Author name: The Gaspé Spec

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

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , ,

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 / / / , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , , ,

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 / / / , ,

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 / / / , ,

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 / / / , , , ,

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 / / / , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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. 

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 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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , ,

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 / / / ,

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 / / / , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , , ,

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 / / / , , , , ,

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 / / / , ,

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. 

“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…,” says the outgoing chief. 

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 / / / , , ,

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 »

GASPÉ MINES:   Côte-de-Gaspé and Osisko Discuss Environmental Concerns 

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – Environmental protection was the main point of discussion on October 9 between elected officials of the Côte-de-Gaspé MRC and the mining company Osisko, which wants to restart the exploitation of Mines Gaspé in Murdochville at the end of the decade. 

The prefect, Daniel Côté, believes that the project is well received by the community. “What we appreciate about the company is that from the start of the exploration work, they put themselves in front of the population to receive questions and give answers. They have an attitude of transparency that is appreciated,” notes the prefect. 

Company executives have held three information meetings in Murdochville since the revival of the mining project and met with elected officials from Côte-de-Gaspé on October 9. 

They had questions about environmental impacts, social issues, where the workers will eventually come from and how the economic benefits will be distributed to ensure maximum economic benefits. 

“The port of Sandy Beach is the largest port nearby. We want to use it. We will have a (repaired) railway when the mine is in operation. We are looking at all the development tools around it,” notes the prefect, recalling that at the time, all the surrounding communities benefited from concrete benefits. 

The company indicated in the last citizen information meeting in September that it plans to use the train to transport ore to the Horne smelter in Rouyn-Noranda. 

“Environmental concerns, particularly the impact of the dewatering of the pit on the York River. We don’t want economic development at all costs without considering all the other axes. We couldn’t afford to sacrifice the York River and Gaspé Bay for jobs. We’re going to stay on the lookout for all the environmental aspects that will have impacts,” notes Mr. Côté.

The company anticipates approximately 1,000 jobs during construction and between 300 and 500 jobs during operation.

“I expect these jobs to be well-paid, but we will have to seize opportunities around resource extraction and avoid harmful impacts when the mine closes. We experienced it in Murdochville: when the mine and the smelter closed, the town had difficulty recovering,” analyzes the elected official.

The minimal royalties planned for the community will have to be reviewed.

“Quebec pockets nice royalties, but they are low for the community. There will have to be discussions with government authorities so that there are additional royalties for the community to plan for ‘after the mine’, to
avoid the economic crash like we experienced in 2000,” Mr. Côté maintains.

The prefect senses a real concern for environmental protection on the part of Osisko

“We feel that there is a real concern. When we ask questions, there are answers. At least, it’s a winner. We
saw companies in the oil era that, when we asked questions, we got no answers. This time, we have clear answers,” he says, adding that Quebec environmental standards must be respected.

“I hope that there will be quite pronounced vigilance because this is an industry that could have environmental impacts. For now, transparency is required within the company and we will ensure that the Ministry of the Environment does its job so that we do not escape it,” demands the elected official.

Daniel Côté does not believe that we will see a population of around 5,000 people again, like in the town’s golden age.

“Unless we are able to build an economic fabric around the revenue generated by the mine. With 300 to 500 employees, we will not be able to house them in Murdochville or even in the surrounding area,” the elected official pointed out, noting that the vacancy rate is 1% in Gaspé.

“These are probably workers who will be there until 2050 or 2060. So, there is a prospect of profitability in housing construction. This is where we will have to convince real estate investors to redeploy housing in Murdochville, Gaspé, Grande-Vallée, Cloridorme and elsewhere and ensure that these workers live in the territory to avoid fly-in, fly-out,” said the prefect who hopes to maximize the economic benefits in the region.

GASPÉ MINES:   Côte-de-Gaspé and Osisko Discuss Environmental Concerns  Read More »

ESSB partners in launching Construction Equipment Operator course

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Eastern Shores School Board and the Chic Chocs School Service Centre will be the third in Quebec to offer the Construction Equipment Operator course at the start of the 2025 school year. 

The two organizations have obtained approval from the Quebec government to offer this training, which has been available since 2019 in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts through the Chic-Chocs, in partnership with the Navigateurs School Service Centre in Lévis, and since 2021 by Eastern Shores in New Carlisle, in collaboration with the Littoral School Service Centre on the North Shore. “It’s a very attractive program for our youth, and it’s a program that’s in high demand given the shortage of personnel in the construction sector,” says the interim director of the Chic-Chocs, Josée Synnott. 

 “It’s excellent news for our school board because it’s a permanent card. It’s a very appealing card. The demand is there to graduate many young people, who won’t have to leave the region to take the training. Companies are also asking us to train young people,” says Denise Simoneau, Director of Eastern Shores. 

Previously, the training was only offered in Quebec City or the South Shore of Montreal. At Eastern Shores, about sixty young people have been waiting to access the training. 

“It could go to about twenty young people per cohort,” says Ms. Simoneau. 

The training is offered at the Anchor in New Carlisle. 

“We’re not limited.” With a permanent card, we can offer training on the North Shore because we have a very large territory,” says the director of Eastern Shores. 

This is a project that has been in the Chic-Chocs’ plans for about fifteen years for Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. 

“This is a project that everyone in Haute-Gaspésie has dreamed of. The partnership with the Centre de services scolaire des Navigateurs allowed the Centre de services scolaire des Chic-Chocs to develop expertise. The same goes for Eastern Shores, which had provided training with provisional authorization to develop expertise with this program,” says Ms. Synnott. 

Infrastructure such as a school construction site is already in place but machinery will have to be purchased from the Chic-Chocs. 

