Author name: The Gaspé Spec

Nelson Sergerie

MATANE – Diane Lebouthiller will seek a fourth mandate from voters in the newly expanded constituency of the Gaspésie-Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine-Listuguj during the next election.

She was elected for the first time under the Liberal banner in 2015 and announced her intentions to run again on February 9 before the members of the Matanie Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Matane.
During the last ministerial reshuffle, which promoted her to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans last fall, Ms. Lebouthillier indicated that she intended to be a candidate if her health allowed it.

Clearly, Ms. Lebouthillier wants another electoral battle. Making the announcement in Matane is symbolic since the MRCs of Matanie and Avignon are added to his constituency following the redistribution of the electoral map, which eliminates the riding of Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapédia.

“Gaspesians and Magdalen Islanders have given me the honour of a lifetime to represent them since 2015, and I want to tell them that, more than ever, I still have the sacred fire to continue to defend their interests in Ottawa. After four long years in opposition, the people of Avignon and Matanie will have a unique opportunity in the next election: to choose to play in the middle of the ice rink and take a full part in the decisions that affect them,” states the Member of Parliament in a press release.

Elections are scheduled for October 2025.

Nelson Sergerie

CHANDLER – Started last fall, work to repair the Newport wharf is progressing, according to the Newport Port Association.

Phases 1 and 2 of the vast project are going well, thanks in particular to an unexpected helping hand from Mother Nature, which has provided a mild winter so far.

“In phase 1, the work is going number one. Winter is here, which allowed the contractor and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to do the work. Phase one should be passable for the start of fishing,” explains the president of the Newport Port Association, Luc Legresley.

Phase 1 consists of the construction of a new 278-foot wharf between the existing mid-shore and coastal wharves.

Phase 2 is also progressing. “Dredging was done across the entire wharf. What is planned is the construction of the coastal or lobster boat wharf, if I’m not mistaken. It’s a new wharf to the east of the current one,” explains Mr. Legresley.

With little ice, the fishing season could be early. Boats could be launched as early as March. “The most important thing will be safety: both that of the workers and the boats. In March, there are still some good storms. I tell anyone who will listen to be careful before mooring on the docks,” suggests the president who notes that there is ice on the docks due to the work.

Phases 3 and 4 are ready, and all that is missing is the financing for their implementation. “If I rely on certain comments from both Fisheries and Oceans and the office of Member of Parliament and Minister Diane Lebouthillier, I sincerely hope that phases 3 and 4 will be announced quickly,” he says.

The mid-shore wharf is at the end of its life, and Mr. Legresley fears that it will no longer be accessible
“The coastal wharf, this large quay is phase 3 where the boats enter inside the quay, and phase 4 is the large parking lot area where the boats can moor and unload,” specifies the president.

If all goes as planned, phase 2 should be completed in 2025. “We will push so that in 2025 and 2026, phases 3 and 4 can be done. Are we dreaming in colour? I do not know. I have full confidence in the DFO staff,” says Mr. Legresley.

In November, the authorities remained cautious about the cost of the work but put it at between $10 and $15 million.

According to the port authority, traffic has increased over the last seven years from around 3000 to more than 7000 boat movements annually. Managers had been working on this project for several years.

At the end of the wharf reconstruction, the Port of Newport will have about 400 additional feet of dock.

Nelson Sergerie

GASPÉ – Logements CVP’s 144-unit apartment project near Carrefour Gaspé has still not been initiated, and Gaspé will exercise its termination clause if necessary.

A termination clause is a contractual mechanism that makes it possible to sanction a party’s failure to fulfill its contractual obligations by providing that the contract will be terminated at the fault of the offending party.
The company purchased the municipal land in September 2021 by paying $300,000, when its assessment at the time was $566,000, to create Le Domaine de la Baie.

The investors also posted a $266,000 bond, repayable in four instalments each time a complex was built.
The project comprises four 36-unit buildings, and the apartment buildings were to be constructed at a rate of one per year until 2026.

Logements CVP had promised to start construction on December 31, 2023. A first foundation was to be poured on that date, but it never happened.

“As this is a file that falls in the hands of our prosecutors, I would be a little embarrassed (to comment on it). The Town of Gaspé wishes to preserve its rights in this matter. I still have confidence that we will be able to move forward. There were deadlines in this contract and we just want to preserve our rights with prior notice,” notes the mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côté.

The mayor does not want to discuss the possibility of taking back possession of the land. “I don’t want to go that far if the project doesn’t work. Currently, it works, but let’s admit that there were pitfalls and that it was necessary to lift the termination clause which would give the land to the Town. I also don’t want to harm the legal process. We are not heading towards that. For the moment, we are waiving a notice in accordance with what is provided for in the Civil Code and in the contract provided for with the developer. Some deadlines have been missed. We are only protecting our rights,” explains the mayor.

