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Diane Lebouthillier’s political career

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

SAINTE-THÉRÈSE-DE-GASPÉ – Turning the page on 15 years of active politics, outgoing Liberal Member of Parliament and former Trudeau government minister, Diane Lebouthillier leaves with the satisfaction of a job well done. 

“I walk around with my head held high everywhere in our riding. More than a billion dollars have been invested in the riding, and I don’t know when that will be done again,” commented Ms. Lebouthillier in an exclusive interview with SPEC reflecting on her political career. A social worker by training who worked in mental health for 25 years, Ms. Lebouthillier worked from 2008 to 2010 for the former provincial Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for Gaspé, Georges Mamelonet, before entering active politics in 2010 as prefect of the Rocher-Percé MRC and a Liberal MP since 2015. 

One of the criticisms levelled at the incumbent is that she carried Ottawa’s message into the riding instead of representing the riding in Ottawa. 

“We did both! Yes, we brought programs, but we also brought things from home to Ottawa. The Fisheries Fund. If I hadn’t sat around the table and had discussions with my colleague Dominic Leblanc, who was Minister of Fisheries, this fund would have been created initially for the Atlantic region. It was the efforts made with Dominic that ensured we were able to bring this money back,” she maintains. Ms. Lebouthillier hasn’t performed a complete analysis of her defeat. “But maybe people wanted change. Honestly, I don’t know,” she begins by replying. 

However, when asked about the fact that she had promised in 2015 not to play things over and over again, she reflects by saying,”I’ve always remained outspoken. For me, having integrity and telling people the truth, even if they don’t want to hear it, remained important. Perhaps that’s also why I lost my election. No one can say I lied to them. If there are efforts to be made, I will make them, but if we can’t go any further, I’ll let you know, but if I can open doors for you, I will open them,” she believes, adding that in the cabinet, the work had to be seen as a whole across Canada. The past two years, since her appointment as Minister of Fisheries, Ms. Leboutillier admits that it hasn’t been easy, as she doesn’t like to travel. 

“For the Department of Fisheries, I’ve been to British Columbia, the Arctic, and inland fisheries, and then there’s the riding. It’s already a challenge to come back to the riding. Every time I flew home, it was incredibly stressful. After 21 days in Ottawa, I would go to bed at night and cry because I couldn’t wait to get home,” she confides. 

Her personal life has brought its share of worries. “On the family front, my partner almost died. My father passed away. We had construction work. A lot of things happened. I have children and I’m a grandmother, and we’re trying to juggle everything. People also want to see us everywhere,” she adds. 

Without completely closing the door, a transition with the new MP will be very simple. “When I arrived as an MP in 2015, what I received didn’t even fit in a shoebox. Mr. Deschênes will do what I did. He will learn his files and will do his thing. As a minister, I had too many files from the business community, and when we talk about private companies, the word “private” is excessively important. The files concerning constituents that had been settled were destroyed, and the constituents who had follow-ups were advised to work with the new elected official who will represent them,” Ms. Lebouthillier clearly explains. 

She concludes by recalling that politics can be thankless and recalls a statement from an elected official in Parliament. “There was already an MP who told us in Parliament, if you want recognition in politics, you’d better get a dog. It was a Bloc Québécois MP who said that, Louis Plamondon, and he was absolutely right,” says the former MP. 

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$3 million from the Fisheries Fund, mainly for redfish 

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Quebec Fisheries Fund (QFF) has approved nearly $3 million for three innovative projects. 

A large portion of this amount will go to ACPG Innovation, a non-profit organization affiliated with the Association des Capitaines Propriétaires de la Gaspésie. The contribution will help fishing companies in Quebec’s marine sectors adapt to the redfish fishery in a sustainable manner. 

ACPG Innovation will act as a third-party redistributor of QFF funds to companies that will benefit from this contribution for the acquisition of innovative equipment and boat adaptations. 

The project will help fish harvesters access funds quickly through one of the following components: acquisition of fishing gear, increased fishing efficiency, vessel modification, and fish handling/preservation. 

The contribution will enable fleets in Quebec’s maritime regions to acquire innovative equipment and adapt their boats for the redfish fishery. 

A sum of $1.9 million comes from the federal government, and $825,000 from the Quebec government for a total project cost of $3 million, including the fishermen or plant owners’ share. 

The ACPG Innovation project is the first major redfish project following DFO’s announcement in January 2024 of the resumption of the redfish fishery. 

Funds will also be allocated to Atkins et Frères of Mont-Louis to help the company market a new product, fish sausages. The federal government is providing $70,000 and the Quebec government is providing $30,000 for the acquisition of manufacturing equipment. High-end sausages will be launched in Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes. The sausages will be made from halibut, redfish and lobster from the Gaspé Peninsula, as well as salmon. The total investment is valued at $111,000. 

Lelièvre, Lelièvre et Lemoignan Limitée of Sainte-Thérèse-de-Gaspé will receive $70,000 from the federal government and $30,000 from the Quebec government to improve its lobster tanks. The funds will be used for the acquisition of state-of-the-art water filtration and recirculation equipment for a breeding tank (water basin) to respond to the increase in lobster landings and the labour shortage. To ensure a more efficient overall system, the existing tanks will be modified to incorporate the same technologies. This project is valued at $160,000. 