“We have a team of competent teachers. There will be purchases to be made in terms of machinery. Having the infrastructure will reduce the cost of implementation,” notes Ms. Synnott, who could not yet quantify the investments required. 

“We still have a lot of things to tie up. We just got the information that we have the program,” added the interim director. 

This first partnership between the two entities could lead to other collaborations. 

“We hope to work on other programs. We will sit down together. We realize that by joining forces, it is a win-win situation. With the expertise of both organizations, it helps us offer more programs and see how we can work together,” said Ms. Simoneau. 

“We are not there yet. This is a first. We could start with our current programs and see what could be done,” noted Ms. Synnott. 

“I am very happy for the young people in the region, whether Francophone, Anglophone or Indigenous, who are interested in a career in construction. The collaboration between the parties deserves to be highlighted,” said Gaspé Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Stéphane Sainte-Croix. 

Guy Bernatchez, the prefect of Haute-Gaspésie, is also pleased with the continuation of the course in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. He notes that the course had been requested for several years. However, the challenge of housing for future students remains. 

The MRC supports the Centre de services scolaire des Chic-Chocs in finding solutions. “They must continue to put pressure on their (Education) ministry. We must renovate the old residences in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts that are abandoned. This could create housing for future students,” notes the prefect. 

ESSB partners in launching Construction Equipment Operator course Read More »

Concerns about the quality of service at the future Gaspé blood testing centre 

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

 GASPÉ – Users of the Côte-de-Gaspé local health network are concerned about the quality of services at the future blood testing and vaccination centre that will soon be operating at a shopping centre in Gaspé. 

Patients feel that the chosen location, the Place Jacques-Cartier shopping centre, “is not very healthy” and that parking there is already very difficult. 

It is also noted that the escalators providing access to the upper floors are often out of service. Others mentioned that the elevator would not allow paramedics to evacuate patients from this location. Hemodialysis care activist Jean Lapointe had already expressed reservations about the development of the centre in a commercial complex, questioning the quality of the services that will be offered there due to these issues. 

At the Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre (CISSS), spokesperson Lou Landry wrote by email that “the owner of Place Jacques-Cartier has added parking spaces for people with disabilities, and the elevator is accessible. The Gaspé Peninsula CISSS places great importance on the accessibility of the location it uses and will continue to evaluate all possible options to improve this situation, according to the needs of the population,” states the email. 

The CISSS explains that the transfer from the hospital centre to the new site is necessary because the spaces currently used will be required to provide patient care. The e dubbed a “multi-service centre” by Quebec last spring aims to create a service hub in a single location. In addition to Gaspé, the CISSS is targeting similar sites in Paspebiac, Grande-Rivière, Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, Pointe-à-la-Croix and New Richmond. 

In the Quebec government plan, these sites will offer vaccinations, blood tests and screening services. The Quebec government believes that the establishment of these centres will improve access to preventive health services. 

Paying to get care 

A patient who requested anonymity for the moment deplores being forced to pay for travel expenses between the Bay of Chaleur and Gaspé to receive care specific to his condition. The individual must travel 372 kilometres round trip to obtain recurring treatment. However, the travel does not fit into the pilot project launched in the spring to support people who travel more than 200 kilometres to receive a series of treatments for the same care on a three-month basis. 

The patient mentioned that the treatment was recurrent, but administered as needed. He received treatment in May and again in August, exceeding the three-month limit. 

The person appealed to the Gaspé Peninsula CISSS Complaints Commissioner to try to draw attention to his situation. 

The CISSS responded that the formula was more generous than elsewhere in Quebec and that an analysis would be conducted at the end of the project, on March 31, adding that no further developments were planned.  

Concerns about the quality of service at the future Gaspé blood testing centre  Read More »

Gaspé Peninsula: The number of family doctors remains stable

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

 GASPÉ – Even though the Gaspé Peninsula receives an average of 10 to 15 family doctors each year as part of the Medical Staffing Plan for the Regions, the Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centres (CISSS) is struggling to make net gains. This year, Québec will be deploying nearly 500 doctors to the different regions of the province. 

“We regularly manage to fill these positions. However, the allocation of positions does not guarantee an increase in staff, because it also includes replacements for departures either because of retirement or going to other regions,” explains the assistant director of the professional services department, Jean-François Sénéchal. 

Over the past five years, more doctors have been trained. “But the end result is that we don’t see that things are much better than before. We manage to fill the departures. We remain stable,” notes Mr. Sénéchal. 

Haute-Gaspésie has a significant need. Retirements in Rocher-Percé, Bay of Chaleur and Haute-Gaspésie are leading the CISSS to assign more doctors to these local health networks. 

The situation for medical specialists remains stable. “Things are going very well in internal medicine, general surgery and anesthesia. The very good news is that we filled our positions in geriatrics during the year. We will have two geriatricians to cover the region’s needs starting this fall, something we have never experienced historically,” he states. The region has been requesting geriatricians for a long time, notably from the former Member of the National Assembly for Bonaventure, Sylvain Roy. 

Orthopedics, ophthalmology and psychiatry are the three sectors where the CISSS wants to recruit in the short term. Chandler Hospital has struggled to fill radiologist positions. “Things have improved a lot. We have a radiologist who started in September, and we are also expecting a second radiologist in Rocher-Percé in the next two years,” says Mr. Sénéchal. 

The Gaspé Peninsula CISSS has participated in several events organized by various medical associations to recruit medical students. “That’s where we make our most serious sales presentations to pique the curiosity of medical resident candidates who we will invite to visit us and who we will perhaps hook and recruit in the months that follow,” he explains. 