The announcement was made with great fanfare, and the project was presented as the largest real estate project in 50 years in Gaspé.

The site provides an exceptional view of Gaspé Bay, close to a shopping centre and less than five minutes from the heart of downtown and an equivalent distance from the LM Wind Power plant.
The Ministry of Natural Resources had requested $381,000 from Gaspé in September 2022 for the sale of the land to allow the transaction to close.

The ministry invoked a 1978 clause when the Town acquired this land from the ministry which preserved certain uses for the site.

Furthermore, the project also encountered technical issues due to the slope being steeper than expected, which forced the developer to return to the drawing board, erasing the hope of launching the project in 2022.

The pandemic also caused delays for materials, which scheduled the start of construction according to the initial plan for 2023. Initially estimated at $25 million, the project is now likely to exceed $40 million.

Nelson Sergerie

CHANDLER – To replace Nova Lumina, The Bourg de Pabos, an archaeological site, is setting up a new visitor experience which will be ready in the spring if all goes according to plans.

“The activity is called Ghost Hunting. People will be invited to explore the trails with technology that is rarely used to chase away the ghosts that have haunted the Bourg de Pabos site for centuries,” says the director, Elsa Pépin.

During the day, objects will be haunted. “When night falls, we will hunt ghosts from our past. These are different well-known and lesser-known characters who travel our trails providing different information about their experiences,” explains Ms Pépin.

This new virtual activity fits directly into the site’s mission. “It is an important site that we must conserve and protect and we have a mission to disseminate history and heritage. Although we now have expertise in developing multimedia activities, we remain in our sector. On the other hand, we want the historical content to be rigorous and we hope that people leave having learned something about our history and our heritage,” says the director.

This activity will be produced as part of a transition year between now and the implementation of new activities in 2025.

“People will be able to come and try the new experience. We are also reviewing all schedules, pricing and operations to arrive in 2025 with a new project that people have heard a little about, Beauséjour Island,” she says.

In 2022, a vast development project of up to $6 million had been rumoured while the corporation aims to develop eco-responsible accommodation on Beauséjour Island which would be powered 100% by solar energy and would have its own water treatment system.

A museum and multimedia component would also be developed, and the island would be connected to the mainland by a floating footbridge.

Last August, the town announced the end of the Nova Lumina experience, after eight night seasons.
The Corporation indicated that it had begun a restructuring of its offering to further endorse its mission of protecting and promoting archaeological and historical heritage and to meet the expectations of the Ministry of Culture and Communications.

Nova Lumina was an enchanted nocturnal journey along the seaside of 1.5-kilometre where the visitor was guided by the celestial vault which contributed to bringing magical moments to many visitors.

Nelson Sergerie

GASPÉ – Weather-permitting, operations to capture female caribou in the Parc de la Gaspésie will take place soon.

The Ministry of Wildlife specifies that it is difficult to predict the exact time of the start of the operation, which remains uncertain due to weather conditions and the involvement of helicopters. The targeted period is from February to March, and the teams are closely monitoring conditions to ensure the safety of both the caribou and the personnel involved. This year only the Mount McGerrigle enclosure will be used.

Almost a year after the first operation, the ministry says that the captures, enclosures, care and monitoring of the caribou took place as planned last year.

“Although deaths due to infections beyond our control occurred last summer, they do not call into question the monitoring methods and the conditions of custody,” writes the ministry in response to our questions.
It is specified that the risks of perinatal mortality of natural origin for fawns and females remain.

During the previous operation, conducted between March 18 and April 6, two of the six female caribou that were captured were pregnant. Unfortunately, none of the fawns survived, and one caribou died from a uterine infection following giving birth.

Of the five caribou released from the enclosure in August, four quickly joined herds of caribou on different peaks, including Mont Jacques-Cartier. The other caribou was shot by a hunter only a few weeks after her release.

In this regard, the investigation and analysis of the evidence are still ongoing at the Protection de la Faune du Québec and no other information is being released in order to not impact the investigation.

Currently, six caribou, four female and two male, are being monitored using telemetry collars. Their movements indicate that after the rutting period, the caribou dispersed towards less exposed habitats, under forest cover, and currently form herds of a few dozen.

The caribou population in the Gaspé Peninsula is estimated at between 32 and 36 animals.

Nelson Sergerie

GASPÉ – The Government of Quebec continues to search for the right solution to provide the regions with air transportation services and, in that regard, the Air Transport Committee held a meeting on February 20 in Quebec City.

The president of the committee on air transportation within the Union of Quebec Municipalities and the mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côté, is starting to get the impression that the solutions are not forthcoming.
“It appears that we are always at the mercy of what carriers want and can offer us as a service. It appears that the clientele is not always there. In Gaspé, there has been a fairly pronounced drop in customers over the last few months because there is still uncertainty,” says Daniel Côté.

