement, stating that she did not want to live in a community “…like when I was in CEGEP.”

Moreover, the CISSS adopted such a policy last fall in order to reduce costs, which reach nearly half a million dollars per month to house independent workers.

“There is something other than the situation mentioned,” says Yannick Sauvé, the director of procurement and logistics for the Gaspé Peninsula CISSS, who remains cautious given the confidentiality of workers’ files.

“We do not take any decisions lightly. In this case, following an administrative investigation, we decided not to go ahead with what they were asking. We will take legal action to recover the overpaid amounts,” says Mr. Sauvé.

The internal investigation had shown irregularities, without revealing specific details since the dispute could ultimately end up in court.

“Yes, accommodation is changing. These are specific cases. To act as we are, we had judged that there was a major problem. It is not related to the accommodation policy. It is really a specific case related to these people,” he says, adding that exceptional measures could have been applied given the situation in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. Mr. Sauvé points out that full-time positions are open to join the team.

“They chose to remain independent workers where the advantage is that we pay the entire rent. We have people who come to work here to cover all the costs. It’s a question of fairness,” says the manager.

The Quebec government has granted a deadline until October 2026 to free the Gaspé network from independent workers.

In addition to this particular situation in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, the Gaspé Peninsula CISSS indicated that it was using 400,000 hours of work by independent workers to ensure continuity of care.

A situation similar to that experienced in Haute-Gaspésie could arise in other establishments in the Gaspé Peninsula.

“We are not here to put spokes in the wheels, but we have to think that it is $500,000 per month that we will save if we have our people full-time. $500,000 per month is care for the population. We do not do this lightly. We do it on a case-by-case basis because we do not want to cut off access to care,” says Mr. Sauvé.

When questioned, Gaspé Member of the National Assembly Stéphane Sainte-Croix preferred not to comment on this specific case.

However, he remains concerned about the eight service disruptions or interruptions in 2024. “I am very concerned. We are never reassured in front of our citizens during a service disruption. There is a particular situation for the repetition of service disruptions. We must question ourselves. We will try to understand the situation and address it to find a way out,” says Mr. Sainte-Croix. The obstetrics department in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts relies entirely on independent labour to remain operational, requiring six nurses to ensure optimal service.

Obstetrics in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts: A situation that could happen elsewhere in the Gaspé Read More »

CAQ MNAs defend Quebec’s budget cuts

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / January 15, 2025 / budget cuts, cisss, gaspe peninsula, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Gaspé Peninsula’s Coalition Avenir Québec Members of the National Assembly are defending the budget cuts requested by the Quebec government in a mission to reduce the province’s deficit of $11 billion.

The topic was debated in their report on the fall parliamentary session in Quebec City.

The Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre was asked to reduce its budget by $40 million, while the School Service Centres received a request for an overall reduction of $200 million, in addition to the one concerning capital expenditures earlier this year.

The Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for Bonaventure, Catherine Blouin, notes that the budgetary situation dictates the decision. “We have a difficult budgetary situation. At some point, we have no choice but to do a rigorous exercise and say, no more cost overruns. We ask you to respect your budget,” she mentions in a review interview.

Her colleague from Gaspé echoes the same sentiment. “There is no cut necessarily, but a request for respect and rigour. We hope that we will get there and good collaboration between stakeholders is necessary to get there,” adds Stéphane Sainte-Croix.

The Bonaventure MNA mentions that the project to rebuild the emergency room and intensive care department at Maria Hospital is a path full of obstacles, but the file remains her priority for next year.

She notes, in the last session, the $50 million invested on Highway 132, the $25 million on the Petit Pabos River bridge in Chandler, the $30 million on the English school in New Carlisle, and investments at the Bioparc. The MNA wanted to highlight the four medals awarded to four students from the Antoine-Bernard school in Carleton-sur-Mer after winning a culinary competition in Paris in July.

“Young people in our riding are even more interested in cooking and food autonomy, in developing skills. I wanted to recognize that,” says Ms. Blouin.

The Gaspé MNA wanted to highlight the work done by Jean Lapointe, who has been fighting for a decade for the establishment of hemodialysis services in the Gaspé Peninsula, who gave him a petition with 10,000 names this fall to demand a nephrologist in the Gaspé Peninsula.

“The Commission (of Health and Social Services) will take up this at the beginning of the winter 2025 session. We will pay particular attention to the rest of the work. I am very happy to have carried out this project,” says Mr. Sainte-Croix.

Among other issues, the tightening of admissions of foreign students should not have an impact on the Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles. According to Mr. Saint-Croix, the measure mainly targets urban institutions.

In fisheries, the sector is not in its first crisis, but the recent aid to equip fishermen for the redfish fishery is a positive step forward.

In wind power, with the recent challenges at LM Wind Power in Gaspé, the MNA is aware of the situation.

Compliance with international trade agreements will dictate the path forward, but he remains convinced that the industry can benefit from it.

CAQ MNAs defend Quebec’s budget cuts Read More »

Protestors push for EI reform

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / January 8, 2025 / chandler, EI, employment insurance, nelson sergerie, reform, seasonal workers

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

CHANDLER – In a symbolic gesture, approximately 25 protesters braved the freezing rain and dropped off a Christmas tree decorated with black holes at the Service Canada office in Chandler on December 17 to denounce the persistent problems with the Employment Insurance program.

This was another gesture by the Mouvement action chômage Pabok as part of an awareness week by the Interprovincial Alliance that was being held throughout Eastern Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

“Nothing has been resolved. We’re doing this because we hope it can be resolved. We’re hoping for measures that will extend the Employment Insurance pilot project from five to 15 weeks,” explains the Movement’s coordinator, Nadia Mongeon.

The arrival of Ginette Petitpas-Taylor as minister responsible for the plan and Member of Parliament for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe (New Brunswick), who is familiar with the issue of seasonal work, raised hope for the unemployed.

However, with the possibility of a federal election as early as this spring, this hope could be short-lived. “We must not give up. We must force the parties to commit to Employment Insurance,” says Ms. Mongeon, who fears the election of a Conservative government. “I think it will be quite difficult to move a reform or measures to ease Employment Insurance. There is no gain in fact,” she says.

The relatively low unemployment rate in the Gaspé Peninsula will result in a long black hole this winter. “We are going to have a lot of people who will find themselves in the black hole. It is not only in the fishing sector. It is also in tourism. There are many who tell us that they will finish their benefits in February. It is a long time from February to June. It’s a black hole that’s getting bigger every year,” says Ms. Mongeon.

The Liberals have repeatedly promised reform since 2015, holding various consultations that have amounted to nothing. “The Liberals have taken certain measures but mostly lightened some of Stephen Harper’s Conservative government’s measures. Apart from the five-week pilot project, the Liberals haven’t done anything very interesting. Apart from increasing health insurance to 26 weeks, but that hasn’t solved the black hole and the number of hours for accessibility,” she says.

The fight will continue in the coming months. “We’re going to keep protesting. If we give up, it’s like telling the Conservatives – if they’re the ones who come in – that they can do whatever they want… We have no choice,” explains the coordinator.

For the Pabok Unemployment Action Movement and the Interprovincial Alliance, the calculation that establishes the amount of benefits according to the unemployment rate in effect by region must be eliminated.

The calculation must be replaced by the adoption of a universal standard of 420 hours of work or 12 weeks of 15 hours. In addition, the rate should be 70% on the 12 best weeks, for a duration of 35 weeks.

They are also asking for an additional 15 weeks of protection for workers in the seasonal industry, as long as the minimum floor of 35 weeks is not established.

Protestors push for EI reform Read More »

CLSC EMERGEnCY DEPARTMENTS: A reassuring meeting for elected officials

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / January 8, 2025 / cisss, cuts, Emergency Room, Grande-Vallée, murdochville, nelson sergerie, paspebiac

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GRANDE-VALLÉE – The mayor of Grande-Vallée came away from a meeting with the president and CEO of the Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre is somewhat relieved regarding the fate of the CLSC emergency department in his town.

Noël Richard had the opportunity to discuss the situation of the CLSC in his town with Martin Pelletier on December 11. “We met with Mr. Pelletier and asked him directly what this restructuring meant for us, in the Estran sector. We were very reassured. There is no question of a service disruption at our emergency department 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” says Mayor Richard.

Even though measures were taken, the mayor was assured that the service would remain. “Our population will continue to have the services. This is very good news,” continued Mr. Richard.

A communication channel was established after the mayor learned of ongoing discussions about how services might be delivered. The emergency room in Grande-Vallée serves the population between Sainte-Anne-des-Monts and Gaspé. From Grande-Vallée, the closest hospitals are 100 kilometres away.

“At the CISSS level, they are aware of this. If different options were available, we asked to work in collaboration with them,” says the mayor.

This clarification made to elected officials follows a hypothesis launched by Mr. Pelletier following the Integrated Health and Social Services (CISSS) board of directors meeting of November 28 in the wake of the requested budgetary adjustments of $40 million to fit into the budget allocated by the Quebec government.

The CEO had clearly stated that he was not considering reviewing the 24/7 emergency services in Grande-Vallée, Paspébiac and Murdochville.

Instead, he had mentioned as a possible solution the use of nursing assistants attached to teleconsultation nurses to provide care. The mayor of Grande-Vallée had stated that if a nurse had to leave by ambulance for Gaspé, this would be equivalent to a breakdown in service.

The prefect of the MRC de la Côte-de-Gaspé also attended the meeting. “It’s good news that there are no cuts in small emergencies and services to the population,” says Daniel Côté, who is also mayor of Gaspé.

However, the Mr. Côté expressed disappointment over delayed infrastructure projects, such as the birthing room at the Maison de la famille Parenfant in Gaspé.

“If the CISSS’s share is not there, the project must be postponed. It’s really a shame to see these projects from the community being postponed. There are other infrastructure projects directly in the hospital environment that must be postponed. This is a big downside.

CLSC EMERGEnCY DEPARTMENTS: A reassuring meeting for elected officials Read More »

Gaspé budget increases 5.5% to $38.2M

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / January 8, 2025 / gaspe, municipal, nelson sergerie, Taxes

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – During a special meeting on December 16, the Town of Gaspé tabled a budget of $38.2 million for the 2025 fiscal year, reflecting a 5.5% increase over 2024. However, taxpayers will face an additional average burden of 2.39%.

For an average property valued at $240,100, the increase will be 2.39%, which is below the annualized inflation rate of 2.7%.

“Municipal expenses often increase faster than inflation. For example, the Sûreté du Québec bill is increasing by 3.6%, and Hydro-Québec’s by 6.1%. Bills are increasing, which explains the increase in the budget. On the other hand, the increase in the average tax bill is 2.3%, below inflation. This is a political commitment that I made 12 years ago. We are meeting the objective,” says Mr. Daniel Côté.

The total surplus is $10 million and the Town of Gaspé is drawing $1.2 million from its accumulated surplus to balance the budget.

The surplus is down by $3M. Other amounts taken from the surplus consist of $867,000 used for unexpected expenses, $1M to balance the 2024 budget, and $160,000 to replenish certain reserve funds.

“It’s still a good cushion, but a good cushion where we can’t go crazy. We have to be reasonable in our approach. Having such a cushion gives us free rein to deal with several unforeseen events,” says the mayor. The town’s overall debt is $48 million, representing a little over $2 per $100 of assessment. “Our finances are very healthy,” says the mayor.

Among the new revenues, the growth in the QST generates an additional $546,000, and compensation in lieu of Quebec taxes increased by $301,000, notably with the addition of the Maison des aînés de Rivière-au-Renard last year.

The residual materials rate will be frozen at $260.

The rate for the water supply and sewer will increase from $595 to $615 and the rate for emptying and treating septic tank sludge will increase from $175 to $200.

Housing construction continues with nearly 300 rental units since 2020, including 176 private units, 66 social or affordable units and 56 units built by the CISSS via the Maison des aînés and modular homes near the CHSLD Mgr Ross.

At the same time, 238 single-family homes or cottages have been built. The vacancy rate has increased from 0% to 1%, but there is still a long way to go to achieve a balanced market, which is considered a rate of 3% according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Several other projects are underway, including the Habitations de la Montagne, where 84 affordable units are under construction in Sandy Beach, as well as the second phase of Han-Logements for a possibility of 16 to 32 additional units in Sandy Beach as well. Other discussions are ongoing with developers, including Gestion Bourgade near Ruisseau Dean Street, near downtown, which represents the creation of an entirely new neighbourhood.

The three-year capital expenditure program includes $152 million in projects, with the largest being the Rivière-au-Renard aqueduct and sewers, estimated at $58.9 million, which has been a recurring item over several years.

“It is moving through phases. It is a fairly complicated file with the various ministries. In wastewater, several resolutions have been adopted for future aerated ponds. All that is missing are a few final studies. We have a good idea of the site. The file continues. As for drinking water, the search for groundwater is proving inconclusive. We are heading towards a water filtration plant, probably near Lac d’Amour where the current water intake is located. It takes the financial aid that comes with it to absorb that,” notes the mayor.

The other main issue is the sports complex near the C.-E. Pouliot High School, estimated at $34 million. This project initially suffered a refusal of funding from the Quebec government.

Gaspé budget increases 5.5% to $38.2M Read More »

An industrial shipbuilding cluster in the Gaspé Peninsula

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 18, 2024 / coast guard, economy, gaspe peninsula, nelson sergerie, shipbuilding

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Côte-de-Gaspé MRC dreams of establishing a regional industrial cluster dedicated to shipbuilding within the next five years. This initiative aims to capitalize on federal investments that have supported the renewal of Canada’s military and civilian vessel fleets for several years.

The MRC hopes that the region will capture a significant share of the economic benefits of the $2.5 billion that the Naval Strategy provides for the small vessel niche over the next 25 years.

“We want to position ourselves in this sector. We have a lot of companies that work directly or indirectly in the naval sector. We have four shipyards in Gaspé. We want to show that we exist and we want to create synergy,” explains the mayor of Gaspé and prefect of the MRC de la Côte-de-Gaspé, Daniel Côté.

According to him, there is much more than construction that is found in Gaspé and elsewhere in Gaspésie, mentioning as examples welding or companies that manufacture specific parts for a specific use.

The prefect mentions the cities of Sorel-Tracy or Lévis which are already very active in the naval sector and have a rich history in this sense or Saguenay has shown a keen interest in the naval sector even if there is no construction per se.

“We also want to position ourselves alongside these cities. Not in competition, in partnership. There is not one that is in the same niche. Gaspé will not compete with Davie (Shipbuilding, located in Lévis). Our infrastructures are too small. On the other hand, can we hold our own in boats under 1,000 tons? Are we able to do it with our local companies? The answer is yes, but if we don’t raise our hand, we’ll fall through the cracks in the floor,” says Mr. Côté.

With the Forillon Shipyard, Gaspé and the region are already well positioned at the federal level.

Since 2015, the Gaspé company has obtained two contracts to build ten search and rescue boats for the Coast Guard, for a total of $75 million.

A year ago, the shipyard obtained another contract from Ottawa for $55.5 million to build the first hybrid diesel-electric mid-shore fisheries research vessel for the Coast Guard.

Bringing together companies will allow the region to go further and act in a complementary manner.

“We want this positioning to be strong and a flagship that will shed light on our industry to show that we exist and that we want to be part of this great naval adventure,” he says.

While the exact share of federal opportunities for the Gaspé region is uncertain, Mr. Côte remains optimistic. “I have a lot of confidence. We are not new players. Gaspé has always been a shipbuilding platform. We built wooden ships in the 1800s. Now, we have been building metal, fibreglass and aluminum ships for years. We know that we are good. Now we need to make it known on a national scale,” says Mr. Côté.

The federal and provincial governments already funded this type of industrial cluster project in the 1990s.

Mr. Côté says that the levels of government will contribute.

“We expect to have some (government support). First, we position ourselves. We will hire a resource specific to this strategy and we will seek the funding required to keep this industrial cluster alive,” says the elected official.

The Forillon Shipyard is very open to the political project.

“It’s really about having all the trades that can grow, develop industries around Gaspé that will serve us and help shipbuilding throughout Canada. It’s good for the region and the country,” says the shipyard’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jean-David Samuel.

According to him, there is so much work to be done in the coming years.

“No one is really ready to do everything that is coming. With this cluster, these companies will help us. Right now, we do a lot internally. We are somewhat independent. What we want is to have companies that will come and help us and work with us,” says the President and CEO.

“Canada is currently having difficulty having small boats. It is a sector that is not sufficiently represented,” he says.

The Forillon shipyard is limited to 800-tonne vessels but is prepared to expand

“We want to reach 1,000 tonnes but especially to make several boats at the same time. There is new construction. We are limited to 1,000 tonnes with the federal government. We are not limited to the private sector or provincial governments. For repairs, there is enormous potential,” says Mr. Samuel.

An industrial shipbuilding cluster in the Gaspé Peninsula Read More »

Gaétan Lelièvre not impressed by PAAR 2.0

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 18, 2024 / gaspe peninsula, nelson sergerie, Transportation

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

observer for 40 years and someone who has been in charge of the Rocher-Percé and Town of Gaspé airports, Gaétan Lelièvre believes that the adjustments coming in February to the Regional Air Access Program will provide little to no benefits to passengers.

Since the first summit on air transport in February 2018, held in Lévis under the Liberal government of Philippe Couillard, the former Minister Delegate for Regions under the Marois government and Member of the National Assembly for Gaspé believes that little progress has been made.

“Absolutely not, or minimally. Ways to see progress would be to have an accessible and affordable service, which is not the case. From the moment you don’t have a service that is accessible seven days a week, reliable, at an affordable price, I don’t think there is any significant progress for the citizens of the regions,” analyzes Mr. Lelièvre.

However, he acknowledges one positive aspect, travellers no longer need to pass through Quebec City and Montreal to be eligible for the discount.

“But, in practice, there is no carrier that provides a connection between Gaspé and the Côte-Nord, Gaspé and Abitibi or Gaspé and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. Yes, we are giving access to a discount for an interregional trip without going through the metropolis or the capital, but will there be carriers that will develop these markets? That remains to be seen. That is the only element that could be positive about the announcement,” mentions Mr. Lelièvre.

“With the current carriers, it is very unlikely that we will develop these lines. We will have to consider cooperative-style formulas where the regions will be involved, where the government will support these initiatives with a view to regional development and land use and not just to make profits,” adds the regional development consultant.

He does not sense any government will to support initiatives like TREQ or the idea of a cooperative mentioned by the managers of the Mont-Joli Airport.

“There isn’t any concrete action by the government to support this type of initiative. On the contrary, when we look at the announcements, it is a step backwards in terms of service. The $500 tickets are disappearing. We are told that we will have, for example, in Gaspé a 50% discount. I looked on Pascan’s website and, at a regular price, we have a Gaspé-Montreal at $1,500 and with the 50% discount, that comes to $750 that users will have to pay, unlike the old program that offered tickets when there were availabilities at $500,” calculates the former elected official.

“What is absurd is that the minister hopes that, with these changes, ridership will increase. I cannot understand this logic, which only applies to the government. We increase prices, we do not improve the service and we think we will increase the clientele? I have rarely heard that. It is a unicorn world,” he says.

Mr. Lelièvre also mentions a study conducted by the Institute for Research in Contemporary Economics (IREC). In that study, Quebec ranked tenth (last place) for air transportation in Canada.

“New Brunswick, with its 800,000 inhabitants, is managing to hold its own. Do we like to compare ourselves with Ontario? We are not just behind Ontario, we are behind the nine Canadian provinces. This demonstrates the need to prioritize this issue. Unfortunately, this does not seem to have been the case for several years and it is not just the fault of the current government. The problem has been in place for years,” concludes Mr. Lelièvre.