The area’s natural beauty and lifestyle are highlighted to attract potential recruits. “Our environment, our living environment, is a very important selling point. These are often people who love the outdoors and their facility would allow them to flourish.” When we meet people, we praise our living environment and our surroundings and we see right away if they are interested. We will push these aspects of having family activities and starting a family in a healthy environment,” comments Mr. Sénéchal. 

The versatility of practicing medicine in the Gaspé Peninsula also serves as an argument to attract them. Approximately 234 doctors currently work at the Gaspé Peninsula CISSS. 

Gaspé Peninsula: The number of family doctors remains stable Read More »

Capital expenditures: $5M cut at the Gaspé Peninsula CISSS

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

 GASPÉ – The Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre (CISSS) is facing a significant budget cut, reducing its funding for infrastructure maintenance and improvements from $24 million to $15 million this year. This follows similar reductions at the Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles and the school service centres. 

“For the past five or six years, we’ve had our foot on the accelerator and we have done a lot of renovations and upgrades because the budgets were available. We have a good team in the technical department and we were able to take advantage of room for maneuvering that was not used in other establishments,” says President and Chief Executive Officer Martin Pelletier. 

The Gaspé Peninsula CISSS carried out several transformations because its team was very efficient, which was recognized by the Ministry of Health, according to Mr. Pelletier. This was an advantage that the regional network had over others across Quebec. 

However, the room for maneuvering is no longer available. “We have to slow down and restrict ourselves to our annual plan without being able to get ahead of anything else. We have work started in 2023 that should last two years. In 2024-2025, we had a program and now we have to balance the budget with provisions that have disappeared.  There  are projects in the program that will have to be delayed,” notes Mr. Pelletier. 

All institutions within the health network are affected. “Here, we will go with the most urgent,” he says. 

This reduction in funding comes amid similar cuts announced in other government sectors. For example, the region’s school service centres are seeing a $7.7 million cut from their capital budgets for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. 

The René-Lévesque School Service Centre is the most affected with a $6 million cut, seeing the envelope go from $16.6 million to approximately $10 million this year. 

Like the CISSS, the school service centre must not only review the work planned for the coming year, but also for the next five years, prioritizing projects that have an impact on health and safety and the sustainability of buildings. 

At the Chic-Chocs School Service Centre, the reduction is $1.7 million. 

The Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles also faces significant cuts. Initially expecting $7.8 million for 2024-2025, it was surprised to find its funding capped at $2.2 million until March 31, 2025. When factoring in specific project funds, a total of $4.6 million is now authorized. 

The Cegep director, Yolaine Arseneau, was worried because the spending cap meant that the institution had no room to maneuver if an event occurred that was not anticipated, such as a leaking roof or a furnace that failed. 

Capital expenditures: $5M cut at the Gaspé Peninsula CISSS Read More »

 Midterm review for Catherine Blouin

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

CARLETON-SUR-MER – Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for Bonaventure, Catherine Blouin, has announced her intention to run for a second term in the October 2026 general election. 

In an interview, marking the halfway point of her term, the MNA was asked to comment on the announcement of Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy’s departure at the end of her current term, citing the difficulty of balancing family life with young children and her role as MNA. 

Catherine Blouin, who has two children slightly older than her colleague, acknowledges the challenge. “I’m not going to hide the fact that it is a challenge. It requires a lot of organization and I understand Marwah’s situation and I would have made the same decision if my children were the same age as hers. My daughters are a little older, and I consider the situation to be a little different,” says Ms. Blouin. 

Pausing for a few seconds in her response, she adds: “I’m not the only one who has a logistical challenge with my family. I think of nurses or a single parent every other week, or the fly-in-fly-outs. I don’t want to complain: it means I’m away from my children three nights a week, several weeks a year,” she continues. 

However, it is a privilege for her daughters to see the workings of Parliament and the MNA feels an awakening for political life. “I’m lucky. It’s going very well,” she says. 

“If things continue in this direction, it (my decision) will be in ‘yes’ column. I’ll be a candidate in 2026,” she clearly states. 

On the balance sheet, the cellular coverage for which consultations are being conducted by Telus for the installation of towers and the electoral map saga are the two major elements that Catherine Blouin brings up in the midterm assessment. 

“When I think of all the work done on this file and the safeguarding of the two ridings in the Gaspésie, the protection of the political weight of the Gaspésie, it is a great source of pride,” emphasizes the elected official. 

Several everyday issues impacting citizens have been resolved. Ms. Blouin notes that 95% of her work moves in that direction. “This is what motivates me the most to continue to advance files. It makes a real difference. That’s why we want to get into politics. In any case, in my case, it was to help people concretely and help my region. When we get calls from happy citizens, it feels good. We  tell ourselves that we are in the right place,” mentions Ms. Blouin. 

With two years left in the current mandate, housing and daycare spaces remain among her top priorities. “There are several spaces that have been delivered, several housing units that have been built. There are still several sites under construction. We will have to work hard to deliver all the expected daycare spaces and support the many developers who are raising their hands,” says the MNA, who wants to seize all the opportunities. 

On railway issues, unlike her colleague from Gaspé, Stéphane Sainte-Croix, who says he doubts that a train will arrive in Gaspé in December 2026, Catherine Blouin understands that the deadline is tight. “When I ask questions, I am told that it is possible,” she says, while the estimate from the Ministry of Transport states that the construction period is 28 months. The contract for the last of the four major calls for tenders has still not been awarded. 

The MNA remains cautious about the start of construction work on the new emergency and intensive care unit at Maria Hospital. The Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre (CISSS) is in discussions with engineering firms to choose one of them to assess the building’s capacity to take on more infrastructure. 