The $500 program or the 30% discount on tickets does not seem to reflect reality. “This program seems too complicated, so it ran out of $500 tickets. And few people apply for reimbursement because people don’t know about this program. In short, there are plenty of problems,” notes the mayor.

Yves Montigny, who chairs the Quebec government committee, and is the Member of the National Assembly for René-Lévesque, is aware of the problem.

Mr. Montigny mentions that, in January, ticket sales increased by 30% in several destinations in Quebec, but admits at the same time that Gaspé has not experienced this growth.

“The PAAR program (Regional Air Access Program) is having an effect, but it is not having an effect everywhere. We see it in Gaspé, Mont-Joli and Baie-Comeau where we must adapt it. We want to improve it to ensure better service and better frequency,” says Mr. Montigny, who believes that the program must be revised.

“We want to ensure that the changes we are going to make correspond to the real needs of Quebec citizens. We are in consultations,” he said.

According to Mr. Côté, the Quebec Government intends to adopt an air strategy. The mayor suggests using Premier François Legault’s idea, who mentioned a possible solution during his visit to Gaspé last November. At the time the premier had promised seven days a week service imposed on carriers by the government, in each region of Quebec with tickets at $500 round trip and that the province would subsidize the deficits.

“I say it clearly, even if it doesn’t make the carriers happy, I expect that Mr. Legault’s promise materializes,” states the mayor.

“What the Premier said in Gaspé makes a lot of sense. We are working on that. We are working to have regular service to major airports in Quebec,” says Mr. Montigny.

“We are working to put in place means to find a way with one or more carriers so that services can be improved in the coming weeks and months,” specifies Mr. Montigny.

However, it remains to be seen what the carriers will do as Mr. Côté notes that they do not want to have anything imposed on them.

“We have to be able to agree because the Quebec government has decided to take on this important issue. There is also an important issue. This must be done with companies because it is private companies that transport. You have to get along with them. It’s not always easy. We have the same objective of finding common ground with businesses to better serve important destinations which have experienced a drop in traffic,” indicates Mr. Montigny.

For its part, the Parti Québécois is once again calling for a real plan to ensure effective air services for the regions of Quebec.

The Parti Québécois transport spokesperson, Joël Arseneau, notes that the government still has no vision. “If we don’t know the objective to achieve, obviously the means will not follow and we have the results that we see today. It has never been so bad in air transportation,” notes the opposition representative.

According to Mr. Arseneau, the $500 ticket program is not working, as he’s noted a visible decrease in ridership, particularly in Gaspé. Out of a target of 166,000 tickets, only 73,000 tickets were sold in two years.

The elected official notes that the Air Transport Committee set up by the CAQ is not working. “At each meeting, we go around the table and it’s like going in circles because everyone’s interests don’t align perfectly. The government is not capable of getting the best from its participants,” adds the MNA for the Magdalen Islands.

Air transportation has been the subject of reflection since February 2018, when Philippe Couillard’s Liberal government held the first forum on the issue.

Nelson Sergerie

CHANDLER – The Quebec Municipal Commission has initiated legal action in the Superior Court, seeking a declaration of provisional incapacity against Chandler councillor, Bruno-Pierre Godbout, who is the Newport Ward councillor, and serving as the pro-mayor of Chandler as well.

Mr. Godbout voluntarily complied with the request and has since tendered his resignation.

The Commission points out that the administrative investigation against the elected official is complete, leading to the filing of the petition. The case is scheduled to be heard on April 4 at the Percé Courthouse.
On January 17, Mr. Godbout was charged with fraud, forgery and use, possession or trafficking of a document. The request for a declaration of provisional incapacity stemmed from these charges. The accused is set to appear at the Percé Courthouse to address these criminal charges on April 22.

The Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC) emphasized that its investigation revealed that between February 1 and July 31, 2021, while acting as pro-mayor during the Quebec Municipal Commission’s suspension of former mayor, Louisette Langlois, Mr. Godbout produced and used false expense reimbursement requests.

UPAC estimated the fraudulent amount to be approximately $10,000.

In the court document, the municipal commission states that jurisprudence establishes the burden to be met for such a request to be filed, namely serious reproaches if prima facie evidence shows that these acts appear to have been committed, and if the public interest justifies temporarily relieving the elected official concerned by determining the link between the reproached acts and the performance of his duties and the extent to which these acts bring the administration of the municipality into disrepute.

The petition states that for the fraud charge, the maximum penalty is 14 years in prison, while the production of a false document carries a maximum penalty of 10 years and the same for the forgery of a document.