Gaétan Lelièvre not impressed by PAAR 2.0 Read More »

Quebec presents Version 2.0 of the PAAR for regional air transportation

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 18, 2024 / gaspe peninsula, nelson sergerie, Transportation

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – After months of waiting, the Quebec government is finally launching its expanded, simplified version 2.0 of the Regional Air Access Program (PAAR), hoping that it will stimulate air traffic in Quebec’s regions. “We are setting the table to improve the situation for all carriers who would like to improve their offer,” says the head of air transportation for the CAQ (Coalition Avenir Québec) government and Member of the National Assembly for René-Lévesque, Yves Montigny, who travelled to Gaspé on December 10 to announce the new version with the Minister of Transport, Geneviève Guilbault.

“We want to put the best model in place to allow markets to develop and operate on their own in the long term,” adds Mr. Montigny. Among the new features, the “$500” tickets are being eliminated to make way for a discount modulated according to distance, between 50% and 85%. According to the Québec government, from Gaspé, the discount percentage will be increased from 30% to 50%.

A Gaspé-Montreal flight that cost around $915, came to $640. As of February 3, the date of implementation of the adjusted version of the PAAR, the flight will only cost $500.

Another change is that the two current programs are merged into one, and instead of having to fill out documents to recover the credits, they will be directly reflected in the cost of the ticket with the carrier. There is also no longer a limit to the number of trips for one person. Tickets will no longer be offered only to go to Quebec City or Montreal. Discounts can apply to flights between regions or intraperitoneally.

“We are creating better conditions to have more flights for all Quebec citizens, both to go from the regions to the major centres, from the major centres to the regions, but also from one region to another,” says Mr. Montigny.

Non-profit organizations and also student trips will now be eligible for version 2.0, However, business clientele will not be entitled to it, even though the Fédération des Chambres de Commerce du Québec demanded it.

“For people who travel for work, there is the whole issue of fly-in, fly-out. I don’t think it’s the government’s role to fund workers to get to work. We can’t pay for all of Quebec’s tickets. We have to draw a line somewhere,” explains the Minister of Transport.

The first version of the PAAR, which began in June 2022, was budgeted at $50 million per year. For 2024-2025, until March 31, 2027, the program is increasing to $59 million per year.

“We were given an additional $9 million each year,” comments the minister.

In addition, the program will allow people to book their tickets more than six months in advance, which is not currently possible.

According to the Quebec government, the changes made take into account not only the recommendations of the Standing Committee on Regional Air Transport, in place since winter 2023, but also the concerns of the various regional stakeholders. The president of the UMQ Air Transport Committee and mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côté, welcomes the progress made by Quebec, criticizing Ottawa for its inaction.

“In the current state of affairs, we welcome what the Quebec government is doing, unlike the federal government, which is adding new standards and new constraints that cost carriers and airport managers money, but does nothing concrete,” says Mr. Côté

Regulating regional air transport is once again mentioned, but Daniel Côté is giving the runner a chance with version 2.0 of the program.

“If demand really increases with this incentive, we will bet that supply will follow. We are stimulating demand to create additional supply. We would be on a good trend but I continue to believe that the convincing solution in the medium and long term would be to regulate the markets, but carriers are cautious, but we need them to offer the service,” continues the mayor.

In the current context, the mayor believes that if carriers generate more profits, services will improve. “What we would like is for services to be adapted to the needs of the population. Currently, when we leave Gaspé in the late afternoon and return in the morning, it does not meet our needs. We need to leave in the morning to return in the evening. If we have to sleep outside before returning, it is not profitable for the region,” believes the mayor of Gaspé.

“The federal government would be able to put a few million to do similar work to improve what Quebec is doing, but it is radio silence,” repeats the mayor.

In October, Federal Member of Parliament Diane Lebouthillier indicated that the federal government considers the organization of flights a provincial responsibility, with the federal government acting mainly in terms of security.

Quebec presents Version 2.0 of the PAAR for regional air transportation Read More »

Stéphane Sainte-Croix attentive to the $40 million in cuts requested by the CISSS

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 18, 2024 / cisss, clsc, gaspe peninsula, Health cuts, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Gaspé Member of the National Assembly (MNA) will work to ensure that Santé Québec and the Quebec government take into account the specificities of the Gaspé in the context of the $40 million budget cuts requested from the Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre.

Stéphane Sainte-Croix reacts this way to the reflection launched by the CISSS on ways to maintain the emergency services at Grande-Vallée, Murdochville and Paspébiac CLSCs 24/7.

The CISSS is analyzing the idea of replacing nurses with auxiliary nurses who would be linked to remote nurses to maintain the care offered at these establishments. Grande-Vallée Mayor Noël Richard indicated that when a nurse is mobilized in a facility transfer, this would be equivalent to a service interruption in his facility, which he describes as unthinkable in his community.

He points out that the closest hospitals are more than 100 kilometres from Grande-Vallée.

The Québec government has assured the public that the financial cuts would not result in a reduction in patient services. “The minister was clear on this. We are sensitive to the issue. Once the recommendations are known, we will take note of them and do our work to ensure that the service offer is maintained,” says Mr. Sainte-Croix.

The MNA indicated that he wanted to give the CISSS time to carry out its exercise to recover the requested amounts.

“We will work to maintain the service offer. If it requires us to review the effort in terms of rigour, we will be happy to support our CISSS, but let’s give management time to do its exercise and, from there, we can establish our scenario and the work that will come to maintain our service offering,” he says.

Mr. Sainte-Croix understands the particularities of the region, especially the distance to travel to have access to care and the fact that there is no major service hub.

“There is a question of cost behind the territory and the service offering. We dare to hope that the particularities will be recognized for the future,” mentions the MNA.

As for the specific CLSC file, Mr. Sainte-Croix is concerned. “We will remember that this is not the first time that we have had a reflection at this level. We will let the CISSS do its exercise. For the moment, we are listening. We are aware of the issues and we are very sensitive to the issue.”

Stéphane Sainte-Croix attentive to the $40 million in cuts requested by the CISSS Read More »

The Act suspending the revision of the electoral map remains valid… for now

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 18, 2024 / electoral map, gaspe peninsula, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Superior Court is not suspending the Act adopted by Quebec that put the revision of the Quebec electoral map on hold.

However, Judge Annie Breault of the Superior Court of the District of Terrebonne partially grants the interlocutory injunction requested by elected officials from the Laurentians, and Central Quebec, ordering the Commission de la représentation sur la carte électorale to continue its work.

“When you look at the first reading, you would have the impression of having lost. But, honestly, the Act that stopped the revision of the electoral map remains in force. The only thing the judgment says is that the Commission de la représentation électorale can finish its report. Period. And it (the Commission) must keep its report secret and not submit it to the National Assembly,” comments the mayor of Gaspé and spokesperson for the file for the Gaspé Peninsula Table of Prefects, Daniel Côté.

He is listed as a respondent in the request filed for the table to be an intervening party in the debate.

The elected officials of the Laurentides and Centre-du-Québec regions have filed a legal action against the Director General of Elections of Quebec and the Attorney General of Quebec to have this law revoked and for the process of revising the electoral map to resume.

On May 2, the National Assembly of Quebec, in a unanimous vote, adopted the Act to interrupt the process of delimiting electoral districts.

The group of MRCs pointed out that the electoral map on the table was then highly detrimental to the principle of effective representation, directly affecting the representation of Gaspésie in the democratic institutions of Quebec.

The group made representations before the court on November 28 to become a stakeholder in the case.

“I assume that the decision that was rendered does not add much more. We could ultimately qualify it as a kind of first victory for our region, even if upon reading the judgment, one might think otherwise. The only victory for our counterparts in the Laurentians and Central Quebec is that the Chief Electoral Officer has the right to finish his report, but must keep it to himself,” analyzes Mr. Côté, who is also a lawyer.

The court, therefore, allows the Chief Electoral Officer to complete his work and eventually file his second report as provided for in the electoral law if the court were to rule that the Act adopted in May to suspend the electoral law was invalid.

“This is how we are preserving the two Gaspésie ridings, at least for now. There will be a trial on the merits of the matter and a decision will be made in the coming weeks or months. At the same time, in the National Assembly, we continue to believe that the government is doing the work promised, that is to say, to thoroughly review the electoral law. If a new version arrives somewhere in the spring, the appeal will become unfounded,” mentions the elected official from Gaspé.

He hopes that the law will include the concept of elective representation with criteria such as geographic extent or belonging to a territory.

“If the law provides for these elements, we could achieve our ends and end the debate,” he believes.

The pressure is now on the Parliamentarians to resolve the matter quickly. Mr. Côté also adds that the elected officials unanimously resolved to review the electoral law. “If they agreed that the current electoral law should be reviewed, I dare to hope that they will agree on a new law quickly rather than letting the judiciary do the work of the legislator,” he says.

“For a region like ours that already suffers from democratic underweight, it becomes one of our priorities to have a law that will respect the Gaspé reality and that will ensure us two votes in the National Assembly rather than one,” analyzes Mr. Côté.

Could the Gaspé Peninsula or the other two regions appeal?

“The court came to split the difference. It did not say a categorical ‘yes’ to one party and a categorical ‘no’ to another party. Our colleagues wanted the process to resume. A small part can resume. For our part, we wanted the law that suspends the overhaul of the map to remain in force. For us, it is also a bit of a victory,” says the mayor.

Prosecutors and elected officials from the prefects’ table will be consulted to see if an appeal could be possible, but Mr. Côté doubts that the Gaspésie will go in this direction.

Recall that the commission suggested merging the counties of Gaspé and Bonaventure, grouping the MRCs of Côte-de-Gaspé, Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure and Avignon, to create Gaspé-Bonaventure, while Haute-Gaspésie would be transferred to the riding of Matane-Matapédia, a Lower St. Lawrence riding.

As of April 30, 2023, Bonaventure had 35,898 voters and Gaspé had 30,131, far from the minimum threshold planned. The gap was -29.2% and -40.6% respectively. Gaspé was ranked third among the least populous ridings, behind the Magdalen Islands, which has an exceptional status, and Ungava.

According to projections of the number of voters based on data from the Institut de la statistique du Québec, the gap with respect to the average for Gaspé should soon surpass that of Ungava.

In 2017, the commission maintained the negative exceptional status for Gaspé and granted the same status to Bonaventure. However, since the inequalities in representation of these ridings are increasing, the Commission did not wish to renew this status.

In addition to removing a riding in the Gaspésie, the Commission suggested doing the same thing in Montreal, while creating a riding in the Laurentians and another in Central Quebec.

The Act suspending the revision of the electoral map remains valid… for now Read More »

UPAC requests report on administrative investigation into Ghislain Pitre

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 11, 2024 / municipal, nelson sergerie, perce, upac

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC) is asking the Town of Percé to lift professional secrecy surrounding the administrative investigation that led to the dismissal of former urban planning director Ghislain Pitre.

The request, sent by UPAC on December 2 to the Town of Percé, asks for access to the report following a request for disclosure from prosecutors from the Bureau of Serious Crimes and Special Affairs of the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP).

In the resolution’s recitals, UPAC committed to using the report only for the specific purposes of the request and will keep the document confidential until criminal charges are filed, should the investigation lead to that outcome.

While the report remains protected by professional secrecy, the request aims to facilitate UPAC’s work.

On December 3, the municipal council unanimously adopted the resolution lifting professional secrecy for the investigation after consulting with Therrien, Couture, Jolicoeur, the firm mandated by the Town to investigate the allegations.

In July, the council dismissed Mr. Pitre in a special meeting by a vote of five to one following the filing of the law firm’s 340-page administrative investigation report on labour law.

The council adopted a resolution a few minutes after learning of the document ordered during his suspension with pay on October 30, 2023.

Since the case could go to court, the municipal council did not make any further comments regarding the resolution adopted to validate the dismissal.

Mr. Pitre filed a complaint with the Administrative Labour Tribunal on August 13. In response, the council adopted a resolution in September to mandate a law firm to defend the Town following the complaint.

Serious allegations against the former Director of Urban Planning led to his suspension which, in turn, prompted the administrative investigation. The cost of the investigation amounted to $131,250.

Furthermore, following a question asked by a citizen, the public learned that the council hasn’t taken any steps to recoup the compensation paid between the time of the suspension and the dismissal of the former employee.

The Director General, Michel Fréchette, mentioned at the public meeting that a reflection was underway, but since there was no trial, no decision has been made. A claim could be possible, depending on the outcome of any criminal proceedings against Mr. Pitre.

On another note, the letter asking the Minister of Municipal Affairs to intervene with the Municipal Commission in order to force a meeting between the commission, elected officials, the Town and citizens was sent to the Minister.

The mayor applied his veto at the November council meeting, which was subsequently overturned in a special session.

The Town received an acknowledgement of receipt from the Minister’s office. Citizens would like to know the content of the letter sent to the Minister. However, before doing so, the Town is checking with the Access to Information Commission to see if such a request can be accepted.

The Town has also requested a legal opinion on this issue. On October 8, Quebec Municipal Commission (CMQ) President Jean-Philippe Marois sent a letter rejecting the Town’s request to clarify certain elements to discuss the never-declared accountability.

Director Michel Fréchette stated that the report mentioned the effects of the issue, without mentioning the cause, which is what the Town was seeking to know in a request sent on October 1.

In a report released in July, the Direction des enquêtes et des poursuites en intégrité municipale (DEPIM) concluded, based on paragraph 4 of section 4 of the Act to facilitate the disclosure of wrongdoings against public bodies, that there was a serious case of mismanagement in the Town of Percé.

UPAC requests report on administrative investigation into Ghislain Pitre Read More »

Gaspé succeeds in reducing residual materials bill in non-residential areas

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 11, 2024 / Bill 96, gaspe, nelson sergerie, waste

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – A major turnaround, the Town of Gaspé has reached an agreement with Matrec to reduce the costs of residual material collection for the commercial, institutional and industrial sectors.

Twelve years ago, the Town had transferred this collection to the private sector and the contractor reached an agreement with the customers for the billing but, in September, the town council announced its intention to take it all under its wing after complaints were received at Town Hall when it was suggested that the bill was doubling, tripling or more.

A 90-day notice had been adopted by the town council for a change effective in January 2025.

A clause in the contract allowed the Town to do so. “When Matrec saw that, they were open to negotiating. As part of this negotiation, they agreed to lower the rates for merchants by 34% in addition to bringing the contractual clauses back to September 2026. They committed to freezing the rates for 2025 and increasing them to the cost of inflation in 2026,” explains the Mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côté.

“It will also give us time if we repatriate everything into a single contract,” says the mayor.

Following this negotiation, the gap between what the Town would have billed starting in January via the tax account versus the agreement reached with Matrec no longer justified Gaspé taking over the service.

“It’s difficult to calculate for each specific case, but overall, it probably would have been the same. But by going back to the same, it would have been a real headache for the Town to repatriate all that and redo the contracts. It would have been much more complicated. The result makes sense. I hope our merchants and industrialists will be happy,” says the mayor.

Bill 96

Gaspé’s municipal council has adopted a resolution requesting flexibility in Bill 96, which mandates that all municipal communications be in French.

“We don’t have the same history as Montreal and its suburbs. Here, we have always lived very harmoniously between francophones, anglophones and the Mi’gmaq community,” explains the mayor.

According to census data, the proportion of English speakers in Gaspé declined from 13% in 2016 to 11% in 2021.

“It is not in Gaspé that French is in decline. Why apply the same rule to Gaspé where English is in decline in favour of French? Why penalize our anglophone community when the problem is not here?” asks Mr. Côté.

“I hope that our reality is recognized and that we can have some form of modulation, but honestly, I have little hope for a result,” says the elected official.

If the law is not changed, Vision Gaspe Perce now has offered its services to translate communications into English. Gaspé does not have bilingual town status. In the 1940s and 1950s, half of Gaspé’s citizens were English-speaking. There are exceptions in the law for emergency measures, tourism and financial information.

Changes mentioned in minor emergencies

The mayor of Gaspé is concerned by the Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre’s reflection on the modification of the composition of the teams in the emergency departments at the Murdochville and Grande-Vallée CLSCs. On the sidelines of the organization’s board of directors meeting on November 28, President and CEO Martin Pelletier indicated that services are not being reduced, but he mentioned changes in the way care is provided, such as replacing a nurse with a nursing assistant.

“We are somewhat afraid of a service cut. These are hubs that are far from the Gaspé and Sainte-Anne-des-Monts hospitals. We are talking about an hour’s drive. A nursing assistant can do some of the work, but cannot do everything that a full-time nurse can do in terms of care,” explained Mr. Côté, who has heard concerns from specialists in the health network.

This is the third time in a decade that the fate of the 24/7 emergency services at the CLSCs in Murdochville, Grande-Vallée and Paspébiac has been in the news.

“I hope the inevitable does not happen. With all the projects on the drawing board, there should normally be an economic resurgence in Murdochville and Grande-Vallée, therefore, an increase in the population. An increase in risks related to industrial activities that will require 24/7 services in emergencies. I hope that we will think about the future and that we will not only take into account current demographic data,” notes the mayor who is also prefect of the MRC of Côte-de-Gaspé.

Work at the Town Hall

The Town of Gapé is asking the Quebec government to reduce its subsidy to its initial promise due to the additional costs incurred by the work.

Initially, the project was $4.3 million, but following the calls for tenders, the cost of the work was just over $3 million. The government assistance of 65% had been reduced accordingly.

In the meantime, an unforeseen amount of $700,000 has arisen. “This unforeseen event that no one saw coming is likely due to a design error. We are asking the ministry to assume part of this additional cost. Initially, it had budgeted $4 million for the project. We assume that it had budgeted that way,” hopes the mayor.

In the meantime, the claims process against the architectural firm to which the fault is attributed continues. “We hope to reach an agreement with the firm. Except that in any good agreement, will we get 100% of our gain? If not, we turn to the ministry so that it does its part,” notes the mayor.

Gaspé succeeds in reducing residual materials bill in non-residential areas Read More »

The Gaspé Peninsula will be heard in the legal debate on the provincial electoral map

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 11, 2024 / electoral map, gaspe peninsula, legal debate, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Gaspé Peninsula will finally be heard in the challenge of elected officials from the Laurentians and Centre-du-Québec who are seeking to cancel the law that suspends the process of reforming the electoral map.

The court accepted the request of the elected officials of the region during a hearing in Saint-Jérôme, in the Laurentians, on November 27.

“The court accepted that the Gaspésie be an integral part of the upcoming judicial start. It was the first fight that we had to give. We received 100% of what we asked for: we wanted a so-called conservative intervention. That is to say, to be able to produce evidence and hear witnesses when we get to the debate on the merits,” explains Daniel Côté, spokesperson for the electoral map file for the Table des préfets de la Gaspésie.

Mr. Côte who is also the mayor of Gaspé points out that the proposal for the new electoral map would result in the Gaspésie losing a riding.

“I have nothing against Drummondville, but the new map would give the city of Drummondville and the surrounding villages three members of the National Assembly while Gaspésie would only have one member. That’s what doesn’t make sense in the current debate,” says the mayor, who once again refers to effective representation, a principle that is not defined in the electoral law.

“That’s what the Carter decision of the Supreme Court said in 1991: it’s about something other than one voter, one vote. It is also the geographical area, the administrative boundaries, belonging to the territory, and access to the members of the National Assembly. This is the kind of thing that must be taken into account and the electoral law should be written down in black and white. I think that is what the National Assembly wanted to do by suspending the process,” Mr. Côté adds.