Although she isn’t ready to commit to saying the first nail will be driven before the end of her term, she is optimistic. “It is certainly desirable. We had done what was necessary to speed up the process. The last news was that the contract had not yet been awarded. We are continuing to monitor it very closely. Every week, I look at where we are. My wish is really to advance the project considerably,” explains the Bonaventure MNA. 

Regarding gasoline prices, which vary significantly within her riding, seeing very low prices in the west of the county and very high prices in the east, she acknowledges the issue. 

“I am very sensitive to the issues surrounding the price of gasoline because it is an essential daily expense,” mentions the elected official, mentioning the tabling of the report that was submitted and that a parliamentary committee is looking into the matter. 

“We are currently evaluating what we can do to ensure that Quebecers pay a fair price,” she adds. 

Her colleague from Gaspé, Stéphane Sainte-Croix, has indicated he will not conduct a midterm review but will focus on the current parliamentary session, which ends in December. 

 Midterm review for Catherine Blouin Read More »

The arrival of the first train in Gaspé might only happen in early 2027

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI journalist

 GASPÉ – The Gaspé riding Member of the National Assembly (MNA), Stéphane Sainte-Croix, makes no secret of the fact that the first train may not arrive at the Gaspé station in December 2026, as previously announced in June 2023. 

The last of the four major calls for tenders for the railway refurbishment between Port Daniel-Gascons and Gaspé, which were launched in March, opened on September 18. The announcement for that stretch was first made in November 2023, by Premier François Legault during his visit to the Gaspé Peninsula. 

However, according to the Quebec government’s electronic tendering site the contract has not yet been awarded, 

The estimate indicates that the expected duration of the contract without options is 28 months, which means the deadline is February 2027. 

“Following the opening, we are faced with the possibility that we will push back the agreed schedule. We will see with the selected bidders the state of play along the way but, indeed, we may have a challenge in terms of the schedule for the rest of things,” says Stéphane Sainte-Croix. “It is hasty to agree on the schedule, considering the discussions that will take place with the selected company, but it (a delay) is a possibility,” he adds. 

The commitment to refurbish the railroad to Gaspé remains strong. “Our objective has not changed: ensuring the complete connection of the Gaspé Peninsula railway to Gaspé remains a priority for all elected officials in the region and for mobilizing the government. That has not changed,” assures the MNA. 

His colleague from Bonaventure is a little more optimistic. “When I ask questions (to the Ministry of Transport), they tell me it’s possible,” affirms Catherine Blouin. 

After nine deadlines for the opening of bids for the call for tenders launched on March 21, the envelopes for two proposals received by the Ministry of Transport were opened on September 18. Pomerleau is requesting $258 million, while Partenariat Ferroviaire Gaspésie is proposing $286 million to carry out the projects in the plans and specifications. 

The work involves repairing two bridges in Gascons, the long bridge between Gascons and Newport, and another such structure in Newport, as well as the one in Douglastown at the mouth of the Saint-Jean River. Additionally, one of the two bridges between Grande-Rivière and Sainte-Thérèse-de-Gaspé must be replaced and a retaining wall in Pabos Mills is part of the bid. 

Quebec announced $872 million to rehabilitate the rail between Matapedia and Gaspé on June 27, 2023. The section between Caplan and Port-Daniel-Gascons must be fun  tional at the end of the current year. 

Exploramer’s expansion still assessed by the Quebec government 

Meanwhile, despite comments on social media to the effect that the additional aid requested to build the shark pool at the Exploramer museum in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts had been rejected, the MNA for Gaspé says that is not the case. 

“The file remains at the same level. We are still waiting for the update of the reviewed and corrected project in terms of the business plan and new financial assistance to be received,” mentions Mr. Sainte-Croix. 

According to him, communications are still happening, and the documents are pending. 

The MNA hopes that this matter will be resolved quickly in order to not compromise the 2025 tourist season. 

“Haute-Gaspésie cannot afford to lose its economic assets. This is an important one for the tourism industry. We hope to reach an agreement soon on the revision or maintenance of the assistance already granted. That is our wish,” he adds. 

Quebec had already granted $11 million of the initial $18 million for the renovation and construction of a pavilion dedicated to the museum’s St. Lawrence sharks. 

In March, after a meeting with stakeholders from Haute-Gaspésie, Stéphane Sainte-Croix mentioned that the project had changed significantly, as the aquarium expanded substantially without having previously notified the ministerial authorities, increasing the cost of the aquarium from $2.7 million to $12.7 million, “an increase of 370%, this is not normal,” adds the MNA. 

In this context, the MNA added that the Quebec government could not assume the new project alone. 

Exploramer is facing cost overruns of around $6.8 million. The museum has indicated it is prepared to make an additional effort by borrowing an extra $1 million. 

The arrival of the first train in Gaspé might only happen in early 2027 Read More »

Early Detection of Breast Cancer: A Lifesaving Measure

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Holly Smith, Penny MacWhirter, LJI Journalists

cancer remains one of the most common cancers affecting Canadians, but early detection can make a significant difference in outcomes for both women and men. Understanding the importance of early detection and regular screening can create successful treatments and better survival rates. 

According to the Canadian Cancer Society website, in 2024, an estimated 30,500 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and about 5,500 will die from the disease. This makes breast cancer the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the country. 

Emphasis on early detection of breast cancer can dramatically improve the chances of successful treatment. When breast cancer is detected early, in the localized stage, the 5-year survival rate is 99%. This statistic shows the importance of regular screenings and self-examinations. 

For women, mammograms are the most effective tool for detecting breast cancer early. The Canadian Cancer Society recommends that women aged 50 to 74 have a mammogram every two to three years. For women with a higher risk of breast cancer, such as those with a family history of the disease, screenings may start earlier or be conducted more often. 

