Province seeks proposals for Soeurs de la Charité land
Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
peterblack@qctonline.com
If all goes according to plan, the sprawling swath of land known as the Soeurs de la Charité farm will once again be growing food, among other agricultural activities.
Last week, the Quebec government launched a call for interested parties to submit applications for managing the 203-hectare site, as well as agricultural projects on allocated plots in what is referred to as l’Agro-parc.
The government hopes to have the project up and running for the 2025 growing season.
The call for interest comes more than two years after Quebec bought the land from the nuns who had run the farm, known as Ferme Saint-Michel-Archange, for 114 years.
The farm, located in the Beauport district, had provided the religious order with fresh food for the staff and patients at the mental institution they operated on the site, as well as offering the patients therapeutic work in the fields.
The city stepped in to acquire the property for $28.7 million amid public and political opposition to a developer’s plans to turn it into a housing subdivision.
A series of consultations on the future vocation of the property began in January 2023, which resulted in a concept proposal in the spring of this year. Further consultation on that concept is the basis for the current call for proposals.
André Lamontagne, the minister of agriculture, fisheries and food, made the announcement in one of the farm buildings on the site, alongside Jonatan Julien, minister for infrastructure and the capital region.
Lamontagne said, “From the moment we acquired these lands, we wanted this project to be as unifying as possible. The chosen representative will take charge of a project that will enhance the value of these high-quality lands, for the benefit of Quebec City and Quebec. I invite interested individuals and groups to come forward in large numbers.”
Mayor Bruno Marchand noted that “[m]ore than 46 per cent of residents practice one or more forms of urban agriculture in Quebec, so I am enthusiastic about the idea of seeing community initiatives emerge to cultivate our know- how and share it with as many people as possible.”
Prospective candidates interested in managing l’Agro- parc, either one organization or a group of organizations, are expected to “assume the governance and development of the Agro-parc in accordance with the future master plan. The site will remain the property of the government of Quebec, but the agent will be responsible for the development and management of the Agro-parc’s operations.”
The call is targeted at non- profit organizations. The dead- line for submitting an expression of interest is Jan. 10, 2025. The government hopes to sign a contract with the successful applicant in the summer.
The deadline is Dec. 13 for those interested in submitting a project for a 10-hectare plot. Proposals must, according to the concept criteria, allow “for the benefit of the population and the surrounding community. In addition, they must make agricultural products accessible with a view to food autonomy and security.”
Full details for applicants can be found online at quebec.ca/agriculture-environnement-et-ressources-naturelles/agriculture/industrie-agricole-au-quebec/protection-mise-en-valeur-territoire-agricole/projet-agro-parc.