According to him, the judge who heard the case was a great listener and understood the issue. “In her opinion, not hearing from Gaspésie didn’t make sense. Just being heard by the court, being able to support an argument that will probably support that of the Attorney General of Quebec by providing regional insight, will give a boost to the debate,” he believes.

The hearing on the merits will likely be held next May. “This is the kind of constitutional case that could end up before the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court. It could happen that we have years of legal debate,” says the mayor.

The elected officials of the Laurentides and Centre-du-Québec were requesting, while waiting for the substantive debate, an interlocutory injunction to suspend the Act that suspended the revision of the map.

A decision could be rendered soon on the injunction or the judge will give the time when she plans to do so.

“If the judge does not grant the interlocutory injunction, we will wait a few more months before having a legal debate. This is time gained for the National Assembly to consider the revision of the Election Act,” continued the mayor.

On May 2, 2024, the National Assembly of Quebec, in a unanimous vote, adopted the Act to interrupt the process of delimitation of electoral districts.

The commission suggested merging the ridings of Gaspé and Bonaventure, bringing together the MRCs of Côte-de-Gaspé, Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure and Avignon to create Gaspé-Bonaventure, while Haute-Gaspésie would be transferred to the riding of Matane-Matapédia in the Lower St. Lawrence region.

The Gaspé Peninsula will be heard in the legal debate on the provincial electoral map Read More »

The 25% tariffs mentioned by Trump scare Gaspesian exporters

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 11, 2024 / export, gaspe peninsula, nelson sergerie, tariffs

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

States President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to impose customs tariffs on Canadian products in January raises concerns for GÎMXPORT.

Trump announced his intention to sign an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada immediately after taking office.

“When we initially talked about the 10% that was imposed, we are trying to be more competitive, to innovate, to increase our production capacity to reduce costs and we can also rely on the exchange rate that can compensate but going from 10% to 25% can really have an impact, considering that 80% of seafood products are sent to the United States,” explains the director, Gino Cyr, who believes that it is now important to look at market diversification.

GÎMXPORT participates in various trade fairs to try to create contacts.

For example, during the pandemic, crab processing companies reoriented their exports. “Our companies had set aside certain niche markets like Japan to sell the crab caught as quickly as possible because we were afraid with the (right) whales and the health measures of not transforming the supply. Today, knowing that with the 25% tariffs, consumers will decide to shift their purchases to other products; If we ensure that we are not able to get the products to the United States, we will have to make diversification efforts,” mentions Mr. Cyr. Markets were developed during crises, but once they were over, it was a sort of “return to normal”.

“What is important is to maintain our international relations and the markets in place so that our eggs are not all in one basket,” he recalls.

The 2008 crisis led the organization to look for new markets for lobster in Europe and Asia.

“The goal was to take the supply and distribute it to other markets. This helped increase the price by focusing on the characterization of the product. The process lasted three years. Following that, there was no renewal. In 2016, the government chose to no longer support this type of initiative, unlike the Maritime provinces, which are continuing their efforts,” illustrates Mr. Cyr.

“What I find deplorable today: if we want to develop new markets, we’ll start practically from scratch,” he laments.

The manager had the opportunity to speak with economic experts in recent days to try to understand the potential impacts of these customs duties.

“What is suggested is to diversify markets and invest in modernizing equipment to increase the level of production,” summarizes Mr. Cyr.

“25% overnight. It’s the (American) consumer who will end up paying,” says the director.

The 25% tariffs mentioned by Trump scare Gaspesian exporters Read More »

Percé zoning: Former mayor says she is the victim of revenge

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 11, 2024 / municipal, nelson sergerie, perce, zoning

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

PERCÉ – A request for a zoning change made by Fumoir M. Émile in Percé was denied by the municipal council on December 3, leading former Mayor Cathy Poirier, co-owner of the business, to say that elected officials acted out of revenge against her.

The request filed by Alain Méthot, consisted of amending the zoning by-law in effect in the Anse-à-Beaufils sector to increase the maximum occupied surface area from 250 square metres to 420 square metres. This amendment would have allowed the installation of a smokehouse on Bonfils Street. The company’s goal was to move the facilities closer to Highway 132 rather than maintain operations on Chemin d’Irlande.

“We are extremely disappointed with the municipal council’s decision, considering that Fumoir M. Émile is a company that has been based in Percé for 19 years, that hires 10 employees and that we operate year-round. We want to have a slightly more efficient plant, but especially in a much busier location,” said Cathy Poirier.

According to the entrepreneur, the zoning allowed for the operation of a smokehouse. However, the mayor questioned the sector councillor, Yannick Cloutier, who justified the council’s decision.

“We are talking about a request to increase the area from 250 metres to 420 square metres. The Apur firm recommended having 1.8-metre fences on each side. Mr. Méthot’s request concerns a bylaw amendment. We consulted and came to the conclusion that with Apur’s recommendation, we were asking you to go back to the drawing board and see if there was a way to make it smaller,” said Mr. Cloutier.

Mr. Cloutier provided Fumoir le paternel as an example. That smokehouse has a surface area of 250 square metres and is located not far from the coveted site. Mr. Cloutier, the shareholder and president of the historic Anse-à-Beaufils store noted that its surface area is 469 square metres.

Ms. Poirier also provided examples that are nearby including the hardware store and the Pit Caribou microbrewery, which have larger surface areas.

“What could the smokehouse change? There is no smoke. We are talking about an architecture that will be compliant. You, yourself (councillor Cloutier), are the neighbouring owner of something that is even bigger than what we’re asking for. Visually, I don’t think the ‘too big’ argument holds water,” says Ms. Poirier, who points out that the land belongs to her daughter’s grandfather. The young woman has just invested in the company.

“I invite you to go back to your drawing boards and make us an offer of 250 square metres or 300 square metres,” suggests Councillor Cloutier.

“The firm didn’t say no. It just suggested putting up screens,” replies Ms. Poirier.

“If we have to rebuild a shop, we’re not going to do it to the size of what we have. We’re going to do it according to our needs,” says Ms. Poirier, who suggests that at worst, she will build her new smokehouse in another municipality.

Turning to councillor Doris Rehel, Ms. Poirier asked for an explanation. “Ms. Rehel was called last week by my colleague Mr. Alain Méthot to get an update because our request is dated April 2. Ms. Rehel responded to Mr. Méthot, surprisingly, that the Town needed to know if he still owns Fumoir M. Émile because it would go down better at the town council,” said Ms. Poirier.

“I won’t answer,” said Ms. Rehel. “It would go down better if Cathy Poirier didn’t own Fumoir M. Émile,” the businesswoman reiterated. “I never said that,” replied the elected official.

Faced with this response, Cathy Poirier turned to the mayor, Daniel Leboeuf. “Please know that I am extremely disappointed and I would like to ask you a question: do you think that, perhaps, there would be a form of relentlessness or a certain vengeance from the town council?” asked Ms. Poirier.

The mayor echoed Councillor Cloutier’s response, so to speak.

“We wanted to do something good in a convenient environment,” she said. Mr. Leboeuf indicated that the areas had to be taken into account.

On December 4, Ms. Poirier mentioned to SPEC that the towns of Grande-Rivière and Gaspé would be ready to welcome her business with open arms.

The mayor of Grande-Rivière, Gino Cyr, confirmed that he contacted the businesswoman on the morning of December 4 to offer her land in the industrial park and near the airport, which would allow her to export her products more quickly.

The mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côté, also confirmed that he spoke with Ms. Poirier suggesting a potential site in Rivière-au-Renard, the fishing capital, in the rue du Banc sector.

Percé zoning: Former mayor says she is the victim of revenge Read More »

CISSS Cutbacks: CLSC emergency rooms in the territory will remain open

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 11, 2024 / cisss, Health cuts, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre (CISSS) assures that it will not close the 24/7 emergency rooms at the Grande-Vallée, Murdochville and Paspebiac CLSCs, despite their low attendance at night.

Martin Pelletier, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Gaspé Peninsula CISSS, emphasized that no such closures are being considered as the network scrambles to find $40.7 million in savings to meet a $535 million budget. “We are not there. We are really not there,” says Mr. Pelletier.

This CLSC emergency room question regularly comes up in the news. In 2013, before the creation of the Gaspé Peninsula CISSS, the former regional health and social services agency of the Gaspésie conducted a review that included the issue. It was mentioned in 2017 following the Barrette reform, which had once again caused discontent among the population.

“Can we review the use of resources from these less busy emergency rooms to help other busier emergency rooms at the same time?” wonders Mr. Pelletier, considering that a doctor and a nurse are on site while the volume of activity is lower.

“Another thing we can look at is: do we always need a nurse or could we use a nursing assistant in a network where there is not a lot of night volume? But (the nursing assistant) would be affiliated with a nurse who is already working (at another location) and able to be in contact if a case requires the judgment of a nurse. This is another example of transformation work,” he says. The union will have to be involved.

The overall labour shortage situation is forcing the region’s health network to explore this avenue. “We’re going to have to look. It’s not just a question of budget, it’s a question of survival and maintaining services and the ability to find resources to offer these services. Even if I had the budget, the problem is finding the resources. Changing our ways of doing things is essential to the survival and sustainability of services,” says Mr. Pelletier.

This hypothesis, raised following the Gaspé Peninsula CISSS board of directors meeting on November 28, is not being well-received by the Eastern Quebec Nurses, Auxiliary Nurses and Respiratory Therapists Union.

“It’s a complete rejection,” says union president Pier-Luc Bujold. “The population has the right to quality service, professional service and we cannot, to a certain extent, replace a nurse with a nursing assistant,” he adds.

He provides examples of administering medication in an emergency or managing triage, which could not be done by a nursing assistant.

“In terms of collective agreements, it doesn’t hold water and, logically, it doesn’t hold water to send a nurse from Grande-Vallée to work in Gaspé,” says the president.

According to him, these measures would not be attractive and could harm staff retention. “We have already expressed our concerns about this and the CEO tells us that nothing will be done in this regard without having discussions with us and that it holds water. For us, it doesn’t hold water,” says the union representative.

Former Gaspé Member of the National Assembly, Gaétan Lelièvre, who fought for the survival of the services in 2017 believes that the CISSS is not on the right track with the idea of changing the teams to offer these services.

Mr. Lelièvre notes that this is a security issue. “This is a decrease in the level of security of the population. Political and economic stakeholders must send a very clear message to Quebec: we do not accept these service cuts,” says the former minister responsible for the regions in the Marois government between 2012 and 2014.

He points out that health is a basic condition for regional development. “We know that the government has an $11 billion deficit to wipe out, but we cannot accept that this is in services as essential as a CLSC that serves communities 100 kilometres from a hospital. This is unacceptable,” continues the man who is now a regional development advisor.

For his part, Noël Richard, the mayor of Grande-Vallée, fears service disruptions in the emergency room if the CISSS was to go ahead with this idea. He notes that if a nurse has to go with a patient to the Gaspé hospital, the service would be in danger.

“Because we have a shortage of manpower, we would be in temporary service disruption. This is unacceptable,” thunders Mr. Richard. In his eyes, such a cut is non-negotiable, especially since several concessions have been made in recent years on health issues.

“The conversion of ambulance drivers from shift schedules to hourly schedules was not included in this program. We also made concessions on community dentistry, but I will not make any concessions on such an essential service,” added the municipal elected official.

CISSS Cutbacks: CLSC emergency rooms in the territory will remain open Read More »

Quickly cutting $40M from the Gaspé Peninsula CISSS will be difficult

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 11, 2024 / cisss, Health cuts, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre is still facing a $50 million deficit for the fiscal year ending March 31. The organization, however, is focusing on recovering the $40.7 million demanded by the Ministry of Health, mentioned the President and CEO Martin Pelletier following the board of directors meeting on November 28.

For the moment, there are no plans to cut jobs. “We are not there, and we are not at a hiring freeze for nurses. We are Some services under development will be reviewed to assess whether they should be maintained.

Several measures are being analyzed to meet the requirements by March. “I will tell you right away. It will not be $40 million. It will be what we can do. Forty million dollars in five months would take drastic measures. We will not do that,” says the manager. The independent workforce alone represents about $25 million of the projected deficit.

One example of a measure is to review the housing supply for the independent workforce. Currently, the ratio is one worker per housing unit. “We will implement a measure that will put two or three independent workers in a dwelling, for apartments with several bedrooms, which would eliminate dwellings,” says the president and chief executive officer (CEO).

This measure could generate savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mr. Pelletier is not concerned that some workers may refuse to come to the region. “Maybe. On the other hand, we are aligning ourselves with other regions. They (health workers from outside) do not come for vacations. Winter is less attractive than summer in the Gaspésie. We have a choice to make and this is an example of a hypothesis that does not affect care,” he says.

The preliminary studies to launch the engineering work for the emergency and intensive care units at the Maria hospital cannot begin before April 1 due to a lack of funds.

“We have no guarantee that the project will be included in the PQI (Quebec’s Infrastructure Program) in the next year. The guarantee we have is that we will do the studies next year and if the emergency project is only in a year, it will not prevent us from moving forward. It was an idea to get ahead of things by thinking that the project would be announced next April. We will start in April using independent nursing workers. The idea is to hire nurses to replace them. What we are going to do is not develop new services so we won’t have to create new positions for which we will not be able to respond,” says Martin Pelletier.

and we will have the year to do the analysis if the emergency project arrives in 2026,” analyzes the President and CEO.

The MRCs of Bonaventure and Avignon maintain that the project is essential for the Bay of Chaleur area.

“There were promises made. We have been waiting for more than 15 years. We reiterate that the emergency is in the PQI,” says Bonaventure Prefect Éric Dubé.

“It is a $100 million project. We estimate that for $250,000, we must find solutions to not delay this project. It’s a relatively small amount on the CISSS and health system budget. We have to find solutions,” mentions his colleague from Avignon, Mathieu Lapointe.

The elected officials will meet Martin Pelletier on December 11. However, one must not have any illusions.

“I’m going to tell them the same thing that I just explained. The relevance of the project is recognized. The problem is Quebec’s financial capacity to put this project in the PQI. It’s not at our level. It’s going to happen. When? That’s the question,” says Mr. Pelletier.

Quickly cutting $40M from the Gaspé Peninsula CISSS will be difficult Read More »

10,000 signatures to demand a nephrologist in the Gaspé Peninsula

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 4, 2024 / Healthcare, nelson sergerie, nephrology, petition

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

than 10,000 signatures is calling on the Quebec government to establish a nephrologist position at the Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre.

The Gaspé Peninsula is one of the only regions in Quebec, alongside Northern Quebec, without a dedicated specialist.

Jean Lapointe, the driving force behind the petition, has been fighting for a decade for the development of such a service in the Gaspé Peninsula.

On November 15, he submitted the petition to Gaspé riding Member of the National Assembly (MNA), Stéphane Sainte-Croix.

After successfully forcing the Quebec government to set up hemodialysis rooms in all hospitals in the region, Mr. Lapointe is putting pressure on the government again to have kidney disease specialists located in the Gaspé Peninsula. It would be better than having to travel to Rimouski to meet them.

Currently, Gaspesians must go to the Centre Hospitalier in Rimouski to be seen by a nephrologist.

“I have to go to Rimouski twice a year. It takes me 9 hours to get there for 30 minutes in the office,” says Jean Lapointe, who lives in Gaspé, to justify his request.

“I might have had more signatures, but the CISSS removed them from the institutions,” he says.

“I will never be happy. I could have had 500,000. I would have been happy. But I have more than 10% of the region’s citizens,” he says.

“I will fight until I die. I think of the people that need it. I have had kidney disease for 27 years. I am at stage 4. I do not stop there,” he mentions.

Although Mr. Lapointe does not yet need the hemodialysis service, he points out that there are about fifty patients receiving treatment in the Gaspé Peninsula.

“I think there is something strong as a message. We are starting with the petition. We will submit it in due form to the National Assembly. It will make its way to the Ministry of Health and its parliamentary committee,” indicates the MNA.

The 15-day process will still be launched to see if the parliamentary work will move forward on the subject.

“I think that 10,000 citizens taking the time to sign a petition at the health service level is a strong message. With the status of an aging population, the oldest in Quebec, two orphan regions, I think we have interesting arguments and especially very real needs to move forward with the project,” says Mr. Sainte-Croix.

Quebec currently has 211 nephrologist positions in Quebec, with about 15 vacant positions.

“What I learned is that there is a need within the aging population and for patient mobility,” concludes the elected official.

The wording of the bilingual document states that “whereas the region covered by the CISSS de la Gaspésie is the only one in Quebec not to have a nephrologist assigned to its territory by the Medical Staffing Plan (PEM); whereas patients requiring follow-up by a nephrologist must travel to Rimouski to obtain an in-person meeting, forcing them to travel long hours; we, the signatories, ask the Quebec government to add at least one nephrologist position for the Gaspésie territory in the PEM.”

Mr. Lapointe has been gathering signatures since June, travelling all over the region to collect these signatures.

In April, the CISSS of Gaspé Peninsula indicated that it was considering the possibility of serving the four centres located in Maria, Chandler, Gaspé and Sainte-Anne-des-Monts.

The President and CEO, Martin Pelletier, indicated at the time that the volume of activity did not justify the presence of such a full-time specialist, adding that telemedicine was well-developed.

However, the number of people who have needs is increasing and there may come a time when demand will justify it.

There are currently around 40 hemodialysis treatment seats available throughout the Gaspé Peninsula.

10,000 signatures to demand a nephrologist in the Gaspé Peninsula Read More »

La Gaspésienne No. 20 has been repaired

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 4, 2024 / cultural, gaspe, museum, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – One year after suffering significant damage, the restoration work on Gaspésienne No. 20 was completed on November 15.

“It looks like nothing happened! We really got our Gaspésienne back to the way it was before the fire, and maybe even better than before the fire,” says Martin Roussy, director general of the Musée de la Gaspésie.

The restoration was carried out according to the rules of the craft thanks to two rare craftsmen who specialize in this type of restoration.

“It’s a job that takes time and, by doing the operation, we gave it a little youthfulness, made it stronger and more able to last over time,” mentions the director. Finding these kinds of people was a blessing.

‘It’s a dying profession. We had a hard time finding them because you only find them through networks. We eventually found some, and the ones we did find were young people who had taken over an existing business. It’s doubly interesting because they’ve been given a great contract and they’re a team that now knows La Gaspésienne,’ explains Mr. Roussy.

The museum also took advantage of their visit and their expertise to create a sort of health record to plan repairs over the next few years.

“This will allow us to plan what we’ll do next year, in two years or in five years to continue to preserve it until we manage to protect it permanently, that is, find shelter to prevent it from being exposed to bad weather,” says the director.

A $10,000 fundraising campaign was launched in the spring to raise funds to begin the process of developing the protection project.

“We will keep these amounts in the bank and when we start the process that will allow us to analyze what we should do and then the funding application process. start this project with the initial knowledge of what needs to be done to protect it,” explains Mr. Roussy.

So far, more than $11,000 has been raised.

Since winter is just around the corner and workers to rebuild the footbridge that also suffered significant damage were not available, this work will be done in the spring.

“All this work will be done and we are very, very eager for next summer to restore access to the Gaspésienne, to visit this beautiful artifact that seems to have come straight from its construction site in the 1950s,” says the director.

A major game plan will be launched in 2026 to prepare for the overall protection of the legendary ship. “It’s a long-term project,” says Mr. Roussy.