The Commission notes that the elected official faces charges punishable by two years of imprisonment or more, which gives the power to the Superior Court to provisionally declare Mr. Godbout incapable of exercising any function related to his office as a member of the municipal council, based on Section 305.1 of the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities.

Since Mr. Godbout filed an act of acquiescence to the request signed on February 19, the Municipal Commission requests that he be declared temporarily incapable of exercising the function of member of the council of any municipality in Quebec, i.e. until a stay of the proceedings, acquittal or the end of his term.
The mayor and councillors were informed of the discussions between the Quebec Municipal Commission and the councillor.

“Mr. Godbout was very transparent,” stated the mayor of Chandler, Gilles Daraîche. “The Municipal Commission presented him with three scenarios. He chose the scenario of resigning during the proceedings. He could have chosen scenario two or three and it would have cost the town much more, as in a trial that we know about, but he chose the scenario which will cost much less for the Town of Chandler,” adds the mayor.

Mr. Daraîche is indirectly referring to the legal saga involving the former mayor of Chandler, Louisette Langlois, whose legal expenses exceed $350,000.

Nelson Sergerie

GASPÉ – Fishermen and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) are reviewing the terms of repayment for loans granted during the crisis affecting the fishing sector.

“There are indeed files being analyzed at the regional management level of MAPAQ,” confirms the Member of the National Assembly for Gaspé and government assistant for fisheries, Stéphane Sainte-Croix.
Quebec’s Minister of Fisheries, André Lamontagne, had previously stated that the government would support fishermen during the crisis.

“We will do everything we can to make effective use of all the tools at our disposal and do everything possible to promote, in one way or another, measures which will put a balm – so to speak – on the current problems experienced by our communities,” adds Mr. Sainte-Croix.

On February 27, all stakeholders in the field unanimously requested federal aid to get through this crisis.
“It takes extra help. We cannot go through this crisis with companies worth several million dollars that are under loans, loan guarantees or things like that… that the banker calls… that the house is mortgaged. Some people are at risk of losing their homes. It’s going to take direct aid,” repeats the mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côté.

Considering how climate change is impacting the Gulf and the marine ecosystem, Mr. Sainte-Croix believes that a thorough reflection is necessary.

“The fishing industry is at a crossroads. We are talking in the short term about what we are experiencing in terms of turbot or shrimp boats. We must look further and what we are currently experiencing risks becoming a more and more present phenomenon. I hope that as governments, both federal and provincial, we can reflect on the future of things to see the bad news coming and be equipped to support our communities in these challenges,” adds the MNA.

Marketing redfish remains a challenge, especially if minimum quotas are increased beyond the floor of 25,000 tonnes announced by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Diane Lebouthillier.
“We are waiting for final information and, for our part, we are working on how to put in place measures to ensure the most efficient marketing possible in the short, medium and long term for this resource,” indicates Mr. Sainte-Croix.

Nelson Sergerie

CARLETON-SUR-MER – The Town of Carleton-sur-Mer has set an ambitious objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2030, based on the emissions inventory conducted in 2019.
“We have a clear action plan with actions to follow to achieve this target. It’s realistic and we’re already working on it with the electrification of transportation. We will give mandates to remove fossil fuel energy from buildings. It’s an ambitious plan, but it’s realistic,” says the mayor of Carleton-sur-Mer, Mathieu Lapointe.

Residual materials account for 63% of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly through the municipal campsite.

“We are working very hard on it. We are involved in the creation of the Intermunicipal Residual Materials Management Board. We are hopeful that we will come up with solutions to improve our balance sheet by adding composting,” suggests the mayor.

However, implementing composting infrastructure may take some time. “2024 seems unrealistic, but we are making all the necessary efforts to achieve it,” says the mayor.

It is a three-year action plan and halfway through a review will be made to assess the progress made.
The town wants to set an example and hopes that citizens will also participate.

“We also want to have a plan on the general scale of the municipality for all greenhouse gas emissions by all residents. This is the second phase that we are thinking about,” says Mr. Lapointe.

“We are much more ambitious in our objectives if we compare ourselves to the governments of Quebec and Canada. Few municipalities have clear targets. We are certainly in the lead in Quebec,” believes the mayor.

The process was conducted in collaboration with the Gaspésie Regional Environmental Council.
Greenhouse gas emissions emitted by the town were estimated at 426.94 carbon dioxide equivalents.
Apart from residual materials, 20% of emissions come from buildings and 16% from transportation.

Propane (42%), diesel (26%) and gasoline (10%) constitute the main energy sources of greenhouse gas emissions from municipal activity.

Nelson Sergerie

PORT-DANIEL-GASCONS – On February 20, the Caisse populaire Desjardins du Centre-sud Gaspésien announced that the Gascons service centre will close its doors on March 28. 

This announcement follows an announcement by the Caisse Desjardins Baie-des-Chaleurs on February 19 that the Caplan and Nouvelle service points will be closing. 

