#independence

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Demeure-Toi project, a 12-unit building designed to accommodate 11 adults living with autism spectrum disorder, was inaugurated on August 12 in Gaspé.

The Minister responsible for Social Services, Lionel Carmant, attended the inauguration and said he was proud to see this unique project in the East come to fruition.

“We have projects like Véro and Louis (show host Véronique Cloutier and actor Louis Morissette), but they are more institutional activities. Here, we really have adults who do activities every day independently. The support we offer them can propel them toward something else,” believes the minister.

The organization’s president, Claudine Dupuis, mother of an autistic child, described the project as a dream come true.

“To help them develop their skills and independence. We want to take them further and have them live independently in an apartment in the town centre with minimal supervision. It’s every parent’s dream,” she says.

The first residents are expected to move in this October.

The organization has received $9 million in funding from the federal and Quebec governments, with additional support from the town of Gaspé. An annual contribution of $275,000 from the Quebec government is also planned.

A defeat that gives pause for thought

Meanwhile the CAQ’s stinging defeat on August 11 in Arthabaska is a clear message to the government, according to Gaspé Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Stéphane Sainte-Croix.
He points out that his party has implemented significant changes and that the government must remain committed to its plan.

The elected official believes he is delivering the goods in Gaspé and is proud of it, but he remains aware that at the national level, there are issues that irritate citizens.

The elected official says he is delivering results in Gaspé and takes pride in that, while recognizing that some national-level issues have irritated citizens.

During his summer tour of the riding, Sainte-Croix listened to his constituents and emphasized that the party must return to the centre-right.

“Budgetary discipline is a recurring theme. We must accept the critical choices we have to make in Quebec. We have made progress in terms of identity. I don’t think we have anything to be ashamed of. Economically, some issues have progressed more favourably than others. We have moved far to the left lately. I think we need to return to who we are, to our roots, and embrace that,” says the MNA.
Stéphane Sainte-Croix will be a candidate in the October 2026 election.