The Gaspésienne should be accessible next summer, once the footbridge has been rebuilt. “However, we may have to avoid certain sections of the bridge that are part of the small adjustments to be made to complete the craftsmen’s work,” Mr. Roussy is careful to point out.

Additional measures have been taken to prevent such a situation from happening again. “On the ground where the fire broke out, there were accelerants contained in all the products used: the plants, the flower boxes. We got rid of all that. There are more surveillance cameras and the lighting has been adjusted. We have done everything that can be done to prevent an accident because it was an accidental fire. We have put additional measures in place to avoid such an event happening again,” Mr. Roussy explains. The fire, of electrical origin, started around 8 p.m. on November 24, 2023, and broke out slowly at the beginning of the gangway leading to the boat. The boat didn’t catch fire right away. At approximately 1:30 a.m., the Sûreté du Québec and the firefighters were alerted.

The 45-foot vessel had been the subject of a vast mobilization for its restoration in 2016 when about thirty volunteers stripped and repainted it.

It was the only one of the 50 produced in the second half of the 1950s that could be refurbished. The boat had originally belonged to Thomas Boucher, a fisherman from Newport.

Once restored, the Gaspésienne No. 20 became an integral part of the museum starting in 2017. At the time, a virtual experience allowed visitors to see life on board the boat in 1963. The museum also won an award for this documentation that contributed to the advancement of Quebec museology.

La Gaspésienne No. 20 has been repaired Read More »

SIA calls for a regular trail maintenance program

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 4, 2024 / gaspe, nelson sergerie, sia, tourism

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

International Appalachian Trail (SIA) on the Côte-de-Gaspé would like to obtain a recurring program for its maintenance after spending $30,000 over the last two years to clear the trail following severe wind events.

Jean-Marc Hardy, a member of the SIA board of directors, would like the Quebec government to create a program like the one set up to maintain the Route verte for cyclists.

The December 2023 storm cost the local committee $10,000, thanks in part to volunteer contributions. Without this support, expenses might have reached nearly $20,000. This figure excludes other Gaspé sectors of the trail.

Fortunately, the MRC de la Côte-de-Gaspé, the Town of Gaspé and Desjardins assisted due to the storm’s exceptional impact.

“Usually, for regular trail maintenance, there is never anyone who wants to help us,” notes Mr. Hardy.

A similar storm in December 2022 cost $20,000. “The fact that it happens two years in a row when the recurrence is perhaps two to three times in 100 years, that it happens two years in a row, we can be tempted to link it with climate change and the future does not look any rosier,” says Mr. Hardy.

After two large storms in two years, the trail managers hope that the forest around the trail has been adequately cleared. “With climate change and the spruce budworm, and what doesn’t help us, logging changes the dynamics of the winds around the trail. All that put together, we’re not sure we’ll get a break, but we still hope so,” he says.

To address these challenges, trail managers have requested recurring funding from the Ministry of Transportation.

“Based on the principle of the Route verte, long hikes are one of the sustainable means of transportation that should be encouraged but, to encourage them, we still have to support the organizations that manage the trails. We are asking to try to have a budget that could work like the Route verte. We would be sure to get a helping hand every year,” says Mr. Hardy.

Such recurring funding would allow for preventive measures along the trails.

Following last December’s windstorms, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests reported that 5,408 hectares of forest were devastated in Haute-Gaspésie, the only place where windthrow was observed.

This summer the ministry recalculated these figures using satellite images.

Of the total, 3,186 hectares of forest on public lands and 582 hectares on private lands were devastated by more than 75%.

Additionally, 1,329 hectares of public lands and 311 hectares of private land experienced partial windthrow, where 25 to 75% of trees were affected. Areas with less than 25% tree loss were not counted.

SIA calls for a regular trail maintenance program Read More »

Bill 96 brings new challenges for anglophones

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 4, 2024 / Bill 96, gaspe, Holly Smith, language, local organizations

Holly Smith, LJI Journalist

GASPE – The winds of change are sweeping through Quebec and, for anglophones in the Gaspé Peninsula. Those winds have never felt so strong. The recent decision by the Town of Gaspé to stop providing written material in English feels like a big change for many anglophones and serves as a strong reminder of the challenges that Bill 96 brings.

What is Bill 96?

In June 2022, the Quebec government passed a new law, Bill 96, essentially an amendment to the Charter of French Language, to promote the use of the French language in Quebec and to affirm that French is the common language of Quebec.

The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government’s latest attempt was to increase French in Quebecers’ everyday lives. It builds on Bill 101, Quebec’s original language charter, but with stricter rules. Under Bill 96, businesses with 25 or more employees must operate mainly in French. Public documents, municipal communications, and signs must prioritize French, limiting the use of English. Government services in English will only be available to those who qualify as members of Quebec’s recognized English-speaking minority.

Certain groups are exempt from Bill 96, such as historic Anglophones, so Quebec residents have the right to receive education in English. These are generally people who attended English schools in Canada or whose parents did. Exemptions also apply to Indigenous people. Immigrants can access services in English for up to six months after they arrive in Quebec. After these six months, they are expected to use French services.

People who ask for English services must “attest in good faith” that they qualify as one of the three exceptions.

When the Town of Gaspé shared that it would no longer provide public materials in English, the news rippled through the community, hitting close to home for many anglophones not only in the Town of Gaspé but also in other municipalities along the coast. For decades, English-speaking residents have balanced life in a bilingual region, relying on municipal updates, public notices, and services to stay informed and connected.

For many, this issue isn’t just about language, it’s about feeling included, heard, valued and informed in a place they’ve called home for generations. When reached by SPEC, Jessica Synnott, Executive Director of Vision Gaspé-Percé Now, wanted to reassure the community that her organization is stepping up. “Vision Gaspé-Percé Now will work closely with the Town (of Gaspé) to ensure communications to the public are translated regularly. We are going to try to translate what we can and prioritize documents, and mainly publish them on our (Vision Gaspe-Perce Now) Facebook page and possibly distribute them during some activities,” explains Ms. Synnott.

The Mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côte, shared a message on his Facebook, thanking Vision Gaspé-Percé Now for stepping up to help, “Jessica offered to share municipal information, translated by their services, with our English-speaking citizens and organizations. I immediately accepted this helping hand from our partner organization. The Town of Gaspé has lost the right to communicate in English with its residents (except in specific cases) and cannot do so indirectly either… But an organization can, of its own accord, translate our public information! This will undoubtedly provide some relief to our English-speaking community, who deserve to be kept informed, as one of the three founding peoples of our town.” Mr. Côte wrote.

Ms.Synnot tells SPEC that accessing important services and information in English was already a challenge, and now those challenges are growing. “One area of concern is navigating government services. The biggest impacts are with government services, RAMQ (Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec) being the one we are hearing the most frequently. Although there is service in English, it is extremely hard to navigate,” explains Ms. Synnott.

Vision Gaspé-Percé Now is working to help anglophones affected, adding to initiatives they’ve worked on in the past, such as the “Mellow Yellow” initiative, launched in 2006 in partnership with the health system. “With this program, health workers who can serve users in English are identified with a yellow stripe on their name tag,” Ms. Synnott shared, “To navigate the current obstacles, Vision can offer individual support to community members to help them with accessing services in English.”

The organization also collaborates with government agencies to advocate for English speakers. “Vision works closely with various levels of government, such as the Secretariat for Relations with English-speaking Quebecers, to identify obstacles for the English-speaking community and work towards solutions,” Ms. Synnott explained.

Vision Gaspé-Percé Now remains committed to ensuring the anglophone community retains access to resources and opportunities. “We will continue working with our partners to support them in their offer to the English-speaking community as well as offering our own programs,” states Ms. Synnott.

Bill 96 brings changes that affect anglophones, businesses, and community organizations in Quebec. To learn more about Bill 96, visit the Government of Quebec’s website

Bill 96 brings new challenges for anglophones Read More »

No election, says Gespeg council

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 4, 2024 / election, gespeg, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The petition asking the Micmac Nation of Gespeg band council to call a new election has close to 400 signatures. However, the band council refuses to resign, according to one of the petition’s initiators.

The petition was presented on November 24 at the Gespeg’s annual general assembly.

“The current council could not accept the petition. They indicated that it should be filed with the president. There was an hour and a half of discussion and now we have to go to the election of the president,” says one of the community elders, Mark Sinnett.

“The council is taking it personally and our petition does not target any specific individual. We are asking the council to be a little serious and understand that we have 379 members of the community who are asking for a new election,” says Mr. Sinnett, who repeats that the electoral process was not done well.

“Out of 2,200 members, 1,300 do not have an email address. This proves once again that the community was not informed of the election,” maintains Mr. Sinnett.

“We will continue. We will not give up. This is a community that speaks,” he added.

“Unfortunately, there are many flaws in the Electoral Code and it has become a code where the president will have to make decisions that are outside the framework because there is nothing written in the code to follow up. It will be his interpretation that will tell us where we are going with the petition and what happens next,” Mr. Sinnett analyzes.

If an election were to be called, it would be done under the current code.

“The real problem is that people were not respectfully informed that there was an election in Gespeg. What is urgent is that we go back to the election and we will see to correcting the Electoral Code,” concludes Mr. Sinnett.

The petition calls for the electoral process to be restarted due to problems that arose during the election of September 8.

Given the potential conflict of interest, the council has opted not to make a public statement.

No election, says Gespeg council Read More »

A petition for new elections was presented in Gespeg

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 4, 2024 / elections, gespeg, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – A petition with 314 signatures, collected by Gespeg elders, was presented at a press conference on November 21, calling on the Gespeg band council to resume the electoral process due to problems that occurred during the election on September 8.

The petition notes that communications, including the notice of nomination and polling relating to the September 2024 election, were transmitted only by email, and that by not mailing the communications by the post deprived several voters of their right to vote. According to the petition, this inadequate communication resulted in a lack of candidates for the positions to be filled.

“This irregularity in the way electoral information is communicated renders the electoral process invalid and its result revocable,” the document states.

In a press briefing, Gespeg elders, including two former chiefs and Mark Sinnett, a candidate in the last election, called for the September 2024 election to be invalidated and to mandate an electoral officer to hold a new election as soon as possible.

“We have nothing against anyone or the council in place. What we are saying is that our elections have not been going well since the beginning and this has caused all the problems we see today and especially community members who did not have their right to vote,” notes Mr. Sinnett. According to organizers, some employees thought about signing the petition but feared reprisals if they did.

“I have great confidence that most employees would have pointed it out. All we want is a fair election,” insists Mr. Sinnett.

“A lot of former members who don’t have internet didn’t hear that there was an election. They found out how to vote, receive a ballot by mail and return it. There were some who received their ballot after the election. They weren’t able to vote. That caused a major problem. Normally, in all municipal elections in Quebec or Canada, all voters receive a notice before the election. Here, that didn’t happen,” adds Francis Mainville, especially for members who live outside Gaspé.

Of the 1,800 eligible voters, only 420 participated in the September election, compared to approximately 600 votes in the previous election, where mail-in ballots were also counted.

However, everything would have been done according to the Electoral Code. “It depends on the interpretation. Our code is not 100% clear. There has been a lot of interpretation. Our code does not contain all the possibilities. There is a shortcoming: you can contest, but we do not know what to do after the contestation. That is what has led to where we are today,” explains Mr. Sinnett.

“According to our customs and traditions, everyone was notified by mail,” adds Mr. Mainville.

“In the Electoral Code, we must find all possible means to reach all members. That is the mandate of the president,” emphasizes Linda Jean, another of the initiators of the petition.

The petition was filed during Gespeg’s annual general meeting on November 24 (see other text).

For the time being, recourse to the courts is excluded. “Anything is possible, but we are not there yet. We want the council to understand that their community is speaking out and that we want new elections. That’s all there is to it for now. If there is anything else, we will see in the future. We are asking the council to take this very seriously,” says Mr. Sinnett.

“We don’t want to make threats. We don’t want to go there. We want to protect our community. We have suffered enough recently. We want to do good for our community. We will follow our customs and traditions and that is the right we want to exercise at Sunday’s meeting,” continues Mr. Sinnett.

“We have never seen Gespeg so united both internally and externally on one point,” he says.

The Electoral Code allows a petition to be submitted to the council if it garners signatures from at least 10% of voting members.

“We are within our rights,” calculates Ms. Jean.

Having been a candidate for the position of chief, Mr. Sinnett denies having any apparent conflict of interest.

“Absolutely not. If you remember, my point of view was to say that the election was not done well. I said it from the beginning. I continued until I withdrew for personal reasons. The election was not done well. We did not join our members. This is not revenge. It did not work. We have to do it again so that it works like a world,” Mr. Sinnett responds.

The elders believe they have the support of the majority of Gespeg members.

A petition for new elections was presented in Gespeg Read More »

Hilltop Creations wins best small business in the service category

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / December 4, 2024 / avignon, awards, bonaventure, Penny MacWhirter, small business

Penny MacWhirter, LJI Journalist

HOPE TOWN: On November 26 the Avignon and Bonaventure MRCs presented the Baie-des-Chaleurs Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s 15th Gala of Appreciation in Carleton. Hilltop Creations won the Best Small Business in the service category.

The Gala reflects the economic vitality and talent in the Bay of Chaleur area, highlighting businesses and organizations that have distinguished themselves over the past year.

Hilltop Creations was founded by Trevor Buttle of New Carlisle in 2011. Much of Trevor’s success has to do with his amicable personality. This was apparent when SPEC asked Trevor to talk about his company’s growth over the years.

“Well, it all started when I was sent to town with my cow to trade it for bread and along the way I met up with a guy who said he would trade my cow for three magic beans,” Trevor joked.

He then went on to explain that in April 2011, he purchased his first machine for cutting because he was always changing his vehicle and liked them to be different from the others.

“It was for my personal use and was never intended to become my living. It was just always a passion and a way to be creative. A way I could express myself in art,” explained Trevor.

However, when his friends found out he could make custom stickers, they started asking him to make some for them. He quickly realized there was a market and a need for custom material. “As a child, our first reward for doing something good is we all get a sticker. So, who doesn’t like a sticker? It’s embedded in us that a sticker equals good and brings happiness,” says Trevor.

As time went on Trevor purchased more equipment to be able to do more things beyond just stickers, thus opening more doors. At first, Trevor had other employment, in addition to Hilltop Creations. However, he has since made his business a full-time career. “I knew that the business was working well but how well we could do I had no idea until I jumped both feet in to see what its true potential could be,” explains Trevor.

Currently, Hilltop Creations employs Trevor and two part-time employees: Trevor’s girlfriend, Melissa Belanger, and Patrick Benoit.

The company recently acquired a $25,000 printer, which has upped their game significantly. Trevor has big goals for his business. Together with his girlfriend, they purchased a new property in Hope, where they will be building a much larger workshop. With a 50’ by 80’ workshop, they will be able to install graphics on much larger vehicles. “And have more comfortable working conditions. I’ll be living my dream every day. To wake up and be creative, seeing the mark I leave on this big planet,” says Trevor.

SPEC asked Trevor for a rundown of the products offered by Hilltop Creations. “We are the Vistaprint of New Carlisle with service!” was his quick response.

More specifically the com products and services, such as banner roll-ups, window tinting on homes and buses, clothing designs and custom mugs. “Basically, anything you can imagine seeing your vision or logo on, we can do it. That includes plexiglass and aluminum. There’s no limit,” Trevor adds.

The company has a growing clientele reaching as far as India and relies heavily on word of mouth.

Trevor wants his clients to know how much he appreciates their support. Adding “Behind every good man, there’s a better woman… Because it’s true Melissa is my rock on good and bad days.”

You can reach Trevor by visiting the Lettrage Hilltop Creations page on facebook or visiting the shop at 206 Church Street in New Carlisle. But it’s not unusual for future clients to approach him in unexpected places. “Pulling me by the ear at IGA,” smirks Trevor.

Hilltop Creations wins best small business in the service category Read More »

The Gaspé Peninsula wants to assert itself in electoral map legal process

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 27, 2024 / elections, gaspe peninsula, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

CARLETON-SUR-MER – The Gaspé Peninsula wants to intervene in the debate surrounding the legal challenge to the law that paused the process of revising the electoral map for the 2026 election.

Elected municipal officials from the Laurentides and Centre-du-Québec regions have filed a legal action against the Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec and the Attorney General of Quebec to have this law revoked and to resume the process of revising the electoral map.

The Regroupement des MRC de la Gaspésie has served legal proceedings on the parties in the case. “The message we want to convey is that it is not unanimous among municipal elected officials who want to cancel the law that was made. On the contrary, we are an entity similar to that of the Laurentians and we have a completely divergent point of view on the situation,” explains the Regroupement president, Mathieu Lapointe.

On May 2, 2024, Quebec’s National Assembly unanimously passed the Act to interrupt the process of delimitation of electoral districts.

The Gaspé Peninsula MRCs recall that the electoral map on the table was then highly detrimental to the principle of effective representation, directly affecting the representation of the Gaspésie in the democratic institutions of Quebec.

“At the heart of the debate is the principle of effective representation. This principle was established in 1991 by the Supreme Court of Canada in the Carter decision. Beyond the famous principle of “one voter, one vote”, the electoral map must also include principles such as the vastness of the territory covered by an MNA (Member of the National Assembly), the boundaries of the territories, belonging to the territory, and so on. If we want the voice of the Gaspésie to be heard in Quebec City in the flood of strongly represented urban voices, it is extremely important that the Electoral Act apply this principle recognized by the Supreme Court. That is why we are going to fight. For the voice of Gaspésie, for our future,” adds the mayor of Gaspé and prefect of the MRC of the Côte-de-Gaspé, Daniel Côté.The Gaspé interveners’ request for a conservatory intervention will be heard on November 27 at the Saint-Jérôme courthouse.

If the Gaspé argument resonates with the court, the region’s arguments may then be heard on the merits of the case in the following months. “The process that is underway is healthy because we need to review the criteria to ensure that, ultimately, the electoral districts must ensure that each citizen is well represented in Quebec City,” emphasizes Mr. Lapointe.

Recall that the commission suggested merging the ridings of Gaspé and Bonaventure, which include the MRCs of Côte-de-Gaspé, Rocher-Percé, Bonaventure and Avignon, to create Gaspé-Bonaventure, while Haute-Gaspésie would be transferred to the Matane-Matapédia constituency, a Lower St. Lawrence riding.

As of April 30, 2023, Bonaventure had 35,898 voters and Gaspé 30,131, far from the minimum threshold. The gap was -29.2% and -40.6%, respectively. Gaspé was ranked third among the least populous ridings, behind the Magdalen Islands, which has an exceptional status, and Ungava.

According to projections of the number of voters based on data from the Institut de la statistique du Québec, the gap with respect to the average for Gaspé should soon surpass that of Ungava.

In 2017, the commission had maintained the negative exceptional status for Gaspé and granted the same status for Bonaventure.

However, since the inequalities in representation of these ridings are increasing, the commission did not wish to renew this status.

In addition to removing a riding in the Gaspésie, the Commission suggested doing the same thing in Montreal to create a riding in the Laurentians and another in Centre-du-Québec.

The Gaspé Peninsula wants to assert itself in electoral map legal process Read More »

Gaspé Peninsula CISSS must find $40.7M before March 31

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 27, 2024 / cisss, health, nelson sergerie, nurses

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

Integrated Health and Social Services Centres (CISSS) must find a way to recover a $40.7 million cost overrun in a budgetary effort requested by the Quebec government on a budget of $535 million.

This represents 8% of its $535 million budget and must be achieved by March 31 which will be a major challenge, a goal that the Union of Nurses, Auxiliary Nurses and Respiratory Therapists of Eastern Quebec calls unrealistic.