Judy Mann Fitzgerald speaks from experience. She found her breast cancer through self-examination. “I felt a bump that I never noticed before when getting dressed.” Early detection played a critical role in her treatment plan as she embarked on a journey of chemotherapy and surgery. 

Judy also shared the emotional side of her diagnosis. “At first, I was scared,” she admits, “I hoped that I had found it fast enough. I was scared that I wouldn’t be around to be with my husband, kids, or have a chance to watch my grandchildren grow.” Like many, the fear of the unknown and the uncertainties of treatment weighed heavily on her mind. 

Despite these challenges, Judy remained focused on survival, even as she faced difficult physical changes. “I had to do chemotherapy. Losing my hair was hard, but I was so determined to survive to be with my family that a bit of hair didn’t mean anything. I kept telling myself that it would grow back.” 

Judy emphasizes that support from family and friends can be vital during the cancer journey. “With big events like cancer, you learn quickly who your friends are,” she reflects, “They are the ones who are always there to listen, call to check on you, offer to take you to appointments, or even just sit in silence.” For those who may not have the support they need, community organizations and support groups can offer additional help. While Judy wishes she had known more about these resources, she credits her husband and family for being her rock throughout the experience. 

Breast cancer is a serious health issue in Canada, affecting thousands of women and men each year. Judy Mann Fitzgerald’s story highlights the importance of early detection, emotional resilience, and the support of loved ones in overcoming the disease. Her advice to others? “Think about your family and loved ones and only have positive vibes. Never give up hope. You can get through the most difficult times.” 

While most people associate breast cancer with women, men are also at risk, though at much lower rates. 

For men, breast cancer is much rarer but still poses a risk. Approximately 290 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024, with about 60 deaths resulting from the disease. While these numbers are significantly lower than those for women, they highlight the importance of awareness and early detection among men as well. 

Men, on the other hand, are less likely to be aware of their risk for breast cancer. Because breast cancer is so rare in men, there is no general screening program. However, men with a family history of breast cancer or certain genetic mutations, such as BRCA1 or BRCA2, should talk to their doctor about screening. Like women, men should also be aware of any changes in their breast tissue, such as lumps, and go to see a healthcare provider if they notice anything unusual. 

Both men and women should remain vigilant about changes in their breast tissue, discuss any concerns with a healthcare provider, and remember that early detection can indeed save lives. 

Early Detection of Breast Cancer: A Lifesaving Measure Read More »

Services for Cancer Patients: How organizations are making a difference

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Holly Smith, Penny MacWhirter, LJI Journalists

NEW CARLISLE: – Living with cancer is one of life’s most difficult challenges, but for residents of the Gaspé Coast, several organizations provide vital support. Among these, the Organisme gaspésien pour les personnes atteintes de cancer (OGPAC), the Gaspé Cancer Foundation, and the Linda LeMore Brown Foundation (LLB) play crucial roles in helping cancer patients and their families navigate this difficult journey. 

OGPAC: Since its founding in 1984, OGPAC has worked tirelessly to support those affected by cancer. Offering a range of free and confidential services, the organization helps patients and caregivers navigate the physical, emotional, and practical challenges that come with a cancer diagnosis. From the Peer Mentors Program, which connects patients with others who have faced similar struggles, to providing hair and breast prostheses (temporary or permanent), headpieces (hats and scarves, with or without fringes) and post-operative bras. OGPAC addresses the needs of patients with a comprehensive approach. “We are here for people with cancer and their caregivers,” says Manon Lebrun OGPAC interim director. “Our support and accompaniment service is offered free of charge and in complete confidentiality at our offices in Maria or at our service points.” she adds. 

OGPAC has centres, located in Maria and Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, which provide patients and families with books, guides, and multimedia resources on topics like cancer treatment, relaxation techniques, nutrition, and spirituality. Additionally, their popular “Cafés-Rencontres” offers an open and welcoming space for individuals to recharge, reflect, and share experiences with others, all while listening to expert talks from oncology professionals. 

Over the years, the OGPAC has experienced significant growth. The territory served has expanded: it now extends from Shigawake to L’Ascension-de-Patapédia (MRC Avignon and Bonaventure). states Ms. Lebrun. 

OGPAC’s primary goal for the coming years is to raise awareness about its services. Many residents of the Gaspé region remain unaware of the resources available to them, and the organization is working hard to increase its visibility through outreach and partnerships with local media. 

Gaspé Cancer Foundation: Another key player in cancer care on the Gaspé Coast is the Gaspé Cancer Foundation. The Gaspé Cancer Foundation was founded in 2003 and was an initiative of Noreen Hackett. The mission of the Foundation is to provide nondiscriminatory and confidential travel assistance to cancer patients of the Gaspé MRC from Grande-Vallée to Corner of the Beach including Murdochville, who have to travel to Montreal, Quebec, Sherbrooke, Rivière du Loup, Rimouski and Chandler for treatment. 

The Foundation has made a tremendous contribution in these communities by dispersing over $500,000 over the last 21 years. In order to be able to carry out its duties, the Gaspé Cancer Foundation relies on the sale of membership cards, donations, Memoriam cards and fundraisers. “The generosity of many in the communities has been outstanding, with fundraisers such as spaghetti suppers, bingos, and tickets for drawings of many valuable prizes donated by businesses and individuals. Those donating $10 or more receive a tax receipt,” says Gaspé Cancer Foundation Secretary Debbie Sams. 

