#gespeg

Gaspé: First steps toward the 500th anniversary celebrations in 2034

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / August 22, 2025 / #500th Anniversary, #celebration, #Gaspe, #gespeg, #jacques cartier, #nelson sergerie

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – With discussions underway since 2023, Gaspé is preparing to take an important first step in the preparations for the celebrations surrounding the 500th anniversary of Jacques Cartier’s arrival on July 24, 1534.

When asked on July 24, as the town celebrated its 491st anniversary, Mayor Daniel Côté provided an update.

“We are starting gradually. It’s still in its infancy. The goal is to set up a governance committee in 2026 to properly plan the 500th anniversary celebrations. There’s no question of waiting until the last minute,” noted the mayor, recalling that this is a historic day that marked the meeting of the peoples and the birth of French America.

“It’s an important symbolic day,” he added.

The next eight years will be used, in particular, to convince governments to invest in festivities “of national and international scope,” said Mr. Côte.

The Micmac Nation of Gespeg will play a major role.

“For us, it is absolutely essential that they be involved so that we can also tell the story from the Indigenous perspective and not just from the European perspective, as in our history books,” he added.

Preliminary steps have been taken with Saint-Malo, France, the starting point for Jacques Cartier, who claimed “the New World” in the name of the King of France when he arrived in Gaspé and symbolically planted a cross.

“We want everyone to benefit,” concluded the mayor.

As part of its strategic planning, the town has set its sights on this first chapter in the history of North America. The elected official does not want to repeat what happened in 2009 during the 475th anniversary, when the committee at the time had only one year to organize the festivities.
In his initial reflections, the mayor also considered hosting the Quebec Games in 2034.

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The three newly elected officials of Gespeg sworn in

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / August 11, 2025 / #Elders, #election, #gespeg, #nelson sergerie, #petition

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The three new members of the Band Council of the Micmac Nation of Gespeg have expressed their commitment to working collaboratively with the other elected officials, following their swearing-in ceremony on July 17.

Mark Sinnett, Placide Jeannotte, and Linda Jean were elected in a by-election held on July 13 to fill vacant council positions.

All three are members of the Elders’ Circle, which had contested the results of last fall’s election, arguing that it failed to respect the Nation’s customs and traditions.

“We have been given a mandate and the trust of our members, who have told us that they want us to work together. It is in this spirit that we will begin and continue our mandate,” said Linda Jean, who was designated to speak on behalf of the three elected officials.

Among their priorities are becoming familiar with key issues and working for the well-being of the community.

Following the September 2023 election, the Elders called for a review of the Electoral Code.
“This is a priority for everyone at the table. There are things to correct, look at, and discuss together,” said Ms. Jean.

At one point, the Elders even considered legal action.

“The key words in our campaign were communication and working together. Yes, the courts are there, but to be able to make concrete decisions, it’s better to be on the inside,” said Ms. Jean.
Since the next election isn’t scheduled until September 2028, there is time to reach a consensus on potential reforms.

In October, the Elders launched a petition to try to invalidate the results of the September election. Their primary concern was that the notice of candidacy and election was sent only by email to voting members, rather than by mail, which is the community’s customary method of communication.
They argued that this had caused “serious harm to our population” by depriving many of their right to vote.

The petition collected 375 signatures.

The current interpretation of the Electoral Code leaves much room for ambiguity and does not address all scenarios—particularly when contentious situations arise, as they did in the last election, which resulted in a tie between two candidates.

The petition was rejected by the sitting Council, which ruled that the matter fell under the jurisdiction of the Chief Electoral Officer.

As a result of the decision, the candidate who finished third in the election ultimately became Chief.
After the initial petition, a second was launched in January, this time calling for the complete removal of the Council. However, that request went unanswered.

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The 73-place daycare centre in Gespeg will not open until January 2027

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gaspé Spec / August 11, 2025 / #construction, #CPE, #daycare, #Gaspe, #gespeg, #Micmac Nation

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The second daycare centre project approved in the summer of 2022 in Gaspé, at the CPE des Butineurs by the Ministry of Family Affairs, will not open until January 2027.

Several technical issues have delayed the development process.

The application was submitted in January 2022, and 73 places were approved, 80% of which are reserved for members of the Micmac Nation of Gespeg.

The construction of the facility, initially planned for Nation land near the Saint-Majorique administrative centre, has proven complicated.

From the beginning of the proceedings with the Town of Gaspé in the fall of 2022, two different maps emerged, raising concerns about a potential unmarked watercourse and wetlands on the selected parcel of land.

“We had to have everything evaluated and characterized. In the end, there was no watercourse, but there were two wetlands. We had to discuss it again and select a new location,” explains Mylène Côté, director of the CPE des Butineurs and project manager.

Once the second site was selected, still on Nation property, but behind the administrative centre, further testing was required.

“We had the issue of the well and septic tank in that area. We had to conduct characterization tests to see what kind of treatment system would be possible. Each study had to be approved by the Department of Family Services before moving on to the next one. That’s what caused the delay,” continues Ms. Côté.

All these tests had to be conducted during the summer season.

Once these steps were completed, the feasibility study was submitted in January, and the CPE now hopes to open the new facility in January 2027.

“We will need the ministry’s approval to continue. We have hired architects and engineers. Everything is proceeding as normal. Each step is taking a little longer than expected,” notes Ms. Côté.

The facility will be a traditional construction, unlike the CPE Le Voyage de mon Enfance near Carrefour Gaspé, which is currently under construction as part of a pilot project using prefabricated buildings.

Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2026.

In 2022, the Quebec government allocated a budget of $3.3 million for the project.

“We’ll see when construction will take place. There is always a small indexation. For the moment, that’s the budget we have,” calculates the director.

By comparison, the CPE project under construction near Carrefour Gaspé will cost $6 million, after several delays pushed back its completion.

The shortage of educators in the job market remains a major challenge.

“It’s a big and exciting challenge. It’s a real concern. We’re working on it every day. We hope that the beauty of the project will attract people to the region,” says Ms. Côté.

About 15 educators and three support staff will be needed. “We hope to have members of the Nation (filling these positions),” she says.

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