“That’s the target. As a manager and government employee, that’s the target. I have to implement the mechanisms to achieve it. Afterwards, I will be judged on the achievement of results. This is a big chunk to take on for the few months I’m given. The message is very clear: the budget must stop swelling. The idea is to respect the budgets we’re going to be given,” explains President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Martin Pelletier.

The requested amount represents approximately 1.5 months of CISSS’ operating costs.

In a situation where the costs of supplies, medications and the application of the latest collective agreements have a direct impact on the budget, the order looks set to be even more difficult for the future.

“These are elements that add pressure to the system. Normally, these costs related to inflation are subsidized. This year, as such, it’s not. Not up to the cost increases. From there, it’s a pressure that follows us,” mentions Mr. Pelletier.

Four main areas have been identified to achieve the objective: rigour and management rights over staff in order to recover everything that could be done and over supplies; a freeze to increase or develop services; optimizing operations and reviewing the service offering to see if it is adapted to needs.

Considering the Gaspé Peninsula has one of the oldest populations in Quebec and given the distances to travel to receive care, the CISSS plans to highlight these unique challenges to the Quebec government.

“Certainly, this must be taken into account. We have small teams in large territories that we must keep in place to ensure continuity of services. These are assets that we want to keep. On this, there are no major compromises. This is well understood by Santé-Québec. We will see if there are adjustments that will be granted,” hopes the President and CEO.

Despite this budgetary reshuffle, Mr. Pelletier affirms that care for the population will not be affected.

“There will be things that will be transformed. We look first at where we have room in the activities we do that do not affect services. When we get there, it will be a review that will take into account the needs of the population. A review that is necessary given the province’s ability to pay,” says Mr. Pelletier.

The use of independent labour accounts for $25 to $30 million of the $40.7 million to be recovered. “This must be taken into account. It is not a simple formula to say that we stop using independent labour. The consequences are harmful. We use it because we have needs to fill teams, to maintain services. The withdrawal of independent labour would mean that we would have to close services,” he says. The CISSS must free itself from independent labour on October 18, 2026.

“Our budget balance plan was initially over three years because it gave us time to recruit and transform things to be able to eliminate it as much as possible,” says Mr. Pelletier.

In terms of infrastructure, projects to modernize care units are suspended for the moment.

“We see ourselves having to endure obsolescence for longer in certain sectors. I’m thinking of the Youth Centre in Gaspé that was in the pipeline. It’s unfortunate to see that it will be on hold longer than expected. For the next year and a half, there will be a slowdown in this area,” he says.

The union believes that it is unrealistic to compress the budget so quickly, citing as an example what will happen during the holiday season.

“We are on the eve of a difficult period. The holiday season creates a lot of difficulties with replacements, a colossal force to keep services open 24/7. There is a lot of overtime and mandatory overtime. It is a period that costs a lot of money to provide service to the population. It is completely disconnected that Santé-Québec gives the CISSS and CIUSSS a goal of recovering significant amounts in three and a half months,” notes the union president, Pier-Luc Bujold.

Senior management met with the union to inform it that no compensation reduction will affect staff directly, However, the union fears that management will apply new provisions of the new collective agreement to achieve financial goals.

The coming years will not be rosy as Quebec must review its expenses following an $11 billion deficit.

“The Santé-Québec megastructure will not be a measure to really save costs,” says Mr. Bujold, who invites the CISSS to review the use of independent labour.

“There is still unjustified use (of independent labour) on our territory. For several months, we have been asking the CISSS de la Gaspésie to save money without affecting the members we represent,” says the union representative.

Gaspé Peninsula CISSS must find $40.7M before March 31 Read More »

Class action against MTQ in Sunny Bank: Negotiations are progressing with MTQ

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 20, 2024 / class action, MTQ, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – Negotiations are continuing between lawyers for the two parties involved in a class action lawsuit related to the 2010 flooding in the Sunny Bank neighbourhood of Gaspé.

The law firm Sylvestre Painchaud, which represents the members of the class action lawsuit, states that although the case has moved slowly in recent months, it is progressing.

“Many subjects moved along with the lawyers from the ministry over the past few months. We are now finalizing the details of the claims process so that members of the class action can be compensated for the damages they suffered during the flood. We will get back to you soon with more info on that,” stated the firm to the class action members in a memo that was obtained by the SPEC. “In addition, a hearing was held on November 7 where the agreement between the parties about the installation of measurement stations for water levels and flow rates, fees for our experts for their work since the 2022 judgment and setting the next steps for the case, were debated, also mentions the law firm in a statement.

In June 2022, the Sunny Bank Flood Committee won a class action against the Ministry of Transport (MTQ), and the court ordered it to carry out corrective work to maintain an adequate level of service for a flow of 600 cubic meters/second over the next six years and to build a river flow measurement station within two years.

The ministry had already committed during the court proceedings to carry out work worth some $8 million on Road 198 to improve the situation within six years. In a project notice, the ministry is aiming, in particular, to replace the bridge with a current opening of 11 metres with a bridge with a 60-metre opening as well as the digging and widening of a secondary arm of the York River over 200 metres long and 54 metres wide upstream of the planned bridge.

Widening of the road embankments over 300 metres in a water environment is also planned due to the raising of the road by 0.5 metres and the re-profiling of a ditch over 400 metres along the east of the intersection of rue de Sunny Bank and Road 198.

A 70-metre long ditch and the construction of a new culvert with a six-metre opening are also in the plans in addition to the replacement of four other culverts.

In its notice, the MTQ also proposes three other solutions as part of the impact study. The first is the complete removal of all road embankments and the relocation of the road four kilometres further upstream in a less dynamic part of the York River.

The second is the complete removal of all road embankments and the construction of a multi-span bridge.

It is the last scenario that could have a considerable impact: the expropriation of all citizens in a flood zone.

In the preliminary schedule for the project, the environmental impact study, a BAPE (public hearings), and obtaining the environmental decree should be done by the fall of 2027.

The environmental impact study is the first milestone in the process.

Subsequently, the preliminary design study concomitant with the environmental impact study should be ready in spring 2028.

The final preliminary design study should be delivered in spring 2029. Then the plans and specifications will follow to free up the rights-of-way between spring 2029 and spring 2032, and finally obtain the final authorizations in spring 2033.

The tendering and contract awarding process would take place in spring 2033 for construction between summer 2033 and fall 2034.

The ministry has indicated that the work schedule could extend into 2035.

Background

Between the judgment rendered in June 2022 and the final work schedule, at least 12 years will have elapsed.

During the period from December 13 to 15, 2010, Gaspé received 246 millimetres of rain.

The road rebuilt in 1977 that connects the Sunny Bank and Wakeham sectors slows the flow of the York River. Before, it was a road at water level and when it overflowed, the river invaded the roadway.

Raised by 1.5 metres in 1952, it was determined that the road partially blocked the flow of the river.

In 1977, the road was raised by an additional two metres, making water assessment even more difficult.

The 2010 flood was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The citizens filed their appeal in 2013 and the court allowed it in 2015.

Since its reconstruction in 1977, floods have occurred in 1977, 1980, twice in 1981, 1983, 1997, 1998, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2017.

Class action against MTQ in Sunny Bank: Negotiations are progressing with MTQ Read More »

SCFG tourist train put on hold for now

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 20, 2024 / gaspe peninsula, nelson sergerie, Quebec government, Transportation

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

NEW RICHMOND – Still waiting for a response to a funding request from the Quebec government, the Société du chemin de fer de la Gaspésie has temporarily put its tourist train project with automotive passenger cars on hold.

The Société du chemin de fer de la Gaspésie (SCFG) had a purchase option that cost it $12,000 per month, with a Vermont company, to acquire 12 automotive cars to develop a multi-purpose tourist train, a project valued at nearly $15 million, including equipment modernization.

“We are forced to put the project on hold, which we had submitted following a market study in the spring. Unfortunately, we were unable to secure the financial package to make the acquisition before the end of the purchase option, which terminated at the end of September and which we had extended by one month to give the two levels of government time to analyze our project,” says SCFG president Éric Dubé.

The transporter could have borrowed the amount to proceed with the purchase but, without financial assistance, it was too risky.

“We haven’t had a negative response even though they are analyzing it and seeing how to secure something because there is no regular program for our project. It required a longer ordeal to secure the financing. I understand that the economic context of the Quebec government meant that it didn’t move quickly to say ‘yes’,” explains Mr. Dubé.

However, the project is not dead. “We’re going to work on something else this winter. We still have the Amiral train and, if we can secure funding, will we have the opportunity to find automotive cars? The project remains on the drawing board. After investing so much money to rehabilitate the rail between Matapedia and Gaspé, I don’t see why we couldn’t land a tourist train project,” he says.

The automotive cars required a year of work before being operational, including adding toilets in the cars. They were originally used on a Texas commuter service before being acquired by Vermont-based AllEarth Rail.

The SCFG market study that was tabled over the spring was linked to Percé. It would be difficult to run a tourist train in 2025 between Port-Daniel-Gascons and Matapedia.

“Would there be tourism potential between Matapedia and Port-Daniel-Gascons? The study didn’t confirm it for the first year,” Mr. Dubé points out.

The Amiral train could be an option, but it hasn’t been operational for a decade. It was essentially used between Gaspé and Percé in 2013 and 2014, except for a few excursions in the Bay of Chaleur area.

“We were banking a lot on our project then (over the spring) so, we haven’t invested a lot of money to re-evaluate this (Amiral) equipment. It’s going to be part of the scenarios we’re going to study this winter. We’re lucky, it (the Amiral train) is in New Richmond. We have a company that’s capable of doing that (repairing it, Rail GD). When we know more about what needs to be done on it and the direction we’re going to take with the project, we’ll be able to come back and explain it further,” stresses Éric Dubé.

“We’re giving ourselves time,” he concludes.

AllEarth Rail equipment in good shape

The AllEarth Rail automotive cars were refurbished in Montreal at the beginning of the 2000s and have been kept inside a warehouse since that time.

Luc Lévesque, the SCFG’s director general, saw the machines in 2023 and affirmed that the equipment is in a very good state. Their refurbishment at the beginning of the 2000s was thorough, as the wiring and the mechanics were upgraded. The purchase option involves 12 Budd cars.

The Amiral train consists of four passenger cars and two power-generating cars. The locomotive of that train was returned to New Richmond seven years ago and assigned to the SCFG freight trains.

Having been vandalized on occasion, the five units, namely four passenger cars and one of the power generating cars, were transported from Gaspé to New Richmond at the end of May 2024. They had remained stranded in Gaspé since 2014, when the line was put in a dormant state in March 2015 by then Quebec Transport Minister Robert Poëti. A rockslide between Port Daniel and Gascons also contributed to leaving the cars in Gaspé.

Transports Québec, which acquired the Matapedia to Gaspé line between March and May 2015, waited until May 2017 before announcing that the whole line would be upgraded.

In March 2015, Minister Poëti offered the mayors of Rocher-Percé MRC the possibility of dismantling the line and turning it into a cycling trail, which was refused.

(With contribution from Gilles Gagné)

SCFG tourist train put on hold for now Read More »

Town of Gaspé will communicate less in English

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 20, 2024 / gaspe, language, municipal law, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Town of Gaspé will have to comply with Bill 96 in its communications with its citizens, which must be done exclusively in French, except in certain specific cases.

The new version of the Charter of the French Language requires the Town to end its communications in English since the municipality does not have bilingual status and cannot obtain exceptional status.

“Gaspé does not have bilingual status. To obtain it, you had to ask for it and have more than 50% of the population who were English, at the time in question,” notes Mayor Daniel Côté.

In the 1940s and 1950s, half of Gaspé’s citizens were English-speaking. According to the elected official, the proportion of English speakers in Gaspé is now around 13%.

“Out of respect for the three founding peoples: French, English and Mi’gmaq, we have always made the maximum possible communications in both official languages. As of now, we can no longer communicate in English, except for a few aspects,” notes the mayor.

“In our linguistic communication policy, we have made it as broad as possible to respect the English-speaking community that partly built this town. Anything that concerns public safety, we will not leave anyone in danger, regardless of their language,” indicates Mr. Côté.

The Act allows financial and tourist information to be communicated in English as well. There are other elements that have an exceptional status also.

“We will notify the English-speaking population in the coming weeks, who are used to receiving almost all communications in their language. We will inform them that, unfortunately, we can no longer do so under the law. I know that this will create discontent among the English-speaking population, but we will no longer be able to do what we have been doing for years,” concludes the mayor.

The public announcement of these government directives provoked several negative reactions on social networks.

Town of Gaspé will communicate less in English Read More »

Part 2: Living with Diabetes

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 13, 2024 / diabetes, gaspe peninsula, health, Penny MacWhirter

Penny MacWhirter, LJI Journalist

HOPE TOWN – On March 4, 2021, when Emma Burton was only 8 years old she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes leaving the family in shock. Emma’s mother, Pamela Ross says that although she was in shock she was relieved to finally have answers. Prior to her diagnosis Emma was quite sick and had lost a significant amount of weight.

Like many people with diabetes, the treatment Emma has received has evolved since being diagnosed. “I started out having to eat a specific number of carbs (60) at each meal. Then moved to ratios (that were different depending on the time of day). The first year I was MDI (multiple daily injections). After that I was transferred to a diabetic clinic and was able to get my insulin pump. From about month 2, I was able to have a Dexcom (so that I didn’t have to test my finger as much),” explains Emma.

Emma tells SPEC that the first year after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes was rough and adapting to the pump took time. “My specialist doctor is amazing,” adds Emma.

As far as side effects and limitations Emma says that when her numbers are low, she has to sometimes not participate in activities with friends. She also can’t have the same foods and treats as her friends. I always have to think and calculate before having a snack or meal. “I always have to verify my sugar before starting any activity, even as simple as going for a walk,” says Emma. In addiEmma says that although she has diabetes she doesn’t find she’s treated any differently at school or by friends.

When her levels are too high she feels thirsty, hungry and might have mood swings. Emma does a correction “By doing a correction with Insulin, drinking more water, taking a shower, or exercising (if it isn’t too high – as that can make it go higher).

If her levels are too low, she might feel shaky, weak, experience changes in body temperature, headaches and “I think everything is funny,” explains Emma. She treats low blood sugar by “Taking candy (3.5g of carbs) and sitting down to give my sugar time to come back up. If it is not back up in 15 minutes, I take another candy… I continue until my sugar is back up in the safe zone.

Although Emma is quite young she is able to do a pretty good job at keeping an eye on her numbers and doing what is necessary, with the help of her parents. “I am able to manage most tasks on my own but prefer to have help. My parents want me to be able to be a kid and not have to think about it 24/7,” states Emma.

Pamela says it was important to the family to teaching Emma that she can live and thrive with an autoimmune disease and that she can still lead a normal life. It was important down to give my sugar time to come back up. If it is not back up in 15 minutes, I take another candy… I continue until my sugar is back up in the safe zone.

Pamela says it was important to the family to teaching Emma that she can live and thrive with an autoimmune disease and that she can still lead a normal life. It was important to Emma’s parents to teach her how to manage and calculate her meals and snacks.

In fact the family has done such a great job at managing the condition they were able to get her pump fast tracked. “By showing them we knew what we were doing. When she had her first appointment with the specialist, they said it would be a year before we would be able to get an insulin pump for her. When we went to her second appointment only a few short weeks later we were able to fill out the paperwork and start the pump application process,” says Pamela.

Emma also tells us that she has gotten much faster at carb counting and can estimate a meal, as well as being able to calculate the correct amount of insulin if she’s not on her regular schedule, such as if she’s slept in.

Pamela, says the biggest challenge of being the parent to a child with Type 1 diabetes is “Being alert 24/7 and always having to be ready to jump when her Dexcom or Pump alarms. Always watching her numbers so that we can text her when she isn’t with us to do a correction or have something to eat if she is dropping to fast.” She also says that there aren’t many places Emma can go without a parent going as well. “Most people don’t know what to do and are nervous that something may happen, even though at this point she can mostly take care of herself with us via text messaging,”adds Pamela.

As far as complications go, while Pamela is aware of the possibilities she says the family focuses on the present. “All we can do is focus on today and try our best to keep our numbers in check. Complications come from uncontrolled blood sugars over a long period of time. We just need to focus on keeping our numbers good to reduce or chances of complications in the future,” explains Pamela.

Pamela is a member of a support group on Facebook: Parents of Type 1 Diabetics – Canada. Pamela would like to have more local support and has reached out to several local organizations with little success. “I have messaged a local organization a few times about maybe starting a group for diabetics, however, even though I have messaged a few different people since her diagnosis the most I have heard back is that they would speak to someone else and get back to me, unfortunately nobody has ever gotten back to me,” states Pamela

Emma’s advice to anyone who is newly diagnosed is to “Be patient, it will get easier as time goes on.” While her mother’s advice is “It gets better and easier to manage as time goes on. Take it day by day and don’t stress about what happened yesterday or what could happen tomorrow. Reach out to those around you for help. Join a group.”

Pamela adds that eating in moderation is key. They use MyFitnessPal app to enter receipts “It will tell you the carb count if you enter the number of servings the recipe is for. We also use CalorieKing for when eating out,” explains Pamela.

Pamela tells us that stress does have a major influence on sugar levels, but it is difficult to manage. “It can cause your sugar levels to increase or decrease depending on the person. You need to be careful when correcting sugar levels that care caused by stress. As when the stress goes away so does its impact on your levels. A good example of this is when my daughter has a big test or exam in school,” explains Pamela.

Pamela would like the general public to know “Insulin is not always the answer like they seem to portray on TV. Type 1 can NOT, be prevented and is NOT caused by what the person ate or is eating. If a person is high, they need more insulin. If a person is low, they need sugar. If a person has passed out due to low blood sure they should be given glucagon. Emma carries a baqsimi nasal powder in her kit.”

On a final note Pamela shares this thought: “They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. However, with diabetes doing the same thing over and over and expecting the same results is known as insanity. You can eat the exact same thing every day and have completely different results, because so many other factors can impact one’s sugar levels (food, stress, outside temperatures, etc.).”

Part 2: Living with Diabetes Read More »

Living with diabetes

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 13, 2024 / diabetes, gaspe peninsula, health, Penny MacWhirter

Penny MacWhirter, LJI Journalist

HOPE TOWN – November is diabetes awareness month in Canada and Diabetes Canada is asking Canadians to “Commit to making time to understand and support those who live with this condition every single day.”

Diabetes Canada is also making suggestions of ways Canadians can make a difference. It is encouraging those who either have diabetes or care for someone who does, to go on social and “Spill the Diabetea.” You can do this by uploading a video of your experience with diabetes and use the #spillthediabetea and #DiabetesAwarenessMonth hashtags during the month of November.

Did you know that every three minutes, someone in Canada is diagnosed with diabetes and that people living with diabetes are two to three times more likely to live with depression?

There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes. During the month of November, The Gaspé Spec will have several articles relating to diabetes, along with interviews with individuals living with diabetes.

The difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes happens when the immune system destroys your pancreas’ beta cells. This causes them to stop producing insulin. According to Health Canada Type 1 diabetes usually develops in childhood or early adulthood, and there is no known way to prevent it. Known risk factors include genetic predisposition and certain environmental factors. About 5 to 10% of people living with diabetes have Type 1.

Type 2 diabetes happens when the body either doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t respond well to the insulin it makes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type. About 90 to 95% of people living with diabetes have type 2. People usually receive a diagnosis after the age of 40, but it’s now becoming more common in younger people too.