The Member of Parliament for the Gaspé Peninsula and the Magdalen Islands and Minister of Fisheries, Diane Lebouthillier, was scheduled to make the announcement on December 13 in Gaspé. However, the press conference was cancelled at the last minute “due to unforeseen circumstances related to the minister’s travel,” said the ministry, which made the announcement in a press release. 

Launched in 2019, the Fisheries Fund is funded 70% by the federal government and 30% by the Quebec government. It supports projects focused on innovation in the areas of commercial fisheries, aquaculture, harvesting and processing of seafood, and scientific partnerships. 

According to both levels of government, the funding will help create opportunities and improve the market value of sustainably harvested, high-quality fish and seafood in Quebec. 

To date, the fund has supported 179 projects, allocating 29.5 million of its $40 million budget. 

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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. 

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Chantier naval Forillon makes a major transaction

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – There has been a consolidation in Gaspé’s marine industry with Chantier naval Forillon acquiring Entreprises maritimes Bouchard of Rivière-au-Renard.

“This is good news for Chantier Naval Forillon,” says President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jean-David Samuel.

The transaction, the value of which Mr. Samuel hasn’t disclosed, was completed at the end of July following several months of discussions. The sale includes the shipyard buildings as well as the rolling stock. All jobs have been maintained.

“It was part of our strategic plan to acquire a new company to increase our production capacity along with our labour pool. It was a dream and it all has come to fruition,” continues Mr. Samuel.

“For the future, we will continue to serve local fishing customers. We also want to diversify activities with private shipowners, and public companies such as the Société des traversiers du Québec, and take advantage of pillars two and three of the federal government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy with recent announcements of several billion dollars for the construction of small vessels and the renovation of its fleet,” says the President and CEO.

The transaction could represent a bold challenge given the ongoing crisis in the fishing sector.
“It’s a cycle. We believe that, in a few years, it will come back. In between, there are a lot of boats to build, repair and renovate. We believe in it,” he says.

The company employs about 90 workers in Gaspé and hopes to add 40 to 50 more in Rivière-au-Renard in the medium term. There were only seven employees in Rivière-au-Renard a few weeks ago and the shipbuilder currently has 18.

“We want to create jobs, in all types of trades. We will provide in-house training for people who do not necessarily have a trade. There is a new training program taking shape in Quebec with other shipyards,” says Mr. Samuel.

Chantier naval Forillon considers itself a medium-sized shipyard in Quebec and is not afraid of becoming prey for major shipyards such as Groupe Océan, which acquired Chantier maritime Verreault in Les Méchins in 2022, or Davie in Lévis.

“We work together. We collaborate with other shipyards. The goal is not to become prey. There is enough market for all companies. Everyone can grow. We want to work together with Naval Québec, an association of suppliers, to reach out to the Canadian and even global market. Everyone gets their share of the pie and we are able to grow together, rather than against each other,” says Mr. Samuel.
The manager believes production could increase by 30% in the short and medium term and 50% in the longer term.

The shipyard’s order book is impressive: it includes the delivery of the eighth of 10 boats for the Canadian Coast Guard’s search and rescue and a boat to be lengthened in Rivière-au-Renard. There is also the new federal government fisheries research boat to build, a contract announced last October, and a boat under repair from Newfoundland and Labrador.

“And other contracts that we are currently working on,” continues Mr. Samuel. The federal government has awarded $157 million in contracts to Forillon Shipyard to date, which has allowed it to reach a pivotal stage in its development.

“Above all, it has allowed us to have a long-term vision. Today, we can say that we are a large SME (Small Medium Enterprise): a team able to have long-term, innovation, continuous management, a human resources department, project management, and finance. Instead of looking for contracts every six months, we have a long-term vision and be able to diversify and invest without always being on the brakes,” analyzes the CEO.

The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for the Gaspé Peninsula and Magdalen Islands, Diane Lebouthillier, visited Rivière-au-Renard to attend the transaction announcement.

She praised the Forillon Shipyard’s ability to deliver the goods. “We have a long and fruitful collaboration. Having spoken to senior officials, it is a security for them to work with Chantier naval Forillon, really take credit for it,” says the federal elected official.

The inability to launch larger ships is a barrier to the development of the shipyard. “We are not necessarily looking at dry docks. We are always talking about lift equipment,” he maintains, without closing the door on a distant future for this type of infrastructure.

The mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côté, is happy with this announcement and this new perspective. “These successes on the initial site of the shipyard founded by the eminent Michel Pouliot and propelled by Robert Côté, whom I saw earlier, these successes are now being transposed to Rivière-au-Renard, the maritime fisheries capital of Quebec, to give new impetus to this site set up by another eminent Gaspésian, Camille Bouchard,” notes the mayor, adding that this transaction is positive given the ongoing shrimp and turbot crisis.

The Rivière-au-Renard shipyard was bought from four fishermen, brothers Nicol, Bertrand and Richard Desbois, from Sainte-Thérèse-de-Gaspé, as well as Mario Côté.

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