TASHI FARMILO
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE
L’ISLE-AUX-ALLUMETTES – David Gillespie, a farmer and long-time agritourism advocate, was named Agricultural Ambassador by the UPA Outaouais-Laurentides during its 60th-anniversary celebration at Château Montebello, October 30. The recognition highlights Gillespie’s decades of dedication to agriculture and his efforts in fostering regional connections.
A graduate of Macdonald College in 1981, Gillespie has dedicated his life to agriculture. His commitment extends beyond farming to initiatives aimed at addressing systemic challenges. Currently, he’s advocating for reforms in farm insurance availability across Quebec.
“We’re facing huge problems right now with getting insurance all over the province,” he said. “There are farmers who don’t even have insurance anymore.” According to Gillespie, only two companies offer general insurance to farmers in the region. However, many operations are deemed too high-risk, leaving farmers vulnerable.
Gillespie pointed to Ontario as an example of progress.
“In Ontario, a private bill was passed to protect agritourism operators from civil liability,” he said, noting the disparity between provinces due to Quebec’s unique legal system based on the Civil Code. “In Quebec, you cannot be exempted from civil liability. They’d have to change the Civil Code, and that’s not going to happen.”
Despite the legal constraints, Gillespie remains optimistic about forthcoming solutions. “There’s a proposal from the UPA that will help alleviate the problem. We don’t know what it will be yet, but it’s an issue taken seriously.”
As the founder of an international agritourism trail, Gillespie has worked to bring small-scale farms into the spotlight. “We have five farms in the Pontiac that are now part of the trail,” he said. “Ten years ago, we had none. It’s a growing trend that makes sense for the area.”
The broader economic context in the Pontiac underscores agriculture’s importance. The potential closure of the Commonwealth Plywood mill in Rapides-des-Joachims could leave a void in the local economy. “With the shutdown of the mill, agriculture would become even more important for the Pontiac,” Gillespie emphasized. “It’s now the primary industry, alongside tourism.”
Despite challenges, Gillespie remains pragmatic about the future of farming in the region. “We’ll never compete with the Corn Belt,” he said, referencing large-scale industrial farms in the U.S. “But we can focus on smaller, adaptive agriculture. Agritourism is a good fit for this area, but it’s not for everyone. You’ll always have conventional agriculture alongside new forms,” he concluded.
Photo – UPA Outaouais-Laurentides President Stephane Alary (right) presents David Gillespie (left) with the Agricultural Ambassador award at the organization’s 60th anniversary celebration, October 30, at Chateau
Montebello. (Photo: UPA)