Amanda’s Story

Living with diabetes can be quite time-consuming, as individuals are faced with managing a complex and often invisible condition.

Amanada Kennedy, from Hope Town is a Type 1 diabetic. She was diagnosed in 2008, initially with Type 2 diabetes’s but after proper testing it was revealed that she is actually a Type 1 diabetic. “Initially I was shocked with the diagnosis as I had blood work done a month previous and there were never any symptoms or reason to think I was diabetic,” says Amanda. She adds that her family was rather surprised as well. “They are very supportive and helpful when needed,” says Amanda.

When Amanda was first diagnosed with diabetes she started on a pill form of treatment until she became pregnant, then doctors switched her to insulin for the duration of her pregnancy. “Once I gave birth, they took me off insulin and gave me half a pill a day. My glucose levels went haywire and my weight plummeted to 98 lbs, as a heavyset person, I was greatly concerned and asked the doctors if maybe I should be put back on insulin. The doctors tried different pill form doses but after pleading with the doctor for several months about six months late,r I was returned to insulin as a form of treatment. With trial and error and different doses we were finally able to get the proper dose that my system was happy with,” explains Amanda.

At the beginning of her diagnosis she found it very frustrating only seeing a family doctor whom had basic knowledge about the disease. “She worked out of the book that sadly sometimes was not in my benefit. Once I started seeing an endocrinologist in Rimouski who specializes in the diabetic field I was more at ease,” says Amanda.

As far as limitations to her lifestyle she says that generally she doesn’t experience many. However, she explains, “If I happen to have a low glucose drop my whole day is finished. It plays havoc on your system and I just feel defeated and played out for the rest of the day.”

Amanda finds stress, illnesses, even a cold or minor infection can affect her glucose levels. So, she tries to stay healthy and well in order to keep her glucose within range.

As for how often she needs to check her glucose levels, Amanda explains “I use the Dexcom glucose monitoring system, which is a sensor that’s inserted under the skin, and a transmitter. The sensor tracks glucose levels every five minutes and sends the readings to my phone. The system translates the readings into data to help users manage their diabetes.” A typical reading for her is between 5 and 9, anything lower or higher than a 12 and she feels quite unwell.

As for symptoms, when her levels are high she becomes quite thirsty, experiences brain fog, is irritable and tired. To treat high blood sugar, she finds things like drinking lots of water and exercise helps. She says that finding time to exercise daily isn’t easy, but that’s something she’s working on, especially walking more. She also says that when she’s having a rough day, she tries to tell herself to “Breath and get through it!”

Amanda says diabetes has affected her entire life. “It has become a whole new daily life, when first diagnosed picking my finger eight times a day was draining mentally as I was thinking is it always going to be this way? As time passed, it has gotten easier the Dexcom has become very beneficial for me.”

“Personally for me, the hardest part of being a diabetic is the unexplainable lows, sometimes in the middle of the night or randoms times during the day when I have not done anything to explain a low and it just comes on with no justification,” says Amanda.

Amanda is trying to incorporate meals with less carbs and more protein, but adds that when you’re cooking for a family, it takes extra effort to make such meals.

When travelling, she explains, “It is important to stop frequently to walk and stretch your legs to keep the blood flow running. I also make sure to have extra medications, supplies and items to help me in the event I should have a low or high.”

She is aware that if not properly maintained there are many complications that can arise. “You can get diabetes in your eyes, nerve damage, heart attack and stroke, kidney problems. It is very important to try to maintain your levels as best as possible,” states Amanda. She adds that she goes for an annual eye exam to in order to catch such side effects early.

As for support, “Living in a rural community I have not found many support groups,” she’s part of several facebook support groups that have helped her immensely.

She would like non-diabetics to know, “Losing weight will not magically make your diabetes go away. In addition, sugar does not make you a diabetic, the lack of insulin being released from your pancreas does. I hear so many people say to others stop eating that sugar you will become diabetic. Nobody diabetic or not should consume an over abundance of sugar. Everything in moderation.”

Amanda would like anyone who is newly diagnosed to know “You are going to be ok. It may seem like an inconvenience at the beginning. You may think ‘oh my how will I ever pick my finger or inject insulin daily? Maybe it will just go away.’ For a Type 2 diabetic, yes it may go away with the right diet and exercise and lifestyle changes, but for a Type 1, it will not just go away. You are a warrior and you can get through it just as I did and continue to do!”

“It will be tough, you will have trials and errors on what works for you. What may spike my glucose may necessarily not spike yours. Each person is different and although it is a big adjustment for you and your family, with the right mindset and support you will and can lead a long healthy life,” adds Amanda.

In closing Amanda leaves a powerful message, “Do not judge someone by the way they look. Just because a person is overweight or having a dessert, it does not mean that is what caused their diabetes. I was once 98 pounds and my diabetes was at its worse ever! We are all here for a short time. Embace each other and be kind to everyone, even diabetics, they have to deal with enough finger pricks daily.”

Living with diabetes Read More »

Gaspesian musicians perform to a full crowd at Homegrown 3

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 13, 2024 / canadian heritage, culture, gaspesie, jillian o'connell

Jillian O’Connell, LJI Journalist

PASPEBIAC – On Saturday, November 2, at the Centre Cultural de Paspébiac, the Committee for Anglophone Social Action (CASA) hosted its third annual Homegrown showcase with approximately 160 seats filled and guests joining online.

The event was funded in part by the Secretariat aux relations avec les Quebecois d’expression anglaise and Canadian Heritage. When asked by SPEC how Homegrown started, coordinator Dave Felker explains, “We (CASA) had done cultural showcases of music a few years ago, about 16 of them and we decided that it would be really interesting to bring everyone together for one of them.”

This year’s edition of Homegrown featured 27 performers from across the Gaspé coast. “I went through a list of English-speaking Gaspesians that play music and tried to mix it up a bit from last year by introducing some new artists to the community. I did have quite the mix. Seventy-five percent of my lineup this year had not been on the stage in the past two editions. Which just goes to show that there is a lot of talent on the coast,” explains Mr. Felker.

CASA provides an honorarium for their time and performance, along with accommodations for those travelling from either end of the coast. “We also provide food along the way because we want them to be here, jamming, playing music, supporting each other. We don’t want them wandering off to go find lunch. ‘Here, we’ll bring you lunch. Keep playing.’” Mr. Felker added.

This year, Homegrown 3 was kicked off with a Youth Showcase, featuring six talented performers, ranging from solo acts to bands, who entertained an audience of approximately 50. This was the first year that youth were included. “This time around, as we were approaching the date, I said to my daughter ‘Abby, get a band ready. Let’s add a youth element to Homegrown.’ She already had been playing with a few friends from her school, so I thought it’d be a good experience for them. I contacted Melissa Girvan right away to see if Reed was interested, which, of course, he was. Sadly, we asked schools to send any youth interested in taking part, but there are not any real music programs in any of the schools.” Mr. Felker explains.

Following the Youth Showcase, a workshop about sharing resources brought together members of various organizations. Members went around the table introducing themselves and their organizations. Participants discussed their ideas, needs and resources available. The workshop concluded with collective emphasis on the importance of collaboration.

The Gaspedians kicked off the evening show as the MCs for the night and introduced the first band, Mother of Cups, a duo from Gaspé who brought amazing energy, setting the tone for the night as all the other skilled performers who followed.

The final act of the night was MicMac Drive, which premiered their new song, Chaleur Skies, a tribute to the Pozzolan Dalhousie protest. The band invited the audience to chant “Hey” and raise their fist in solidarity. To close the event, Mr. Felker called all performers back on stage for a group performance of Rockin’ in the Free World.

Gaspesian musicians perform to a full crowd at Homegrown 3 Read More »

Quebec launches survey on time change

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 13, 2024 / cynthia dow, Quebec government, survey

Cynthia Dow, LJI Journalist

CASCAPEDIA-SAINT-JULES – On October 22, Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette announced that a public consultation will take place until December 1 on whether or not Quebecers wish to change the time in the spring and fall.

It has been the custom for many decades to change from Eastern Standard Time (EST) to Daylight Saving Time (DST) in the spring and then to revert to EST in the fall. There has been growing controversy about the time change in recent years.

Studies have shown that the number of automobile accidents and strokes actually increase when the time is changed. Université de Montréal professor Roger Godbout, quoted in the Montreal Gazette, said that the time change…“causes negative impacts on the mental health and physical health of Canadians, so we should stop it.”

The Harvard Medical School health website concurs. “Research suggests that changing our clocks twice a year can have various health consequences. Of the two, springing ahead one hour tends to be more disruptive. That hour change can upset our circadian rhythms, the body’s natural 24-hour cycles regulating key functions like appetite, mood, and sleep.”

Professor Godbout has suggested that Quebec should adopt standard time (which we follow in the winter months) throughout the year. The survey the Quebec government has placed on its website allows members of the public to choose which they would rather follow all year long: standard time or daylight saving.

At this time of year, the first Sunday in November, we switch to Eastern Standard Time, which helps to ensure that the sun rises a bit earlier in our day. At the winter solstice (December 21) as measured at the Town of Gaspé, the sun rises at 7:08 a.m. and sets at 3:23 p.m. If we stayed on Daylight Saving time, the sunrise in Gaspé would be at 8:08 a.m., setting at 4:23 p.m.

It’s on the second Sunday in March that clocks are moved forward to Daylight Saving Time. This means that during the summer we can enjoy more sunlight in the evening hours than in the early morning. At the summer solstice (June 21) as measured at the Town of Gaspé, the sun rises at 4:14 a.m. and sets at 8:25 p.m. If we stayed on Eastern Standard Time all year, the sun would rise at 3:14 a.m. and would set at 7:25 p.m.

The government website notes that the Magdalen Islands and the community of Listuguj follow Atlantic Standard Time and Atlantic Daylight Time.

For many years, the entire Gaspé Peninsula was in the Atlantic time zone, but the Quebec government changed it to the Eastern time zone sometime in the 1960s so that the entire province would be following the same clock. When we were in the Atlantic time zone, it meant a good four hours a day out of sync with government offices and businesses in the rest of the province (opening hours, noon, closing hours).

However, many see our inclusion in the Eastern time zone as an aberration, since it puts the Gaspé in the same time zone as cities as far west as Thunder Bay.

Quebec launches survey on time change Read More »

Proposed restrictions to ensure salmon survival

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 13, 2024 / fisheries, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

changes to salmon fishing for the 2025 season align with requests made by the Gaspé River Management Corporation.

The Quebec government has submitted proposals for consultation, prompted by historically low salmon runs in the summer of 2024 and high probabilities of continued low runs of large salmon in most Québec rivers in 2025.

For large salmon measuring 63 centimetres and over, no retention will be possible this year and for small salmon measuring less than 63 centimetres, a catch-and-release policy will be in effect at the beginning of the season.

The Ministry of Wildlife is also considering reducing the daily catch and release quota from three to two on the salmon rivers in the Gaspésie, a measure that came into force in 2024 and will be renewed next year.

“We pretty much agree with what is being proposed: a cautious approach given the runs in recent years that were catastrophic in some rivers. This was not the case in Gaspé, but it was still low. Given that it was a generalized picture, it was quite worrying. We prefer to rely on caution and save our fish population for future years,” explains the general manager of the management company, Rémi Lesmerises.

On Gaspé rivers, the Saint-Jean recorded 640 large salmon, which is above the average for the last 10 years. “For the York (River), with 700 large salmon, we are below average, but it is not unheard of. We have already seen 500 or 600 salmon, but it remains below average. At the Dartmouth, we are below 300 large salmon and 13 grilse. It is in less good health and that worries us,” notes Mr. Lesmerises.

The number of grilse are also lower in the other two rivers: approximately 80 on the Saint-Jean and about 90 on the York.

“It is not much compared to what we usually see, for example, 200-300-400 grilse. It is not high and it suggests a similar scenario for next year in terms of large salmon or perhaps lower,” says Mr. Lesmerises.

The fishing conditions of the summer of 2024 with the low rainfall and low and warm water are cooling the ardor of fishermen while registrations for the winter draws are down by 30%.

year. We are back to 2018 participation levels. It is not catastrophic,” maintains the director.

“If we had had good weather conditions and cooler temperatures, the fishing would have been relatively good but that is not what we observed. It had an impact on fishing. We did not necessarily want fishermen to come in these conditions which were reflected in our revenues. We will be in deficit this year, but we cannot assess it at the moment,” notes the manager who has a cushion to deal with the shortfall.

The ministry says it is sensitive to the possible consequences of these recommendations and the need to survey the stakeholders concerned. The terms and conditions will be released in the winter of 2025.

No restrictions are currently planned on fishing activities carried out for food, ritual or social purposes.

Salmon disease

A research project is being launched to understand what is happening with saprolegniosis, led by Louise Chevarie, a Gaspé native and researcher based in Sweden.

The research project is being carried out in collaboration with the Micmac and Wolastoqey Aboriginal Fisheries Management Association.

“There are different subjects: the interaction between salmon and striped bass, which will also be studied on the York River, and also saprolegniosis. What is different about the York compared to the Cascapedia and the Sainte-Anne? What is the difference between infected and uninfected fish? Is there a difference in the immune system? A difference in terms of contamination? Are some more susceptible to the disease? The goal is always the same: to find solutions but to find solutions, we need to understand,” says Mr. Lesmerises.

Water tests were taken once again this summer.

Log jam on the Saint-Jean

Work was carried out on the mouth of the Saint-Jean River to clear accumulated wood from the estuary. This spring, numerous trees had become lodged where the channel splits into two branches. The water was flowing well and so were the fish.

“It was apparent that the next trees were going to get stuck and accumulate. We cleaned it up and should let the next dead trees through during the next flood,” notes Mr. Lesmerises, who does not want to relive the 1.5-kilometre log jam dismantled in 2015.

Proposed restrictions to ensure salmon survival Read More »

Gaspésie Literacy Council aiming to serve entire territory

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 13, 2024 / cynthia dow, gaspe, literacy

Cynthia Dow, LJI Journalist

GASPE – On November 5, the Gaspésie Literacy Council (GLC) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Douglastown Community Centre and online. They were joined by a number of their many local and regional partners, including Literacy Québec, Pouvoir des mots, CAMI, the North Shore Community Association, and the department of Public Health for the Integrated health and social services centres (CISSS.)

Interim Executive Director Angelina Leggo indicated that a “comprehensive needs assessment” was undertaken this year to find out how the GLC is doing in serving its immense territory, which covers the same area as that of the Eastern Shores School Board. The assessment report relied on surveys with 73 members of the public, 18 organizations and 25 individual interviews.

As a result, the GLC has undertaken some restructuring and has enhanced online content, including a complaint box for users. “We are focussing on how to effectively reach the whole territory,” Ms. Leggo explained, “We are not looking to grow our team, although we may have to look at that, but we will also be solidifying our partnerships.”

The annual report outlined several projects and initiatives undertaken this past year, including the Digital Literacy Project in cooperation with the York River Seniors Centre, Vision and CASA. This project includes one-on-one tutoring to help people use online services effectively.

Coordinator Rebecca Simon reported that the “drop-in tables” are very popular. The project has been taken to CASA’s wellness centres in Port Daniel and New Carlisle and will be present at all Vision wellness centres this year. A guide will be printed up, entitled “How to Internet Safely.”

Meanwhile, at Gaspé Polyvalent School, the GLC offered financial literacy sessions to the Secondary 5 students.

The financial report for the past fiscal year was not available at the time of the AGM, but will be available at the end of the month and can be sent out by email to those interested.

As part of the restructuring, the GLC has reduced the number of board members from nine to seven, with the bylaws stipulating that at least one board member must come from the Indigenous community and at least one from the Baie Comeau/Sept Iles area. A nomination policy has also been put in place.

The current board is composed of Mike Vigneault from CAMI, Jody Lessard from the North Shore Community Association, Kayla Gallan, Jessica Synnott, Maureen Cassivi, and Laura Comeau. One seat remains vacant.

You can see the array of programs available from the GLC on their website at https://gaspelit.ca/

(Full disclosure: Cynthia Dow recently organized an event that was partially funded by the GLC.)

Gaspésie Literacy Council aiming to serve entire territory Read More »

Céline Cassivi is appointed chief of Gespeg

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 13, 2024 / elections, gespeg, Indigenous, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – Gespeg has a new chief. The election president swore in Céline Cassivi as chief of the Micmac Nation of Gespeg. Ms. Cassivi finished third in the September election.

In a November 1 message to the Micmac Nation of Gespeg members, the election president mentioned that the details about the process leading to Ms. Cassivi’s appointment would be shared at a later date, which was done on November 6 (see image).

In a note to the members, Ms. Cassivi stated she accepted this appointment “with great pride and humility.”

“I am committed to being a fair leader, listening to your concerns and working tirelessly for the well-being of each of you. Together, we can overcome challenges, celebrate our successes and build a strong future for generations to come,” she wrote in her statement.

“Your ideas, support and participation are essential for us to grow and prosper together,” the new leader concluded in her communication to members.

In addition to the statements from the resigning chief, Yan Tapp, citing an environment of tension within the council as his reason for stepping down, the new council indicated that it “understands that this may raise questions among our members. The situation deserves clarification. To this end, we are committed to providing details as soon as possible to ensure fair and transparent information,” the six councillors affirmed.

“We prefer not to comment on his decision to leave on October 24, 2024. We respect his decision. We recall that Chief Tapp had announced his intention to officially begin his duties on October 11 through his media interviews, which resulted in a very short stint,” they added.

Yan Tapp was elected chief on September 27 after a series of events following the September 8 election. At that time, the result declared Mark Sinnett the winner with 144 votes to Mr. Tapp’s 143, while Céline Cassivi came in third with 122 votes. After three recounts, the results remained tied at 143 votes each. According to the Nation’s Electoral Code, a draw is required in the case of a tie. With no news from Mark Synnett to participate in the draw, Mr. Tapp was appointed to lead.

However, it seems that the start of the mandate was not easy and reflects the difficult relationships among the members of the Nation.

In a message released to announce his departure, he indicated that “Many former members know the routine that accompanies each council mandate for our community: political and personal conflicts, as well as a sometimes toxic work environment.”

“During my short mandate, I have noticed a flagrant lack of respect for the chief of the Nation within the community itself. (He was asked things like) “I have never had a chief before… What does a chief eat in winter? No comment…,” said the outgoing chief.

Mr. Tapp expressed hope for a return to harmony within the Nation. His resignation marks the third leadership change in a relatively short time. Former Chief Terry Shaw resigned on January 26, citing family reasons.

Former Chief Manon Jeannotte left her position in February 2019 for personal and family reasons after three and a half years at the helm of the community. Ms. Jeannotte had also highlighted “an atmosphere of intimidation within the nation,” at the time of her departure.

Céline Cassivi is appointed chief of Gespeg Read More »

Dental care… 1,000km from home

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 13, 2024 / dental, gaspe, Healthcare, jean phillip thibault, new richmond

JEAN-PHILIPPE THIBAULT, LJI Journalist

Dussault would have preferred to use her vacation weeks for something other than finding and attending a dental appointment for herself and her children, 1,000 kilometres from home.

After exhausting local and regional contacts, she had to resort to contacting her previous dentist near Montreal, more precisely in Longueuil, with whom she had fortunately kept in touch, and where her mother still lives.

Charlotte Guay-Dussault, a mother of two girls aged three and a half and five and a half, lives in Cap-d’Espoir, part of Percé. Born in Longueuil, she moved to the Gaspé Peninsula in 2018, where she now lives with her partner. The family’s oral health has always been a priority. There was no question of neglecting it.