Once again, the marked drop in attendance at counters and ATM services has led the credit union to make this decision. 

“We adjust to the transactional habits of our members. Indeed, the reduction in traffic leads us to make this decision,” says the Caisses Desjardins du Centre-sud Gaspésien director, Jovin Caron. 

Approximately fifty members will be affected by this closure. 

“We know these people. There will be a personalized approach by our staff to see their needs and give them support based on their challenges,” notes the director. 

The closest service points are in Chandler (27 kilometres) and Paspébiac (39 kilometres). 

“We will try to support them with digital transactions. We will also support those who are more vulnerable by offering them personalized transportation,” says Mr. Caron. 

It is difficult to know whether workers will lose their jobs. 

“We have two relocated positions and positions that will be abolished. We have other openings elsewhere. I cannot say at this time whether there will be job losses. Everything will depend on the choice of the employees,” specifies the director. 

As part of this restructuring of the service offering to members, the Gascons and Newport ATMs will be removed on May 24. 

The mayor of Port-Daniel-Gascons, Henri Grenier, was presented with a “fait accompli” when he was informed on February 19 by the leaders of the Caisse populaire Desjardins Centre-sud Gaspésien of the decision to close the Gascons service counter. 

“I am extremely disappointed with this decision to close the service point as well as the ATM of the municipality of Port-Daniel-Gascons,” says Mr. Grenier. 

The closest counter will be in Chandler, 27 kilometres from the municipality. “It’s far from home,” says the mayor. 

“They are not aware that the needs of small municipalities like Port-Daniel-Gascons are the same as those of larger municipalities,” notes the mayor. He adds that the town has a vested interest in the services available to the population. 

“And, overnight, Desjardins announced the closure of the Caisse, a service to our citizens. It’s hard to take,” adds Mr. Grenier. 

“I intend to discuss it with the Desjardins members, and we will surely set up a citizens’ committee to meet with the managers of the Caisse so that we can at least keep the ATM,” demands the mayor. 

Nelson Sergerie

GRANDE-RIVIÈRE – A demonstration, bringing together about a hundred fishermen from Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Quebec, was held on the morning of February 20 in Grande-Rivière. 

They are, once again, denouncing Ottawa’s decisions on redfish fishing quotas and distribution between fleets. 

About fifteen people from New Brunswick and six from Newfoundland and Labrador travelled to the Gaspé Peninsula to participate in the demonstration. 

The primary issue remains the profitability and the future of fishing, particularly for shrimp fishermen, but especially the presence of processing boats in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 

“The issue for the coastal and mid-shore fishing industry, in general, is whether we allow the processing boats which process and freeze on board and which have very little impact, and, for Quebec, zero impact on coastal communities. Hundreds of jobs will disappear,” warns Claudio Bernatchez, the director general of the Association of Captains and Owners of the Gaspésie. 

“If the captains continue to disappear and the plants no longer have anything to process and the fishing-related service companies can no longer operate, it will be totally catastrophic for the region,” adds the director. 

The fishermen gathered in front of the Fisheries and Oceans offices in Grande-Rivière and then moved to the riding offices of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Member of Parliament for Gaspésie-Les-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Diane Lebouthillier. 

“Unfortunately, I cannot see how our minister, who is here, who understands the situation, who has decried it in the past, was able to make announcements like that. It surely comes from higher up, from the Prime Minister’s office. But there is someone, somewhere, who had a harmful influence on the decision of January 26,” says Mr. Bernatchez. 

According to him, an announcement should have been more thoughtful for the good of the communities to distribute wealth more equitably around the Gulf. 

“The communication is there, I can tell you that but, currently, I am very cautious about the words and I can’t wait for the actions to confirm the words,” he says. 

The objective of the demonstration was to spread the message of discontent in the Gulf of St. Lawrence following Ottawa’s announcements on shrimp and redfish. 

The relaunch of redfish fishing will be carried out in two phases: phase one will be transitional lasting two years with a minimum quota of 25,000 tonnes and allocations of 10% reserved for shrimp fishermen, who are in difficulty given the decline in stocks, and 10% of the quota to Indigenous communities. 

A committee has still not ruled on the final quotas to restart fishing this year. 

Phase 2 will be that of development to establish a fishery with a modernized allocation key. 

The ministry specified that the preliminary quotas would be established as follows: Newfoundland and Labrador: 19% (+2.0); Nova Scotia: 33% (-5.8); New Brunswick: 11% (+3.1); Prince Edward Island: 5% (+0.5) and Quebec: 32% (+0.2). 

The offshore fleet gets 58% of the quota, the coastal fleet of less than 65 feet has 15%, and the mid-shore 5.72% in addition to the allocations announced by the minister, which offends the Association of Captains and Owners of the Gaspésie. 