To be eligible for travel assistance from the Gaspé Cancer Foundation, you must have a membership card, in good standing for at least one month. The cost of an annual membership is $15 for one adult or $25 for a couple. Children under 18 are free, if the parent has a membership. “Once diagnosed with cancer, the oncology department in Gaspé will provide you with a form that has to be signed by the attending physician at the hospital you have to be treated at, or you can print off a form on the Gaspé Cancer Foundation website at www.fcg-gcf.com. To clarify though, when having to go for radiation in Rimouski, for example, for a set amount of treatments, you will not be paid to travel back and forth home on weekends before the treatments are finished. Follow-up trips will be covered when sent by your physician. If you need help in Quebec City, we partner with “Liaison/Translator” or English patients going there for treatments,” explains Ms. Sams. 

When asked what the biggest challenge the organization faces, Ms. Sams noted that getting known in the French community is one of their biggest challenges. She also says it’s important to make the distinction that “The Gaspé Cancer Foundation is not part of the Canadian Cancer Society, that it was formed to give financial aid to those living in our designated area so the funds raised are put back in the communities. The Foundation functions on an entirely volunteer basis and no one receives a salary.” 

Gaspé Cancer Foundation, since the beginning in 2003, we have heard so many wonderful and appreciative stories from cancer patients who have taken advantage of our travel assistance program. Being helped financially for travel has taken away part of their struggle. So, for just $15 a year, why not help out a neighbour or friend because there aren’t many families that haven’t been afflicted by this dreaded disease,” says Ms. Sams. 

If you are interested in purchasing a membership or memoriam card, it can be done on the organization’s website. 

Linda LeMore-Brown Foundation (LLB): The Linda Lemore Brown Foundation was formed in 2002 with the goal of providing non-discriminatory financial aid to cancer patients living in the MRC of Bonaventure, who must travel outside the area for treatment. 

Anyone can become a member of LLB by purchasing an annual membership which costs $20. New members have a waiting period of three months before being eligible for aid from LLB. The organization pays members needing to travel to Rimouski $150 per trip, Quebec $200, and Montreal $250. The support is capped at $1,500 per year for each eligible member. 

In the case of a child who is diagnosed with cancer, the three-month waiting period is waived. One of the parents is required to purchase a membership, but the family can receive assistance immediately. 

The LLB relies solely on money raised through memberships, donations and memoriam cards, and fundraising. The organization’s main fundraisers are the LLB Curling Bonspiel and the Tim Horton’s Smiley cookies. 

LLB President, June Main says one of the biggest challenges the organization faces is that “Getting volunteers involved is increasingly difficult”. If you are interested in getting involved with the LLB organization, Ms. Main says “Volunteering at the foundation 4 hours per week every other week would be a great help.” 

Last year the LLB helped over 100 people, providing monetary support surpassing $50,000. The members who receive assistance “Really appreciate the help that they get from the Linda Lemore-Brown Foundation. I get many messages thanking us,” says Ms. Main. 

When asked if there’s a message she’d like to share with Spec readers, Ms. Main says “I think everyone should buy a membership, as we all know or are aware of someone who has cancer and someday it could be us.” 

How can you get involved? 

Organizations rely heavily on community support, and there are many ways to get involved. Volunteering, donating, and spreading awareness are all essential to the continued success of these organizations. By rallying the community, OGPAC, the Gaspé Cancer Foundation, and LLB hope to secure the funding needed to expand their services and continue providing vital support to cancer patients and their families 

Services for Cancer Patients: How organizations are making a difference Read More »

Gespeg finally has a new chief

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

of Gespeg has a new chief: Yan Tapp has been appointed after a deadlock following the vote on September 8. 

Initially, Mark Sinnett won with 144 votes to Mr. Tapp’s 143. A third candidate, Céline Cassivi, received 122 votes. After three recounts, it was determained that the two leading candidates tied at 143 votes each. 

The Nation’s Electoral Code stipulates that in the event of a tie, a draw would determine the winner. However, both candidates contested this procedure, arguing that it was undemocratic and would only create divisions. They wanted a new election. 

“The process was complicated and I can’t wait for it to be over so that the community can move forward. Who expected it to be an equal result between Mark and me? It’s been a long time coming,” says Mr. Tapp as the electoral process continues to be contested. 

Despite being elected after his opponent withdrew, Mr. Tapp believes that he has all the legitimacy to lead the Nation. 

“In my opinion, ‘yes’. A lot of people voted and I think I have some support from Mark as well. I’m hoping that the members who voted for him will join me,” he says. 

“With everything I’ve done in my community over the last few years, I’ve worked in a number of departments. It was time to be chief,” says the elected candidate.

“We have to move forward to amend the Electoral Code. The code, when amended during the last mandate, had not been reviewed for a long time. There has always been the aspect of contestation in each mandate. This year, it will have to be reviewed as it should be,” says Mr. Tapp. 

“I have an idea to clarify a lot of things, such as the means of contesting and, when there is a contest, to define the consequences,” says the new chief. 

The principle of a draw, recognized by other levels of government, also needs to be reviewed. “Is it still relevant? From what I understand from a community lawyer, it’s still customary. We’ll have to see if it’s still current,” adds the chief. 

The two tied candidates said that the draw “was a strange process”, but Mr. Sinnett made his choice by not contacting the returning officer to confirm his participation in the draw. Mark Sinnettr has kept a low profile since withdrawing from the process leading to Yan Tapp’s victory. 

Gespeg finally has a new chief Read More »

 Gespeg marks Truth and Reconciliation Day

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

 people marched through the streets of downtown Gaspé on September 30 as part of Truth and Reconciliation Day, aimed at honouring the survivors of Canada’s residential school system and the children who never returned home. 

This was the fourth such march in Gaspé, which has become a tradition. “Since the first announcement of the 215 little tombstones, (found near a residential school) we’ve done it every year,” says Jessica Jean-Morin, Cultural Officer for the Micmac Nation of Gespeg. 