Like many, she had to start calling left and right when her regular dentist had to temporarily close his clinic due to an illness in his family, leaving hundreds of patients without dental care.

“We were supposed to have our appointments the week the dentist had to close urgently, last fall. I had heard that it was difficult to find one, but not to this extent,” she says.

The young woman hadn’t expected the task to be so challenging. No other clinic in the region was accepting new patients at that time.

Even on the South Shore of Montreal, appointments don’t fall from the sky. After two weeks of vacation in the metropolitan area, Charlotte Guay-Dussault had to take a third week off to stay with her mother, as the only available time at her dentist’s office was on a Thursday. Her partner left alone with the car for the Gaspé, while the rest of the family booked one-way plane tickets for their return home. However, available flights only took off on Sundays.

Charlotte Guay-Dussault had to use up a full week of her vacation for a dental appointment some 1,000 kilometres from home.

“In any case, in the end, I literally had to take five days of vacation to go to the dentist. Before even paying the bill for simple cleanings, it cost me $1,000. I can’t imagine if cavities and braces get involved, or for those who can’t afford them,” she says, somewhat flabbergasted.

She still considers herself lucky in the circumstances, since she is employed in the public sector, having a little more resources and time than others who are not in the same situation.

Eighteen calls later

The mother is not the only one who has had to juggle schedules and plan all the logistics for dental care. Armed with an address book and a her friends from Chandler called all the dentists in the area for her two teenagers, discovering a host of new area codes as she called a little further west: the Gaspé Peninsula, Lower Saint Lawrence, Chaudière-Appalaches, Centre-du-Québec.

“It was finally the 18th office that agreed to take her on as a new patient… in Quebec City. She doesn’t have any family in town, so she stays in hotels, not to mention the other expenses. She takes a few days off here and there. All that just to go to the dentist, which is basic care, let’s be clear,” stresses Charlotte Guay-Dussault.

A third friend had to go to Carleton-sur-Mer, a three-hour drive away, for an emergency during the holidays.

“I don’t blame dentists, who work like crazy and devote themselves body and soul to taking on as many people as possible. On the contrary, I understand that this is a private matter, but access to a dentist should worry us collectively. We need to talk about it,” says Charlotte Guay-Dussault.

Discreet Public

Health Directorate

How many other patients are deprived of a dentist in the Gaspé Peninsula? Is dental tourism widespread in the region? Is the population at risk? What is the overall picture?

The Gaspé SPEC tried to reach the dental advisor at the Gaspé Peninsula Regional Public Health Directorate to discuss this issue. However, she has not been available in the last month since the initial interview request.

According to 2014 data, only 54% of the region’s population had consulted a dentist, dental hygienist or orthodontist in the past year, compared to 61.6% for the province as a whole.

The Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre (CISSS), however, is well aware of the problem. Faced with a lack of resources and the departure of the last dentist in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts in 2021, the establishment has taken steps to maintain service continuity.

In November of the same year, Health Minister Christian Dubé announced $846,000 in funding to support a pilot project for a dental clinic run by the CISSS. The community clinic opened its doors the following year, in 2022, in the facility vacated by the retired dentist from Sainte-Anne-des-Monts.

Today, the clinic has a permanent dentist, along with a team of hygienists, assistants and administrative staff. The initial scenario was to add a second permanent dentist.

“Recruitment remains a challenge, particularly for hygienists and dentists. Indeed, we would like to have two permanent dentists rather than just one. However, we applaud the work of the on-site team, which is able to accommodate a large number of users each week,” explained in an email Lou Landry, who was until recently the spokesperson for the CISSS de la Gaspésie. The organization is responsible for staff recruitment and salaries.

The Sainte-Anne-des-Monts community clinic focuses on offering dental care to people below the low-income threshold or living in remote areas.

Due to the shortage of dentists that is affecting almost all parts of the region, residents of Matane—about an hour’s drive from Sainte-Anne-des-Monts—and elsewhere in the Gaspé Peninsula have also been quick to make appointments at the community dental clinic, much to the chagrin of some Haute-Gaspésie residents, who are still left without options. It highlights the ongoing challenges of oral health in the region.

At the very least, on a more positive note, the clinic that treated Charlotte Guay-Dussault and her family has gradually started operating again since September.

Dental care… 1,000km from home Read More »

Fisheries Fund allocates $830,000 to support five innovative projects

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 6, 2024 / dfo, fisheries, gaspe, lebouthillier, National Assembly, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

CHANDLER – The Quebec Fisheries Fund is investing $830,000 in five companies in Gaspé Peninsula and Lower Saint Lawrence for innovation projects.

Minister Diane Lebouthillier made the announcement on October 18 in Newport, in the absence of a representative from the Quebec government. The fund is financed 70% by the federal government and 30% by the government of Quebec.

The largest amount, $450,000, is awarded to the Regroupement des pêcheurs professionnels du Sud de la Gaspésie, for the installation of a new type of trap support. This will allow approximately a hundred lobster fishermen to place traps one behind the other, enabling them to work more efficiently and more safely during fishing, changing bait and releasing traps.

The federal government is contributing $316,000, while the Quebec government is contributing $135,000 for this $1 million set of projects. Private firms are contributing for the balance.

Aquaculture Gaspésie is receiving $100,000 to install an ozone water treatment system, which will increase productivity by optimizing water quality, a $274,000 project. Raymer Aquaculture is receiving $86,000 for a similar project estimated to cost $99,000.

Two companies in the Lower St. Lawrence are also receiving contributions from the fund.

Organic Oceans Incorporated receives $100,000 for the acquisition and installation of a bottling line for liquid seaweed extract for the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges plant, near Trois-Pistoles. This project, aimed at automating production processes, will increase productivity and address the challenges of labour shortages. The new equipment will also allow the company to bottle smaller formats of seaweed extract, ranging from 0.5 litres to five litres. The project is valued at $128,000.

Lastly, Pêcherie IANC and Ian Chouinard will receive $95,000 for the acquisition and installation of a complete automation system for baiting to hauling in the Atlantic halibut fishery aboard a longliner. This system will improve fish quality by reducing handling and exposure time out of the water. The $105,000 project will also reduce the risk of injury to the crew.

“It is important to support the entrepreneurs who presented the projects and to highlight the important work to prepare our world for today’s fisheries, but also for the future,” explains the Minister of Fisheries and Member of Parliament for the Gaspé Peninsula and Magdalen Islands Diane Lebouthillier.

“We still have many projects on the table that are being evaluated and projects that will affect redfish because it is important. When we reopen the redfish fishery, we need funds to help the sector adapt to this new “old fishery,” which was closed for 30 years,” added Ms. Lebouthillier.

On the subject of the redfish fishery, the minister points out that the fishing was announced in January, and discussions with the redfish advisory committee are ongoing.

“We want to avoid food waste. We are moving forward slowly with the market openings. That is why the reopening was done over two years precisely to allow for adaptation. It is still progressing smoothly, and I hope that in the coming years everyone will be able to take advantage of it and have some on the table to consume,” says the Minister.

In Quebec City, the office of the Minister of Fisheries indicated that André Lamontagne and his assistant, the Member of the National Assembly for Gaspé, Stéphane Sainte-Croix, were unavailable for the announcement. Minister Lebouthillier did not explain their absence. “At the federal level, it is important to support entrepreneurs who have submitted projects,” she said.

Newport Slipway

During the press briefing, boater Vincent Moreau questioned the minister about the slipway, which is no longer functional due to its advanced deterioration.

“We are stuck and, now, are we going to be forced to leave our boats in the water this winter? Requests have been made by the Crabbers Association,” stated Mr. Moreau.

“The slipways are a provincial government responsibility. It would have been interesting to have representatives of the provincial government here today. It is a provincial responsibility. They are the ones who can answer. We, at Fisheries and Oceans, are responsible for the wharves,” replied Diane Lebouthillier.

Three sailboats and several fishing boats were unable to be taken out of the water for the winter.

“They’re passing the ball. That’s what we see. I’m not in politics, but we’re experiencing a real problem and when the ball bounces, it doesn’t move the issue forward,” Mr. Moreau emphasizes.

In Quebec City, Minister Lamontagne’s office responded by saying that they are “sensitive to the situation. It’s an important infrastructure for the region’s economic activity. We are already in communication with regional stakeholders and the various ministries. We are currently exploring solutions,” they stated in an email.

Confidence in the Prime Minister’s leadership

Recently, four additional ministers announced their departure at the end of the current mandate, amid a letter circulating among some thirty elected officials calling for the resignation of Liberal leader and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Minister Lebouthillier does not believe this has shaken confidence in her leader. “No, not at all,” she replied immediately, explaining that each of the four ministers had personal reasons for stepping down, Marie-Claude Bibeau, for instance, has expressed interest in running for mayor of Sherbrooke, and Filomena Tassi is stepping down due to her spouse’s illness.

“But that does not call into question the leadership of the Prime Minister, not at all,” the minister assured, reaffirming her support. She also confirmed that she plans to run in the next election.

Fisheries Fund allocates $830,000 to support five innovative projects Read More »

GESPEG: Chief Yan Tapp resigns not long after being elected

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 6, 2024 / elections, Indigenous, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The newly elected Chief of the Micmac Nation of Gespeg, Yan Tapp, has resigned. The announcement was made through a brief press release on the Nation’s website on October 26.

This marks the third chief to resign within the last decade, following Terry Shaw in January and Manon Jeannotte in February 2019. “I have made the decision not to continue my path as Chief of our nation. Leaving a professional position is never an easy task and, in my case, stepping down early in my term is a choice that I want to make transparent with all of you,” Mr. Tapp wrote on social media, preferring not to give an interview to explain his decision.

Mr. Tapp was elected as leader on September 27 after a series of events following the September 8 election. Initially, the results showed Mark Sinnett as the winner with 144 votes to Mr. Tapp’s 143, while a third candidate, Céline Cassivi, received 122 votes. After three recounts, a tie occurred, with 143 votes to 143 votes.

According to the Nation’s Electoral Code, a tie is resolved through a draw. Following Mark Synnett’s withdrawal, Mr. Tapp was appointed to lead the Nation. However, it seems the beginning of his mandate was not easy and reflects the difficult relationships within the members of the Nation.

“Without going into details, many former members know the routine that accompanies each council mandate for our community: political and personal conflicts, as well as a sometimes toxic work climate,” recalls the resigning chief.

“Once again, another chief has left Gespeg prematurely. I remember that an elder from another community told me last year, and I quote: “You, the members of Gespeg, are very hard on your chiefs. It would be important for you to learn to better master these values,” mentions Mr. Tapp.

He has a desire to bring harmony to the Nation. “I sincerely hope that a future leader in Gespeg will be able to benefit from clearly defined roles, responsibilities and powers, that he will be able to choose his vice-leader, benefit from an adequate salary, have his own expense account and have a role not subject to the control of elected councillors. This would be beneficial for our nation!” he stated.

He indicates that he discussed with the electoral president on October 24 on the consequences of a contestation of the vote, but nothing would change under the current Electoral Code, “contrary to what is usually stipulated in penal codes,” he noted.

Nevertheless, he does not intend to give up. “I am contesting the electoral process, because the members were not adequately informed. I have always wanted and asked for a fair electoral process for all. In this sense, I refuse to continue with a council elected by acclamation,” said Mr. Tapp, who concluded his message with a union of forces.

“It is essential that we cultivate a climate of respect and kindness, both towards our leaders and among ourselves. It is by joining forces and working hand in hand that we can build a better future for the Micmac Nation of Gespeg. Let us continue to move forward with compassion and openness, ensuring that each voice is heard and valued,” concluded the resigning chief.

On January 26, former chief Terry Shaw resigned, citing family reasons. “This difficult decision is strictly motivated by personal and professional considerations. After much reflection, I have chosen to prioritize my family life above all else and to devote more time to my loved ones,” Mr. Shaw stated in the press release.

Terry Shaw was elected chief in February 2020, promising a “wind of change.” Before Mr. Shaw was elected, there was a crisis of confidence within the Nation over the reform of the Electoral Code. Serving as a councillor during this time in 2019, he had hoped to resolve this issue before holding elections.

Former Chief Manon Jeannotte also left her position early in February 2019 “for personal and family reasons” after three and a half years as the community’s leader. At the time, she denounced “an atmosphere of intimidation within the Nation” and filed a complaint with the Sûreté du Québec in January 2020, alleging “manipulation of the electoral list.”

GESPEG: Chief Yan Tapp resigns not long after being elected Read More »

CNESST satisfied with corrections to demolition method of former Gaspé MTQ garage

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 6, 2024 / cnesst, gaspe, lji, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

inspection, the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) has confirmed that the contractor responsible for demolishing the former Ministère des Transports (MTQ) service centre in downtown Gaspé has implemented the requested safety corrections.

On October 18, the CNESST issued a correction notice requiring the project manager to modify the demolition procedures to address all risks associated with the site’s structures and hazardous materials. The building, constructed in the 1950s, contains lead and asbestos.

Some industry observers close to the construction trades had reported that the fences that are supposed to contain dust during demolition are not high enough. Another site visit was made on October 23.

“The CNESST carried out another intervention to ensure that the project manager had made the requested corrections. This allowed us to see that the work procedure is safe and protects workers from these contaminants. A sign was also put in place to indicate the presence of the contaminant. Two correction notices were also issued to the project manager regarding the specific demolition procedures,” the government agency mentioned by email.

One modified practice now observable since the CNESST visit is that workers from Démolition des rivières de Lévis are systematically wetting demolition elements to prevent dust from dispersing.

The CNESST mentioned that it is monitoring the situation closely and other follow-ups are planned. For its part, the Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI), which is responsible for the site, indicates that it is putting “everything in place to ensure safety in the projects under its responsibility.”

“Work in asbestos conditions is standardized and the contractor is required to comply with the measures provided for this purpose. A specialized firm is hired by the SQI for this purpose. It supervises the demolition work and is responsible for ensuring that the decontamination enclosure and the mitigation methods used by the contractor, for dust control, comply with the standards,” maintains the organization, which adds that if corrective measures are recommended by the CNESST, the SQI will ensure that they are carried out as soon as possible.

For its part, the Ministry of the Environment has not received any complaints regarding the demolition of this building. The ministry noted that this activity is not subject to ministerial authorization or adherence to the Clean Air Regulations.

The contract, valued at $876,000, was awarded to Démolition des rivières through a public tender process.

CNESST satisfied with corrections to demolition method of former Gaspé MTQ garage Read More »

AFFORDABLE HOUSING: A new way of project development to reduce costs

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 3, 2024 / construction, gaspe, housing, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine Collective Housing Resource Group is testing a new approach to building collective housing projects in an effort to save money. The Quartier du havre of the Habitations de la montagne project aims to construct 84 housing units built near the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) offices, on the montée de Sandy Beach in Gaspé.

The project has already secured funding from both the government of Quebec and the federal government’s Affordable Housing Program.

What sets this project apart is that the contractor has already been chosen before the end of the plans and specifications process. “Traditionally, for the past 30 years, the contractor has been chosen at the end of the process during a traditional call for tenders. In this case, the contractor was chosen much earlier so that he could participate in the planning with the professionals on the project,” explains the director of the resource group, Ambroise Henry.

Marcel Charest et fils, a company from Saint-Pascal in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, was selected from six companies that participated in a call for tenders for services.

“By arriving at the beginning of the planning and construction of the plans and specifications, the contractor can offer its input, bring his expertise, and can ensure that all the professionals find solutions to build a real estate complex where we will save costs instead of being changed after a call for tenders and modifying plans. That can make a big difference, in our opinion,” says Mr. Henry who is enthusiastic about the recommended formula.

The process is expected to be more effective than traditional performance-based estimates.

“Even in terms of performance and criteria, it will be part of the discussions to make decisions on the various elements. It’s a little more advanced than the performance specifications,” notes Mr. Henry.

There were concerns that construction costs per unit could reach as high as $800,000.

“We think that by working this way, we’ll bring it into a slightly more acceptable range in the sense that when we have a contractor who responds to a call for tenders, he has to take into account a lot of risk elements. By having it from the start, we’ll eliminate certain risk areas. We have to do the process to see if it’s effective,” explains Mr. Henry.

The group is aiming for a construction cost of under $500,000 per unit.

“We’re taking all the paths to get there. Experience will tell us,” says the director, who points out that this is the group’s biggest project in 40 years of existence.

Les Habitations de la montagne will be housing for all types of residents. If all goes well, construction should begin in 2025, with an inauguration in 2026.

The Federal and Quebec governments are covering 80% of the project’s cost, with the remainder coming from the municipal level.

The town of Gaspé has provided the land for the project, as well as technical assistance and a tax credit worth approximately $8 million.

With an estimated construction cost of $500,000 per unit, the total value of the project is approximately $42 million.

The organization has about fifteen projects in Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, with funding in all the region’s MRCs.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING: A new way of project development to reduce costs Read More »

Impact study questioned by environmental group

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 3, 2024 / caribou, Environnement vert plus, gaspe, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

Environnement vert plus has raised concerns about the credibility of a study conducted by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, which was commissioned by the Regroupement des MRC de la Gaspésie. The study claims that the caribou pilot project could result in significant job losses and an economic downturn of $23 million in Haute-Gaspésie.

Spokesperson for Environnement vert plus, Pascal Bergeron, criticized the report stating, “We find that the report is alarmist and the consequences in terms of job losses are overestimated. The report lacks credibility.”

The environmental group mentions, in particular, a title in the document which states that “Several other projects will be put at risk because of the caribou conservation measures.” Among these are, La source Isabella, the exploitation of critical minerals and Ressources Minières Pélican.

“Regarding Pélican Mineral Resources, we called the promoter and he told us that his project is not on the territory targeted by caribou protection. Of the three projects that were presented and that are at risk, none are actually at risk. For me, statements like that take away a lot of credibility from the report,” says Mr. Bergeron.

“What we feel is that a mandate was given to the firm to find all the possible holes where there could be job losses, make a big addition and produce a figure that would scare people. It succeeded in scaring people, but it has little credibility for the rest,” adds the environmentalist.

Mr. Bergeron is aware that the recreational tourism component could be impacted but blames the Quebec government for its lack of communication following the presentation of the pilot project in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts in April.

“The government did not communicate anything afterward. Benoit Charette, instead of touring Ottawa to prevent the federal government from issuing a decree on a species that he is supposed to protect, should come to Haute-Gaspésie to explain the measures that he wants to implement, to seek out the concerns of people on the ground and to adapt,” suggests Mr. Bergeron.

According to him, Ottawa considers that certain recreational tourism activities are compatible with the protection of caribou.

“Of course, we will not go ski-dooing or four-wheeling on Mount Jacques-Cartier, but for off-trail skiing, there is plenty of room. Areas that have already been devastated by the forestry industry could be used for off-trail skiing. Quebec is doing things halfway,” mentions the spokesperson.

“It would be appropriate to reduce the distribution area, but to increase protection in the immediate perimeter of the Parc de la Gaspésie. We should take the area around the park to restore the habitat rather than having 98% of the telemetric data that imply the same protection measures that do not take into account the uses of the territory,” maintains the environmentalist.

On the forestry aspect, Mr. Bergeron emphasizes that the plan to recover 5,000 hectares of forest damaged by a windfall last December is misleading.

“What science tells us is that it is not in our interest to come and disturb a habitat that has been naturally disturbed. When we read what is said about forest fires, we are going to recover the wood, we are affecting the soil, we are creating entry routes for predators… It is not a good idea. This proposal must be studied more rigorously,” believes Mr. Bergeron.