Claudio Bernatchez would have liked the government to take inspiration from the past to avoid mistakes. 

“The former Liberal Minister of Fisheries, Roméo Leblanc, favoured coastal fishermen in 1977 in the allocation of redfish quotas by giving them the first 30,000 tonnes. It was a good decision,” recalls the director of the association. 

The Bloc Québécois’ 

reaction 

The Bloc Québécois believes that Ottawa still has the room to implement a plan acceptable to shrimp fishermen who are in a difficult position because of the reduction in shrimp quotas and small redfish allocations set aside for them. This will barely be enough to keep their heads above water. 

“It’s not too late and I hope Ottawa heard Tuesday’s (February 20) message and we will help spread it.” We still cannot explain why the majority of the pie is going to the deep-sea boats that we had removed from the gulf for obvious reasons,” says the Member of Parliament for Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapédia, Kristina Michaud. 

For her, the quota reserved for shrimp fishermen will cause them to lose their livelihood. 

“What Ms. Lebouthillier offered them isn’t even enough for them to go out to sea. It doesn’t justify the fixed costs. Even more, this does not justify the investments to go out for redfish fishing with the allocated quotas. What’s going to happen: bankruptcies, closures and boats to sell? Ms. Lebouthillier does not realize that she has signed the death warrant for fishermen with 10% of the quota,” says Ms. Michaud. 

Several factors, according to her, remain unclear: the price paid for the fish, when fishing will be launched or whether processors will have help to adapt. 

Ms. Michaud also mentions that with climate change and the impacts on fishing, we cannot trust the historic shares allocated by the minister in January. 

“We need to have a different vision, in the longest term possible. We cannot rely on what has been done in the past,” emphasizes Ms. Michaud. 

For her, one day we will have to look at the entire marine ecosystem to establish fishing plans rather than working in silos. 

“Scientists tell us to take a broader view. Let’s talk about seals. There is overpopulation. Why don’t we open a hunt gradually? There is a whole market to develop. On the ground, there seems to be a willingness, but it does not reach the offices of civil servants or the offices of Ms. Lebouthillier,” she notes. 

For her, Quebec is no match when the federal government talks about fishing. 

There is an urgent need to act as the fishing season is fast approaching. 

“Ms. Lebouthillier should know. It’s not easy for people who don’t know if they will be able to get out, pay the bills or offer employment to their crew. Let’s give them some predictability and reassure them. I cannot believe that there is no money left and that we cannot review the quotas with a global vision of the marine ecosystem. Time is running out, but it is not too late,” says the Bloc representative. 

Ms. Lebouthillier 

also comments 

For her part, in a statement sent following the demonstration, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans reiterated the elements of her January announcement. 

“To support them, shrimp fishermen were granted 10% of the total (redfish) allocation. This decision not only respects the leading role that Nova Scotia has historically played in this fishery but also increases the historical shares of each of the other provinces. From the point of view of distribution by fleet, this modernized distribution also ensures a greater balance of power for the smallest players, thus reducing the share of large boats over 100 feet, from 74% in 1994 to 59% in 2024. It also helps advance reconciliation, by creating a 10% bank dedicated to Indigenous communities,” mentions the written declaration by Diane Lebouthillier. 

“In order to help fishermen reduce their expenses for the next season, I have also instructed officials from Fisheries and Oceans Canada to be flexible towards shrimp fishing license holders. This will allow them, among other things, to manage the way they fish their quota using ‘twinning’, i.e. the possibility for several license holders to fish together on board the same boat and, thus, share the costs,” she adds. 

Ms. Lebouthillier says she is aware that there is still work to be done and wants to keep the channels of communication open with the industry. 

Diane Skinner

BARACHOIS: If you attended the bilingual presentation given by Nathalie Clément in Barachois on Saturday, February 17, you will have heard all about the exciting new project inspired by the Gaspesian classic, The Black Whale Cookbook, originally published in 1948. 

Further, you could have sampled some “fine old recipes from the Gaspé Coast going back to Pioneer Days.” Volunteers at the Barachois Recreational Centre (Allisson-Aubut Library) prepared Madeira cakes, almond cookies, scones, old-fashioned sugar cookies, butter tarts, lemon squares, Swedish tea cakes and tea served in fine china teacups. Nathalie’s favourite recipe from the original cookbook is the corn bread which she adds, “Is perfect to accompany whatever you have cooked.” This project is funded by the Government of Quebec and the MRC du Rocher-Percé. 