Ms. Jean-Morin is referring to the discovery on May 27, 2021, of 215 unmarked children’s graves in the orchard of the former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia, run by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. 

“This day is to honour and support the children who never returned to their families or those who returned with traumas from this genocide. We support the communities,” says Ms. Jean-Morin. 

“We don’t want people to forget. The last school closed in 1997. It hasn’t been that long,” notes Ms. Jean-Morin. 

Yan Tapp, the new chief of the Micmac Nation of Gespeg, made his first public appearance at the event. “I’m very proud to be here with the members of the community, and it gives me a chance to share my vision with the people of the Gaspé community,” says Mr. Tapp. 

He notes that more and more people are taking part in the day. 

I see this reconciliation in the community. You can see it in the steps we take. We see new people joining in every year. It’s very interesting,” says the chief. 

The mayor and several Gaspé municipal councillors were also keen to take part in the event. 

“For us, harmony between peoples is a priority. It’s important to work towards reconciliation,” notes the mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côté. The mayor intends to make contact with the new chief of Gespeg. They met for the first time on Monday morning at the march. “Our hand is outstretched. If we can lend a hand, we’ll always be happy to do so,” says Mr. Côté, whopoints out that the two communities have been working well together for a long time. 

Since 2017, the two councils had held a joint meeting to take this collaboration further, citing partnerships with Berceau du Canada in a video or Rivière-au-Renard, Capitale des pêches. 

“We were perhaps less aware of this reality. When you see the number of people who turned out for this walk for truth and reconciliation, it bodes well for the future,” says the mayor. 

In addition to members of the Gespeg Nation and the non-Aboriginal population, students from English-language schools in the Gaspé region took part in the march. 

The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation is an opportunity to pay tribute to the children who were never able to return home, to the survivors of residential schools and to their families and communities. 

Orange Shirt Day is a day of commemoration organised by Aboriginal communities to raise awareness of the intergenerational impact of residential schools on individuals, families and communities, and to promote the concept of Every Child Matters. 

The shirt is a symbol of the loss of culture, freedom and self-esteem that Aboriginal children suffered for generations. 

An estimated 6,000 children died while attending these residential schools.

 Gespeg marks Truth and Reconciliation Day Read More »

Midwifery service celebrates fifth anniversary

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – Accès Sage-femmes Baie-des-Chaleurs highlights the progress made in developing the midwifery service, which was established five years ago. 

“There was a citizen mobilization 10 years before the service took shape. A first midwife was hired to develop the service, which was set up in 2019 to provide pregnancy follow-ups,” recalls the organization’s spokesperson, Caroline Hamelin. 

The service has caught-on, with around thirty follow-ups each year, representing approximately 10% of births in the Bay of Chaleur area, quite high compared to the Quebec average of 4%. “The service is very popular. The objective in Quebec was 10% while it is at 4%,” notes Ms. Hamelin. 

“People are very satisfied with the service. Sometimes, there is a waiting list because the demand is high,” illustrates the spokesperson. 

According to the organization, a stabilization phase is necessary to maintain the service.“There’s a certain amount of turnover due to hiring conditions, which is also the case across Quebec, and there’s also the distance from major centres. There’s also a minimum number of midwives needed to avoid a break in service so that people can choose where they want to give birth. Two midwives are required to have a home birth. On-call midwives are needed for that,” says Ms. Hamelin. 

There’s a strong possibility of offering a place to give birth outside of a hospital centre, but the volume of births in the Gaspésie does not allow the creation of a Birthing Centre. “It’s the number one choice for families where it’s available as a place to give birth. In the Gaspésie, 70% of families say it would be their first choice if there was a place outside of a hospital,” says the spokesperson. 

Accès Sage-femmes is monitoring the development of a birthing room in Gaspé with interest. “There are different regions that are working on developing a birthing room outside of a hospital. It has to be a model that takes into account the regional reality. We’re looking at what’s happening elsewhere to try to find a model that could work in our situation,” says Ms. Hamelin. 

Currently, the service has two midwives and a midwife who coordinates the service. At one point, there were four midwives in the Bay of Chaleur area. “The goal is to have enough midwives to be able to offer the service (to everyone who wants it),” concludes the spokesperson. 

Midwifery service celebrates fifth anniversary Read More »

The UMQ sets its sights on the federal contribution of the gas tax

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

Québec Municipalities (UMQ) is asking the Government of Canada to substantially increase its contribution to the Gas Tax and Quebec Contribution Program (TECQ). 

The UMQ is drawing attention to the nearly 30% per region in the federal envelope compared to the previous period. 

“We have the Quebec government, which has increased its contribution in contrast to the old program. Unfortunately, what we’re denouncing today is that the federal government’s contribution has been reduced by $338 million. We’re calling on the federal government to accede to and respect its commitments to increase its contributions in a context of adaptation to climate change, which is the challenge of the hour,” noted UMQ President Martin Damphousse, following the organization’s Board of Directors meeting in Gaspé on September 20, a first in its 103-year history. 

The total contribution from provincial and federal governments is $3.2 billion. 

“It is the most appreciated program in the municipal sector because it affects underground infrastructure and, in the context of climate change, it is the most important and necessary program,” adds the UMQ President. 

For the Gaspé Peninsula, the reduction will have an impact of $4.9 million, with $2.5 million for the Town of Gaspé alone, according to the UMQ. 

The federal government’s view differs. Recently, Member of Parliament (MP) Diane Lebouthillier sent a communication to the media confirming that for the five-year cycle that started in 2024, the federal government is transferring $2.81 billion to Quebec. 

“This is an increase of almost 10% compared to the previous cycle ($2.57 billion),” she wrote. 

