economic development

Legault announces $5M investment in baby carrots 

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Quebec Premier François Legault visited the FMS Fresh Produce facility in Saint-Patrice-de-Sherrington on April 10 to announce a $5-million investment to process and package baby carrots.

The funds will go towards the completion of a $25 million project to build a 70,000-square-foot carrot conditioning and packaging plant, making FMS the largest carrot producer in the province and the first to produce locally grown baby carrots.

Legault said the funds from Investissement Québec would help “strengthen Quebec’s food self-sufficiency while reducing the province’s dependence on goods imported from the United States.”

Along with the funds from the provincial government, Desjardins is contributing over $17 million in financing to the project, part of which is guaranteed by Export Development Canada (EDC).

Baby carrots currently account for 39 per cent of fixed-weight carrot sales in Canada, representing annual sales of $377 million. Until now, the washed and ready-to-eat carrots were entirely imported from the United States.

This type of production and processing requires substantial investments in infrastructure, as well as the precise management of growing conditions including the soil and climate.

FMS Fresh Produce is a family-run business co-owned by siblings Marc-Olivier and Steven Daigneault. “This project is so much more than just producing baby carrots. It’s about building a sustainable business model for the future of our industry while honouring our commitments to the environment and our community,” explained the brothers.

The project is part of the long-term vision for the Daigneault family, and aligns with efforts to minimize the agri-food sector’s carbon footprint.

FMS cultivates over 5,000 acres and manages a team of over 200 employees. The company relies on water-efficient equipment and responsible resource management, and plans to repurpose its rejected carrots.

The first bags of baby carrots are expected to hit grocery stores this summer.

Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette pointed out that the production of the vegetables will contribute to the Monteregie’s economic development while strengthening the province’s food self-sufficiency and increasing exports, which she referred to as priorities given the current context.

Legault ended the press conference by announcing a new advertising campaign aimed at encouraging Quebecers to buy local. He then issued a call to the province’s innovative agricultural producers and processors. “Now is the time to come and see us with your ideas, your expansion plans, and tour diversification projects,” he announced.

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 Gaspé Mines: A committee to maximize local and regional benefits

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Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

 MURDOCHVILLE – The Quebec government is taking the initiative to set up a pilot project for the creation of a committee to maximize local economic benefits from the Gaspé Mines project by the promoter Osisko Metals, in Murdochville. 

“The goal is to have a leverage effect. With the eventual opening of the Murdoch mine, the goal is for the local and regional community to be able to take maximum advantage of this economic opportunity. The committee will bring together economic and community stakeholders, local and Indigenous elected officials so that everyone can pitch in and take advantage of the arrival of this significant economic development,” explains Maïté Blanchette Vézina, Minister of Natural Resources and Forests and Minister responsible for the Lower Saint Lawrence, the Gaspé Peninsula and the Magdalen Islands regions. 

Ms. Blanchette Vézina travelled to Murdochville on January 13 to make the announcement. 

The Minister wanted to find a project with good potential for opening up and target an area that had a desire to engage in economic development. “This is a project in a historically mining town. The community is keen to see this project. The winning conditions were there to create this pilot project,” adds the minister. 

The committee, composed of her ministry and other ministries, economic stakeholders, MRCs, local elected officials, chambers of commerce and the Micmac Nation, will monitor calls for tenders and the needs of local investment projects to inform regional entrepreneurs of upcoming contracts and direct contracting authorities to local entrepreneurs able to meet their needs. 

This pilot project is part of the actions of the 2024-2025 Roadmap for the Harmonious and Responsible Development of Mining Activity, which consists of “implementing strategies that enable host communities to benefit concretely and sustainably from the presence of mining activity.” 

“It’s an asset and an asset that we will be able to use, exploit, and collaborate to ensure the success of the project,” points out Osisko Metals Chief Executive Officer Robert Wares. 

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Ottawa to provide $10M for 11 projects in the Gaspé Peninsula

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Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

Bonaventure: – The federal government is granting $10.1 million to 11 businesses and organizations in the Gaspé Peninsula to support their development, resulting in total investments of $86.5 million. 

“When we look at the Gaspésie promoters, people who work very hard for economic development and producing wealth in the Gaspésie, we see how dynamic, job-creating and diversified our businesses are in the territory. This is positive for a region like ours,” said Diane Lebouthillier, Member of Parliament for the Gaspé Peninsula and the Magdalen Islands, and Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, who made the announcement during a press briefing on January 10 in Bonaventure. 

The Bioparc de la Gaspésie in Bonaventure receives the largest share, with $2.7 million non-refundable out of a total investment of $7.8 million. The project aims to improve and enhance the tourism offering by implementing the first phase of its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. This includes the overhaul of four ecosystems, the creation of new animal habitats, the expansion and renovation of the animal care building, the construction of an exhibition pavilion, the redevelopment of public spaces, the expansion of sanitary spaces, the development of digital and scientific content, as well as a marketing strategy. 