Nathalie Clément, photographer and founder of Nath et Compagnie Restaurant and Bookshop, Percé, was pleased to have over 60 people attend the event that was presented in the Allison-Aubut Library located in the Barachois Recreational Centre. Nathalie is busy putting the final touches on her new, updated cookbook, inspired by the original Black Whale Cookbook. The new version of the book will include recipes, photos, crafts and historical anecdotes. A portion of the new material was gathered from “testimonials, meetings and various collaborations with elders and artists.” She intends to preserve a piece of history while giving homage to the original book, and incorporating some of today’s flavours and cooking methods. 

“The revival of this fabulous recipe book of a prosperous era,” states Nathalie, “rich in exchanges, know-how and “savoir-vivre” is the project. It updates the vision of the people involved in those times, into 2024. Culture is omnipresent in everything: the sounds that rock us, the breathtaking views, the scents of the sea, the touch of the wind and the urge to taste. To pay tribute to this community that is now mine.” 

Nathalie Clément and her husband, Patrice Dansereau, moved to Percé in the winter of 2021 where they rented the Black Whale House and opened a year-round bookstore and café. Nathalie comes from Montreal but has been visiting her husband’s family in Percé for over 40 years. Personally, her interests include family, cooking, architecture, houses, literature and art. She previously managed a real estate agency in Plateau Mont-Royal for 25 years and she loved the urban lifestyle and was very involved in her community, but she and her husband made a big decision after retirement to move to Percé with their three children. 

The presentation in Barachois on February 17 not only informed the community about her project, it allowed her to connect with people who might have new recipes made with local products 

This new version of the Black Whale Cookbook is an important project because it “belongs to the collective memory of those who lived on the Coast,” states Nathalie. 

The event was well-attended and showed how much interest there is in the community about the beloved Black Whale Cookbook. Nathalie Clément’s new cookbook will pay tribute to the original while updating the recipes and adding new ones. 

Presently, Nathalie is finishing up the book, whose final title has not been confirmed and will include text in both French and English and is hoping to have that completed by the end of March. The next step will be finding a publisher. 

Black Whale Cookbook 

This unique cookbook, published in 1948, has been described as “an artistic reflection of Gaspé summers gone by.” It was written and compiled over 70 years ago by Gaspesian ladies and women from Montreal who summered in Percé. The Black Whale was the name of a craft shop that was established in Percé ten years earlier in 1938. Nobody can say for sure how the store got that name, other than the sighting of whales off the coast. 

The shop was run by a group called the Percé Handicraft Committee and the President was Mrs. Ethel Renouf who is credited for compiling the numerous recipes contributed by the members. The shop sold crafts and art created by the ladies and by local artisans. Some of the food made from recipes in the Black Whale Cookbook, such as strawberry jam, were sold in the store. That particular recipe is credited to Mrs. Ethel Renouf herself. 

The book is more than recipes because it offers an informative introduction and lots of information about the Gaspé Peninsula. It is more than a cookbook – it is a slice of Gaspesian history. The book contains many small articles at the beginning of each section on different kinds of 

foods on such topics as Expeditions, Autumn in the Woods, Deep Sea Fishing and Sunday on the Coast. Reading through 

The Black Whale Cookbook gives a real sense of how life was seven decades ago, through the eyes of the ladies who loved to cook. 

Looking through the pages we can get a sense of how food preparation has changed and what foods were eaten during those times. 

There were no microwaves or stand mixers. Some of the recipes included are Bonaventure Cod Tongues, Roasted Sea Pigeons, Fish Head Chowder, Seal Liver, Gaspé Ox Tails, Gaspé Frozen Pudding and Spruce Beer. 

Other recipes, though historical, are still prepared today such as Johnny Cake, Fried Smelt, Fish Cakes, Pea Soup and Gaspé Boiled Dinner. 

The Black Whale Cookbook was very popular at the time, so there are likely many copies of it still in existence. If you own a copy hang onto it as it is a treasure and a piece of history. 

Nelson Sergerie

QUEBEC – CAQ Members of the National Assembly (MNA) from the Gaspé Peninsula once again demanded the status quo before the Electoral Representation Commission during a parliamentary commission which ended on February 15 in Quebec City. 

The Gaspé Peninsula made itself heard during the last day of the hearings. MNA for Bonaventure, Catherine Blouin, and her colleague for Gaspé, Stéphane Sainte-Croix, each had 20 minutes to reaffirm their positions. This exercise was undertaken last fall during the Commission’s visit to Gaspé and New Richmond. 

The Commission suggests merging the constituencies of Gaspé and Bonaventure and 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 constituency of Matane-Matapédia, a Lower Saint Lawrence Ms. Blouin on what the new constituency of Gaspé-Bonaventure would represent, recalling that Montreal’s constituencies have only a few street corners and are accessible on foot. 

“More time on the road means less time for fieldwork with citizens,” adds the elected official listing the organizations and institutions that would be included in the possible constituency. 