“On the one hand, it seems that the difference of $600 million (between the $2.8 billion I am talking about and the $2.2 billion announced by the Quebec government) is intended for a program for public transit infrastructure, as was the case in the previous cycle. In terms of percentage, the federal government’s contribution ($2.2 billion: 70%) remains at the same level compared to that of the Quebec government ($1 billion: 30%),” says Ms. Lebouthillier. 

“What is fascinating is that we see that the MPs are trying to convince us that they are right.” But the reality is that we have a report that clearly states the amount we will receive individually: the Quebec portion and the federal portion. And each time, everyone unanimously says that we are in deficit compared to the old program. I am certain that the UMQ’s data is correct,” replies Mr. Damphousse. 

The MP for the Gaspé Peninsula and Magdalen Islands adds that to address the challenges associated with the pandemic, the federal government transferred additional funds to municipalities, namely $504 million in 2019-20 and $495 million in 2020-21, for a total of nearly one billion dollars. 

“Although the TECQ administrative vehicle was used to facilitate the transfer from Ottawa to the municipalities, it was not a recurring increase in the program envelope,” the minister explained. 

“The federal government added amounts, but we are not talking about these amounts. There is no reference to these amounts. These are amounts that were granted in a specific context. They are not considered when comparing the two former programs. They are removed. Despite everything, by removing them, we arrive at a deficit of $338 million,” explains Mr. Damphousse. 

In 2023, the deficit for water infrastructure reached $45 billion, compared to $38 billion in 2022, according to the municipal union. 

The battle is being waged at all levels in hopes that the federal government will listen to reason. 

 

The UMQ sets its sights on the federal contribution of the gas tax Read More »

Striped bass are not a threat, according to the Department of Wildlife

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The striped bass is not considered one of the main threats to salmon in the Gaspé Peninsula according to the Department of the Environment, Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks. 

While some anglers cite striped bass as a reason for the declining salmon runs, the department explains that the fear expressed by some stakeholders associated with the salmon fishing industry is linked to a scientific article published in 2018. This study assessed, using telemetry data, the consumption of smolts by striped bass in the Miramichi system in New Brunswick. 

“However, the main conclusion of this study is that predation rates by bass vary considerably from one year to the next and that the spatial and temporal overlap of the two species is a determining factor in this annual variation,” explains the department by email. 

“In addition, the situation is very different in Quebec, because the level of interaction between smolts and striped bass is much lower than that of the Miramichi. Indeed, studies show that the majority of smolts have already left the rivers when striped bass arrive at their mouths in the spring in the Gaspésie,” adds the ministry. 

Striped bass are opportunistic predators that feed on a wide variety of prey. Between 2014 and 2019, the ministry carried out several projects examining the diet of striped bass in Quebec. 

As observed across its range, the diet of striped bass consists of a wide variety of forage fish and crustaceans, as well as worms, insects and other invertebrates. 

A 2022 report confirms that striped bass in freshwater can consume a certain number of juvenile salmon in freshwater. “However, the presence of striped bass in the freshwater portion of the salmon rivers of the Gaspé is relatively limited and highly variable from year to year, thus minimizing the impact on salmon populations,” maintains the ministry, which adds that another study carried out in the Miramichi system and on the diet of striped bass, published in 2020, concludes that the narrow window of spatio-temporal overlap of the two species means that juvenile salmon represent an insignificant contribution to the striped bass diet. 

The report includes findings from a project carried out in 2016 and specifically focused on the diet of striped bass in areas conducive to the presence of juvenile American lobsters. 

This species was observed in the stomach contents of 16% of striped bass that had consumed prey. It represented 1.2% of the number of prey ingested and 13% of the total volume. However, the relevance of these findings is limited since the sampling targeted areas identified as “nurseries” for lobster, and lobsters were not found in the stomachs of striped bass caught elsewhere in the Gaspé Peninsula. 

As for crab, some were found in the stomach contents of striped bass analyzed as part of the department’s projects. 

However, they could not be identified as the species. Given their marine habitat preferences, it is unlikely that they are snow crabs, as they prefer deep and cold waters, while striped bass are more commonly found in coastal waters. 

“With regard to the low salmon runs observed in 2023 and 2024 in Quebec rivers, predation by striped bass is not one of the potential causes. The impact of significant predation, if any, would likely be felt locally on one or a few rivers concerned and not in a generalized manner throughout the species’ distribution area, as has been observed for two summers in Quebec,” explains the ministry. 

The striped bass observed in the Gaspé Peninsula mainly belongs to the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence population, whose main spawning ground is located in the Northwest Miramichi River. 

Their migration has been monitored via telemetrically since 2013, which allowed for an updated knowledge about the distribution of the two striped bass populations in Quebec as of 2018, leading to updates in recreational fishing areas. 

Monitoring of the abundance of adult striped bass is conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Gulf Region, particularly in the Miramichi River. Additionally, the ministry has implemented a monitoring program in recent years to assess the presence and relative abundance of this population in Quebec. Other projects are also underway, including the annual monitoring of recreational fishing in Quebec through a survey of fishermen. 

These projects provide information on the distribution of striped bass in the Gaspé Peninsula as well as their frequentation of the territory. 

The ministry emphasizes its commitment to maintaining favourable conditions for the stock of striped bass that visit the Gaspé Peninsula, which supports the recreational fishery valued by fishermen in the region and elsewhere. 

On this subject, the annual fishing survey shows that about 80% of the recreational fishermen surveyed come from other sectors of Gaspésie, contributing significant economic spinoffs to the region, according to the ministry. 

Striped bass are not a threat, according to the Department of Wildlife Read More »

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