Merinov receives $2 million to strengthen its innovation and technology transfer capacities by establishing the Merinov Innovation Hub in Grande-Rivière to better support the Quebec fisheries, aquaculture and bioresources industry. The spaces will offer five technological platforms related in particular to sustainable fishing gear, microalgae, the valorization of algae and co-products, a fish breeding room with modern effluent treatment technologies and ecophysiology and biology laboratories. The project is worth $31.2 million. 

Groupe AEM Canada of Cap-Chat is also receiving $2 million to increase the production capacity of the start-up company that specializes in the manufacture of high-purity alumina. This $27.7 million project will allow it to acquire and install specialized equipment, expand a building to add clean calcination rooms and increase its working capital. 

Cuisimer of Saint-Maxime-du-Mont-Louis receives $1.9 million to increase production capacity and improve the productivity of the seafood processing company. Cusimer will expand its plant, add lobster tanks, a lobster sorter, a conveyor and cooling and air conditioning systems. The project requires $7.5 million in investments. 

Several smaller projects are also being supported through Canada Economic Development for Quebec. 

Les Bateliers de Percé will receive $333,750 of $445,000 to modernize and expand its boat to increase capacity. 

The Accès Micro crédit Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine project is being granted $252,000 non-repayable on a $965,000 project to promote the economic development of official language minority communities in the Gaspé Peninsula and the Magdalen Islands, by offering support, coaching and training activities to English-speaking entrepreneurs. 

The Parc régional Petite-Cascapédia receives $250,000 non-repayable funding to create a zone for beginner downhill skiers and snowboarders, part of a total investment of $780,000. 

The Regroupement des pêcheurs professionnels du Sud de la Gaspésie will be able to complete the technological development of the JOBEL national software package (electronic logbook allowing fishermen to transmit their commercial fishing data) and its marketing in the Atlantic provinces with a contribution of $201,000 from the federal government. 

The Village en chanson de Petite-Vallée received $180,000 for marketing the 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions of the Festival en chanson de Petite-Vallée. 

A sum of $144,500 is reserved to enhance the tourism offer of the Corporation de développement de La Martre by setting up historical interpretation trails of the La Martre lighthouse by creating and implementing an escape game in the lighthouse keeper’s house, including rental improvements, as well as by developing an artifact exhibition room, a $205,000 project. 

Finally, Concept K will be able to improve its productivity and increase its production capacity with $125,000 out of $610,000 to acquire and install new production equipment and relocate the activities of the Sainte-Anne-des-Monts service point to a new location. 

“The Gaspé Peninsula is going to be a part of Canada’s economic recovery and we see that with our promoters, we have to hold our own. We are a tourist region, a resource region. We are a region that innovates in fisheries. Investing in the region is profitable for the region, for Quebec and for Canada,” says Ms. Lebouthillier. 

This announcement comes despite parliament being prorogued until the end of March. “That doesn’t stop departments from operating, working on projects and making announcements,” says Ms. Lebouthillier. 

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Huntingdon releases 10-year sustainable development plan

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Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The Town of Huntingdon is looking ahead and planning for the future.

Mayor André Brunette and councillor Dominic Tremblay presented the town’s 2024-2034 Sustainable Development Master Plan to citizens on October 29 at the Salle Culturelle Alfred-Langevin. Both referred to the document as the roadmap that will be used to guide decisions concerning the town’s management, development, and planning efforts in the years ahead.

Spearheaded by the board of directors of the Huntingdon Economic Development Corporation, the ambitious 10-year plan is the result of a two-year process that prioritized public participation through workshops, focus groups, and consultations. The municipality received 300 responses to a survey, and over 50 residents took part in an interactive consultation in June 2023.

The finalized plan was adopted by the municipal council on May 28 of this year; however, the document will remain active, and the council has acknowledged that it will have to evolve with the town over the next decade.

The plan is structured around five strategic orientations or objectives that reflect many of the concerns or priorities identified by citizens. These touch on inclusivity, transport and mobility, climate change, the local economy, and the town’s heritage.

The plan includes a list of strategic initiatives and projects to be completed in the short, medium, and long term that address each of the objectives. These include the establishment of a community and cultural centre, the installation of a community kitchen, the development of a town-centre revitalization plan, the creation of a new linear park, the adoption of a greening plan for the town, and much more.

“I think all the ideas and all the intentions from our citizens are in this document, and we’re going to fight hard. We’re going to try and do most of these initiatives, budget permitting,” said Brunette, while noting that several projects were already in place or in progress.

“There are a lot of grants out there, and we are definitely going to try and get funding for each project,” Brunette added, while reassuring citizens that the town intends to develop within its means.

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Chantier naval Forillon makes a major transaction

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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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