According to him, the forestry economy is undergoing complete restructuring while there is a major crisis, maintaining that some Quebec sawmills that closed for summer maintenance have not restarted their activities.

“The unions are asking for consolidation because there is too much industrial capacity for the remaining wood. Even if we don’t protect the caribou, would the Gaspésie sawmills stay open? We should stop blaming the caribou for everything and hold a (Quebec-wide) general assembly on the forest,” suggests Mr. Bergeron.

A public consultation regarding the project will conclude on October 31. Mr. Bergeron expressed uncertainty about how much weight Quebec will give to the feedback received. “We understood that there was a strong political game at the Council of Ministers that prevents the work from being done properly. What will be taken into account? The CAQ (Coalition Avenir Québec) will go where the wind blows,” illustrates Mr. Bergeron.

Impact study questioned by environmental group Read More »

Caribou pilot project: 1,000 jobs at risk in Haute-Gaspésie according to study

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / November 3, 2024 / caribou, nelson sergerie, Sainte-Anne-Des-Monts, tourism

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

SAINTE-ANNE-DES-MONTS – A study has concluded that approximately 1,000 jobs are at stake and that there could be a loss of economic spinoffs amounting to $23 million in Haute-Gaspésie if the pilot project to protect caribou, mentioned in the spring, was to be implemented in this territory without modifications.

The document, commissioned by the Table des préfets, highlights concerns raised by the prefect of the MRC, Guy Bernatchez. “I want to emphasize regional solidarity even if it only affects Haute-Gaspésie,” the prefect immediately mentions. “It’s major. We have figures that speak for themselves. It’s big. We have been dreading it for a long time, but with the anticipated declines, it is major,” he noted.

In recreational tourism, the anticipated loss could be as high as 89%. “I admit that it is even more than we thought. The predictability related to our businesses is major,” he says.

This observation raises alarms about the potential disappearance of a sector that has been crucial for the MRC’s development over the past ten years. “Businesses will no longer be able to have predictability. We will no longer have it. We could talk about a loss of almost $23 million just for Haute-Gaspésie. It is major,” mentions Mr. Bernatchez.

This study will be used to complete the brief that the MRC plans to submit during the public consultations on the pilot project. “Recreational tourism, forest management: together, that is more than 1,000 jobs, not to mention the wind industry. We want to position ourselves to have new wind farms. We have the best wind deposits in Quebec. We have social acceptability. We have to give ourselves the chance to be able to do it,” says the prefect.

The MRC of Haute-Gaspésie has 550 kilometres of forest roads. “Our access roads to the territory will suffer in the ranges,” adds Mr. Bernatchez.

“What we are describing, is a minimum of forest management could be done in the caribou range. During the night of December 18 to 19, 5,000 hectares of forest fell due to high winds. The moratorium should be lifted to recover this wood, and bring volumes to our plants. These areas could be redeveloped by our forestry companies. In the future, we will have forests that are favourable for caribou,” illustrates the prefect, who is a trained forest manager.

“There is a central line between the economy and ecology to be reached,” says the prefect, who hopes that the Quebec government will listen to the community for the next steps in the brief that will be submitted.

In June, the MRC had already expressed serious concerns after analyzing the documents submitted for public consultation as part of the pilot project targeting the Gaspésie caribou.

The document was broadly presented on April 30 by the Minister of the Environment, Benoit Charette, during his visit to Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, where he presented the Caribou Protection Plan for the Gaspésie and Charlevoix regions.

This plan, based on the recommendations of the Caribou Commission, was subject to a 90-day public consultation, which was extended until October 31, partly at the request of the MRC of Haute Gaspésie. This plan had received a mixed reception in the MRC, and its analysis confirms the community’s fears.

The MRC had adopted a resolution at the time requesting two key elements from the government: Better communication with the population and a reconsideration of the proposed protection zones.

The project indicated that the habitat zone under restoration represents 5,000 square kilometres, including the zone along the St. Lawrence River and some private woodlots.

The prefect mentioned that this zone was disturbed up to 87% and the objective in the pilot project is to reduce it to 35%.

Caribou pilot project: 1,000 jobs at risk in Haute-Gaspésie according to study Read More »

Early Childhood Education course will once again be offered at Gaspé Cegep

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / October 23, 2024 / CPE, Education, gaspe, nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – Suspended since 2020, the Early Childhood Education course will return to the Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles’ Gaspé campus in the fall of 2025.

To attract candidates to the program at a time when there is a significant shortage of educators, the college is introducing paid internships and employment integration measures, including part-time work in Gaspé’s two Centres de la petite enfance (CPE), which have collaborated to upgrade the program.

“We were inspired by CEGEPs which implemented this new paid internship formula. We went a step further and told the CPEs, ‘Could we integrate them right away with a part-time job?’ and they responded positively. So there’s the paid internship and access to employment,” explains Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles Director of Studies Serge Rochon.

“There’s a desperate need (for early childhood workers),” says Mr. Rochon. Students who take this program are trained to work in childcare centres, as well as, school daycare services.

A vast advertising campaign will be launched not only in the region, but also throughout the province and even internationally.

While consulting with students during group meetings, they showed an interest in such a program. “We think there are people who might be interested in studying in Gaspé. For Quebec students, the Parcours bursary, which helps students move from one region to another, can offer a three-year bursary of $22,500 for students located more than 60 kilometres from Gaspé,” points out Mr. Rochon. This could even attract students from the Bay of Chaleur.

Ultimately, with scholarships and paid work and internships, the cost of students in Gaspé could be mostly covered.

There is a possibility that the CEGEP could relocate the training if the need arises. “But the teaching team wanted to keep the program in-house, since it was simpler to organize the courses. Could the program be relocated to other campuses? These are issues that are on our work table,” says Rochon.

“Educational childcare services are in great need of qualified personnel. We’re delighted to partner with the Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles to help create a unique program that will stand out and attract young people to the profession,” says Mylène Côté, director of CPE Les Butineurs.

Her counterpart at the CPE Le voyage de mon enfance, Gilles Chapados, adds: “The new formula proposed by the CEGEP will enable future educational childcare providers to quickly put their learning into practice, while being remunerated. It’s a win-win situation.”

To relaunch the program, the CEGEP must receive at least seven registrations by March 1, 2025, the admissions deadline. Classes would begin in the fall of 2025.

Early Childhood Education course will once again be offered at Gaspé Cegep Read More »

One thousand additional megawatts for the Eastern Energy Alliance

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / October 23, 2024 / Energy Alliance, Gaspé, nelson sergerie, Windmills

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

KAMOURASKA – After several months of discussions, the Eastern Energy Alliance and Hydro-Québec have entered into a partnership to develop 1,000 megawatts of wind energy in Kamouraska and Témiscouata, in the western Bas-Saint-Laurent region.

The area covered spans 700 square kilometres and is located in the Kamouraska and Témiscouata MRCs. The project is expected to require an estimated investment of $3 billion, as announced in Kamouraska on October 16 alongside Hydro-Québec executives.

“This is excellent news. The Eastern Energy Alliance is pleased with the agreement finally signed this morning in Kamouraska,” says the alliance’s vice-president and mayor of Sainte-Anne-des-Monts.

The alliance has always worked with private partners. However, the operational details with Hydro-Québec are yet to be determined following the signing.

“We have some questions. What was important at the outset was to tie up the strings of the public partners. Now, there will be discussions with the various partners in the community who may want to help us. There will be upcoming discussion tables between Hydro (Quebec) and the alliance. At the moment, we don’t have this information,” says Mr. Deschênes.

Consultations will be held very quickly with the affected communities.

“We must take into account all stakeholders, environmental groups, citizens, land users, First Nations. It was important to make a joint announcement by the public partners. Studies for a series of consultations will be underway by 2026,” says Mr. Deschênes, who is keen to obtain social acceptability.

With the various parks obtained in the latest public calls for tenders, the alliance will coordinate deliveries in the coming years to achieve its objectives. The execution schedule will also be determined.

“But, at the same time, finally, we obtain predictability that our companies did not have before. It is the responsibility of our companies to rehire. I take Marmen as an example, with the reopening of the Matane plant in September. We see that the first player is positioning itself. I think it will be up to the companies to position themselves,” invites the vice-president.

Hydro-Québec announced last summer an initial 3,000 megawatts in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. With the agreement with the Eastern Energy Alliance, the signed total now amounts to 4,000 megawatts.

The public corporation has 10,000 megawatts in its pipeline to order and install by 2035, which means that additional agreements will be needed to cover the remaining 6,000 megawatts.

The alliance is positioning itself for future opportunities.

“There aren’t necessarily any concrete discussions, but we know that Hydro-Québec wants to roll out cable to connect the Gaspé Peninsula. The reason is very simple: we know that there are wind deposits with strong potential in the Eastern Energy Alliance territory. It’s almost obvious that we’re going to have other projects, perhaps through calls for tenders, but at this point, nothing has been decided,” Mr. Deschênes says.

Potential locations have already been identified.

“It is certain that the alliance territory has a strong potential of approximately 8,000 megawatts. There is still room (for growth). That will be seen in the coming months and years,” says the vice-president.

The Eastern Energy Alliance brings together 209 communities, extending from the MRC of Montmagny to the Magdalen Islands, including the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation of the Lower St. Lawrence.

One thousand additional megawatts for the Eastern Energy Alliance Read More »

Rocher-Percé Airport completes its facelift

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / October 23, 2024 / Airport, Grande-Riviere, nelson sergerie, Transportation

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GRANDE-RIVIÈRE – The upgrade of Rocher-Percé Airport in Grande-Rivière is officially completed, with the inauguration of the new terminal on October 16. The building was renovated and expanded at a cost of $2.5 million.

“This is the last step. We have efficient, safe and up-to-date facilities that are adapted for our employees, welcoming passengers with adapted facilities with a reception counter, and a beautiful waiting room. The controller now has a complete view of our runway,” notes Samuel Parisé, Prefect of the Rocher-Percé MRC.

The airport ranks ninth in the province for the number of government planes.

“The plane that lands the most is the ambulance plane. For us, it was a priority. We wanted our population to have access to a fast and efficient service and to leave quickly when they need urgent health services. This is an important aspect,” says the prefect.

When the work to extend the runway was launched, the MRC mentioned the development of cargo and tourist planes.

“What we wanted before sitting down with certain developers was to have efficient and completed facilities. The runway is done, the terminal is done, the equipment has been modernized. We are now ready. When I propose a project, I want it to be complete in order to make the right decision based on what is offered,” says Mr. Parisé.

The airport was originally built in 1986. Diane Lebouthillier, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Gaspésie- Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine recalls that, at one point, elected officials considered abandoning the runway. This reflection occurred when she was the MRC prefect from 2010 to 2015.

“We had major discussions about whether we should keep or close the airport. It was part of the discussions at the time, and the decisions made by the council of mayors were to set aside $1 million for an airport development project. I am happy to see the culmination of the work,” notes Ms. Lebouthillier.

The Canadian government is contributing $1.5 million to modernize the terminal.

“The building we had before had holes, and letters were missing on the Rocher-Percé airport (sign). It was sad,” says Ms. Lebouthillier.

The Québec government advanced $407,000 for this part of the project.

In 2020, the airport saw its runway extended, and both the weather station and runway lighting were upgraded at a cost of $10.4 million. At the time, the Québec government provided $8.3 million in assistance for the work.

With the completion of this project at the Rocher-Percé airport, all airports in Gaspésie – Bonaventure, Gaspé and Sainte-Anne-des-Monts – will have been upgraded.

“It’s strategic. It’s an essential component of air positioning in our region. The Québec government has a clear vision, a vision that leverages infrastructure. We have just reached an important milestone in our territory,” says Gaspé MNA Stéphane Sainte-Croix.

Now, the focus is on attracting more planes.

“The big challenge is to make air transportation accessible to our community, to ensure that carriers have an interest. There is incredible potential here in terms of tourism, with the proximity of Percé Rock and the Pointe sector. There are opportunities to work on to restore air transportation to its full potential. We will soon be providing details for our upcoming programs,” says Mr. Sainte-Croix.

“We are working on our support measures that encourage customers to turn more often to air transportation. We should be able to announce all of that soon,” he adds.

Timeline:

1986: The first runway was built at 1,600 feet.

1991: Runway extended to 4,000 feet and asphalted; and construction of the first terminal.

2020: Extension of the runway.

2021: A Boeing 737 lands at the airport for the first time.

2022: Start of work to expand the terminal.

2024: Inauguration of the new terminal.

Rocher-Percé Airport completes its facelift Read More »

Quebec government sinks the Blue Zone

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / October 23, 2024 / Blue Zone, Gaspé, nelson sergerie, Stéphane Sainte-Croix

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GRANDE-RIVIÈRE – The Quebec government has rejected the Blue Economy Innovation Zone after four years of efforts and investments.

Gaspé Member of the National Assembly (MNA), Stéphane Sainte-Croix, first mentioned this during a press briefing on October 15 in Gaspé, before the Blue Zone board of directors confirmed the information shortly after.

“The concept of developing a blue innovation zone would not go forward according to the established criteria,” said the MNA.

“There was essentially a lack of private investment in the project, and the governance issues in recent months weakened the issue. It is a rational decision, not an easy one considering the effort people have put into the project for many years. We are not throwing in the towel, but we are reconsidering an approach that would be more, I also think, up to the level of the region and respond to our challenges,” explains Mr. Sainte-Croix.

The promoters of the Blue Zone mentioned $750 million in investments, including $250 million in the region.

“It is not so much about whether investments were sufficient. It is in terms of carrying out concrete projects. We had difficulty aligning the notion of investment with the notion of project development,” specifies the MNA.

Allegations surrounding project manager Martin Beaulieu regarding the management of organizations in Rimouski have undermined confidence.

“It did not help the cause in terms of a relationship of trust and in terms of results. Budgets were committed, steps were taken, and it did not arrive to the satisfaction of the parties,” mentions the MNA cautiously.

The Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy had granted $150,000 for the first steps and mentioned that it would not finance the creation of a more ambitious industrial cluster.

“It’s a big disappointment given that we’ve been working on this project for four years,” says the mayor of Grande-Rivière and Blue Zone administrator, Gino Cyr.

The mayor recalls that on December 9, 2022, the organization was told that it had passed all the administrative steps, and a meeting with former minister Pierre Fitzgibbon was held in November 2023 to ensure a designation.

“At that time, we were still going for a designation. There were elements raised such as promising projects in each of the regions, at the governance level and ensuring private investments during an announcement,” says Mr. Cyr. The mayor recalled that a 2022 study established the value of landings at $329 million and economic spinoffs of $157 million in the Rocher-Percé MRC.

He had letters from companies that were investing $10 to $15 million of the $250 million.

“Except that what was requested was to ensure that there was a promising foreign investment, particularly in aquaculture. We had two companies ready to invest, but when they want to invest in Canada, it is easier in the Maritime provinces than in Quebec. It was a major constraint and we had expressed it. I can tell you that of the $746 million, when we added these private investments, we raised the project to perhaps $1.5 billion,” notes Mr. Cyr.

“It was the politician who made the final decision. We were given to understand the possibility of working on a promising project for Grande-Rivière and Rimouski. We are talking about an innovation centre. We have decided to continue working together to maintain cohesion,” adds the mayor of Grande-Rivière.

“We will have a residual amount to develop a business plan on a promising file that we would like to implement by March 31, 2025,” Mr. Cyr says.

“We know that our application file was of high quality and all government analysts have confirmed to us that we have successfully passed the administrative process requests. The Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie had decided to rally the forces of the two regions around a common project at the request of the government and we are betting on continuing the efforts already undertaken. The stakeholders from all the sectors concerned have built a synergy that allows us to work towards success,” comments his colleague from Rimouski, Guy Caron.

Quebec government sinks the Blue Zone Read More »

WIND ENERGY: Gaspé Mayor Discusses with Quebec Government

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / October 23, 2024 / Eastern Energy Alliance, gaspe, nelson sergerie, Wind Energy

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – On October 14, Gaspé Mayor discussed with the Minister Delegate for the Economy, Christopher Skeete, the importance of including Quebec and regional content in Hydro-Québec’s upcoming agreements for 10,000 megawatts of wind energy set to be produced by 2035.

This follows the mayor’s earlier push at the end of September, which led to a debate in the National Assembly. However, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government refused to debate a motion from the Parti Québécois on October 10, closing the door on a formal discussion at that level.

Despite this, Daniel Côté sees a form of openness after the discussion with Christopher Skeete who was accompanied by Gaspé Member of the National Assembly (MNA), Stéphane Sainte-Croix. “There are different possibilities that I perhaps didn’t see at the outset. There are legal mechanisms that allow the government to have a certain form of protectionism. That’s not how it’s written in the law but it gives the government a certain amount of leeway than I had initially estimated,” says the mayor.

“But I still feel the absence of mandatory local, regional or national content. Nothing would prevent Hydro-Québec from buying blades in China. I understand that, politically, they will want to support Quebec’s purchase of Quebec components, and I understand that there is a political orientation. I am partially reassured, but I would also like people in the industry to be reassured. It’s too important to say that I’m throwing in the towel and closing the file,” he says, recalling that Quebec will never be able to compete against China, which could dump manufactured products from Asia. “If our products are good elsewhere, they should be good for Quebec. If they are competitive on the American and global markets, they should be for Quebec,” adds Mr. Côté.

The vice-president of the Eastern Energy Alliance and mayor of Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, Simon Deschênes, indicates that the organization has already had these discussions.

“We have not taken a clear position on regional content or Quebec content. Where I have a reservation is that if I take the example of LM Wind Power, 100% of their production was exported outside Canada. By imposing Quebec content, we must ensure that we are not played tricks by other countries that our companies export to and also do good business in these countries. We must find a way through but, yes, I am in favour of Quebec content,” declares the vice-president. “Our basic mission is to promote the development of the wind energy sector in Eastern Quebec and to invest to obtain significant economic benefits for each of the communities of Gaspésie, the Magdalen Islands, Bas-Saint-Laurent and the MRCs of l’Islet and Montmagny,” recalls Mr. Deschênes.

“It is up to Quebec companies to position themselves well with the predictability that we currently have with the development of the wind energy sector,” says Mr. Deschênes.

Participatory budget

Gaspé’s first participatory budget initiative, which allows citizens to submit and vote on local projects, has proven to be a success. Seventeen projects were submitted, with six qualifying and five advancing to a public vote.

“It is a very good turnout. We are in a test year. I will admit: we were very unstructured this year and, despite everything, it is a big turnout with several projects submitted,” comments the mayor.

Projects up for public voting include a local product sales point in Douglastown at a cost of $50,000, the development of a multi-sports field at Sandy Beach estimated at $17,000, a drinking water system at Charlie O’Brien Park via a cistern system in Haldimand that would cost $30,000, new play modules at Saint-Paul School in the Saint-Maurice-de-l’Échouerie sector at $50,000 and a pickleball court in Cap-aux-Os at an expense of $23,000.

The town of Gaspé had budgeted $50,000 for this first edition.

“There are projects under $50,000. It is possible that if two projects under $50,000 are ranked in the first results, we will carry out more than one,” maintains the elected official. Voting will end on November 14.

Without officially announcing the return of the participatory budget in 2025, Daniel Côté clearly wants it to return.

“We haven’t made a final decision at the council but, seeing the enthusiasm, I think the council will have a favourable bias for 2025,” suggests the mayor.

WIND ENERGY: Gaspé Mayor Discusses with Quebec Government Read More »

Author name: The Gaspé Spec