“Is a voter from the Gaspésie worth less than a voter from Montreal? I ask myself that question,” says Ms. Blouin to the commissioners before the parliamentary committee. 

“I am before you all dressed in black, and it is not by chance, considering the nature of the day, which is a concern for the democracy of our nation, the regions of Quebec and particularly worrisome for the Gaspésie,” says Stéphane Sainte-Croix, referring to without directly saying the possible mourning that the acceptance of the Commission’s proposal would cause. 

For the elected official, the merger of Gaspé and Bonaventure ridings would result in the loss of political weight of the Gaspésie compared to the whole of Quebec, recalling several statistics and comparisons of a future riding mentioned which would be one of the most important in terms of voters in Quebec, but with an extraordinarily large area compared to comparable ridings in Montreal. 

The MNA for Gaspé placed great emphasis on Haute-Gaspésie, the most devitalized MRC in Quebec, which would be submerged in the county of Matane-Matapédia in the current proposal. 

“By integrating this MRC into a predominantly Lower Saint Lawrence constituency, the historical links that unite Haute-Gaspésie to the rest of 

the Gaspésie are compromised. This restructuring, which has not been convincingly justified in our eyes, isolates the most devitalized MRC in Quebec from its regional counterparts, calling into question the principle of regional representation,” means Mr. Sainte-Croix. 

Currently, the Haute-Gaspésie MRC represents 50% of the Gaspé constituency and would only represent 17% of the expanded Matane-Matapédia constituency. 

“Similarly, the share of the voting population of Haute-Gaspésie would fall from 31% to 18%. This structural dilution could considerably reduce the political weight of Haute-Gaspésie, making its specific concerns and needs less audible and less politically visible,” affirms the MNA for Gaspé. 

“Our recommendation is simple: withdraw this merger proposal for the region and favour maintaining the status quo,” concludes the elected official. 

Mr. Sainte-Croix mentioned that of the 600 people who took the time to be heard last fall through public hearings in the province, 300 were from the Gaspésie. 

As of April 30, Bonaventure had 35,898 voters and Gaspé 30,131, far from the minimum threshold planned. The difference was respectively -29.2% and -40.6%. 

Gaspé thus ranked third among the least populous constituencies, behind the Magdalen Islands, which has an exceptional status as well as Ungava. 

According to projections of the number of voters based on data from the Institute of Statistics of Quebec, the gap compared to the average in Gaspé should soon surpass that of Ungava. 

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

Elected officials called for this exception to be maintained.

Nelson Sergerie

GASPÉ – The Federal Court will not grant the Gaspé Peninsula a reprieve. As a result, the constituency of Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapédia will disappear on April 24 unless elections are called prior to that date. 

In August, Gaspesian lawyer Alexis Deschênes and the organization Droits Collectifs Québec filed motions urging a judge not to eliminate the constituency and requested the suspension of its redesign pending a decision on the merits. 

“It’s a disappointing rejection for us. The judge did not consider the criterion of irreparable harm. Indeed, it is hypothetical that there will be elections called before the judgment in this case. We think that it is a hypothesis that there is every chance of happening,” remarks Étienne-Alexis Boucher, General Director of Droits collectifs Québec. 

No date has been set for the hearing of merits, although elections must be held no later than October 2025. completed as quickly as possible so that there is no election with the new map when we would find ourselves in an absurd situation of an election being held on a new map which would be deemed unconstitutional or not respecting the Canadian Elections Act, hence the reason for the (procedure) stay,” explains Mr. Boucher. 

The dilution of political power in the Gaspé Peninsula is the basic issue. The application for judicial review is based on an opinion issued by the Supreme Court of Canada in the Saskatchewan Provincial Electoral Districts Reference and the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act. 

On September 6, Alexis Deschênes, who participated in the judicial review, emphasized that the right to vote comes with the right to effective representation. 

He explained that the Supreme Court says that effective representation is not just parity of electoral power between different constituencies. We must also take into account other factors such as geography, historical development and communities of interest. 

“We simply hope now that the request for a stay has been rejected that all the parties will agree to hold a trial before the elections are called,” mentions the director general. 

He hopes that the Attorney General will not put obstacles in the way by filing various challenges before the court. 

“We would be lucky to have a trial in the coming months and another six months to obtain a judgment,” recalls Mr. Boucher, who notes that time is starting to run out with the electoral deadline approaching. 

If elections were called quickly, protesters would be ready to act swiftly. 

“The request would have to be reworked, but the arguments raised would possibly be the same. Simply the hypothetical aspect of irreparable harm would no longer be given that the holding of an election before the trial or the delivery of the decision following the trial, it would become obvious that we would meet the criterion linked to irreparable harm,” maintains Mr. Boucher. 

The region unanimously opposed the scenario proposed in September 2022 before the commission in Gaspé and reacted strongly to the submission of the report last June.