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CSN protests against the private sector health care

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

CHANDLER – On February 26, the CSN protested against the privatization of the health care and social services network, outside the Chandler office of the Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for Bonaventure, Catherine Blouin. The protest was part of the CSN’s “For a Truly Public Network” campaign. 

Serge Saint-Pierre, president of the Centrale des syndicats nationaux (CSN) regional council for Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, points out that the network has undergone numerous reforms for over 30 years, the last one being the one that led to the creation of Santé Québec last year. 

“We have always advocated public health care rather than private health care,” Mr. Saint-Pierre points out. 

In the Gaspé Peninsula, the union representative notes that some doctors have left the public network for the private sector. “We are afraid that with the reform that has begun, there will be more and more. When we talk about the private sector, we are talking about profit and people have to pay. The government says it won’t cost anything, we will pay the bill. Everywhere the private sector has set up shop, costs have increased and users have had to pay,” notes the president, who wants to raise awareness among users. 

“At some point, they will be forced to take money out of their pockets if we make more and more room for the private sector,” adds Mr. Saint-Pierre. 

“In the private sector, when cases are too heavy, we return them to the public sector. They only take cases with the possibility of making money, that is to say, cases that are not too heavy,” maintains the union representative. 

The CSN criticized the lack of access to local MNAs Catherine Blouin (Bonaventure) and Stéphane Sainte-Croix (Gaspé). 

“We wanted to talk to the Members of the National Assembly and it was never possible,” he says. 

With the Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre facing a $40 million budget cut, Mr. Saint-Pierre says essential services will be affected. 

“Cutting $40 million in the Gaspésie makes no sense. There are people who will not be able to afford to get treatment, who will not receive services at the local level,” says Mr. Saint-Pierre. 

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Drinking water: Finally an agreement between New Carlisle and Paspebiac 

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

NEW CARLISLE – After five years of efforts, a memorandum of understanding between New Carlisle and Paspebiac for their drinking water supply was finalized. 

This agreement opened the door to an increase in government assistance, easing the financial burden on the two municipalities, each of which had various tasks to complete to keep their water systems up to date. 

“After several studies on solutions, whether it be a green sand filtration system, the production capacity of the Town of Paspébiac, the distribution and supply capacity between the two municipalities together to supply both systems and once the study was presented that mentioned sharing the network, a protocol was developed that took a year and we arrived with a great agreement,” says New Carlisle Mayor David Thibault. 

The protocol outlines the roles and responsibilities in terms of infrastructure, production costs and billing. 

The mayor of New Carlisle sees three advan tages for both municipalities. “On the west side of Paspebiac, there was a little lack of However, New Carlisle faces a challenge with the new school that is currently under construction. While the water and sewer network was connected in the summer of 2024, it lacks the pressure needed to supply the school’s sprinklers. 

“The urgency to act is that during the winter, we will work on the plans and specifications for the reservoir in the centre of the municipality which will compensate for the lack of pressure for the sprinkler network. Subsequently, it ensures the technological update for the distribution of the Paspebiac network, which is 30 or 40 years old, because the two networks of Paspebiac and New Carlisle must talk to each other,” notes Mr. Thibault, who is also a firefighter. 

In 2022, the project was estimated at $10 million. 

“At 90%, there will be $1 million left over 30 years. It is not a large amount, but the result will be extraordinary for both sides,” calculates the mayor. 

New Carlisle had a problem with the aesthetics of the water, which turned brown, caused by a chemical reaction between manganese and chlorine. The issue, however, had no impact on the health of the population. 

The project still requires approval from the Quebec government, but with the new school project at stake, there is an urgent need to move forward quickly. 

“The issue of the delay will be approval for the PRIMEAU program. During the winter, the Eastern Shores School Board will put pressure on the Ministry of Education, and us with our local MNA (Member of the National Assembly) to move forward as quickly as possible. If we get an OK this winter, we will make the plans and specifications for construction in the summer of 2025 for commissioning in the fall for the opening of the school in 2026. That is our schedule. It is a response to the delay of civil servants. We want to reach the finish line at the same time,” says the mayor. pressure. During a fire or a breakdown past the Tim Horton’s, it lacked pressure. The planned New Carlisle reservoir will be able to supply the west side of Paspebiac. By combining the infrastructures, rather than 65%, we could get 90% or 95% of subsidies to update the Paspebiac distribution network and the New Carlisle reservoir. It’s a win-win for both municipalities,” says Mr. Thibault. 

Drinking water: Finally an agreement between New Carlisle and Paspebiac  Read More »

 Midterm review for Catherine Blouin

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CARLETON-SUR-MER – Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for Bonaventure, Catherine Blouin, has announced her intention to run for a second term in the October 2026 general election. 

In an interview, marking the halfway point of her term, the MNA was asked to comment on the announcement of Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy’s departure at the end of her current term, citing the difficulty of balancing family life with young children and her role as MNA. 

Catherine Blouin, who has two children slightly older than her colleague, acknowledges the challenge. “I’m not going to hide the fact that it is a challenge. It requires a lot of organization and I understand Marwah’s situation and I would have made the same decision if my children were the same age as hers. My daughters are a little older, and I consider the situation to be a little different,” says Ms. Blouin. 

Pausing for a few seconds in her response, she adds: “I’m not the only one who has a logistical challenge with my family. I think of nurses or a single parent every other week, or the fly-in-fly-outs. I don’t want to complain: it means I’m away from my children three nights a week, several weeks a year,” she continues. 

However, it is a privilege for her daughters to see the workings of Parliament and the MNA feels an awakening for political life. “I’m lucky. It’s going very well,” she says. 

“If things continue in this direction, it (my decision) will be in ‘yes’ column. I’ll be a candidate in 2026,” she clearly states. 

On the balance sheet, the cellular coverage for which consultations are being conducted by Telus for the installation of towers and the electoral map saga are the two major elements that Catherine Blouin brings up in the midterm assessment. 

“When I think of all the work done on this file and the safeguarding of the two ridings in the Gaspésie, the protection of the political weight of the Gaspésie, it is a great source of pride,” emphasizes the elected official. 

Several everyday issues impacting citizens have been resolved. Ms. Blouin notes that 95% of her work moves in that direction. “This is what motivates me the most to continue to advance files. It makes a real difference. That’s why we want to get into politics. In any case, in my case, it was to help people concretely and help my region. When we get calls from happy citizens, it feels good. We  tell ourselves that we are in the right place,” mentions Ms. Blouin. 

With two years left in the current mandate, housing and daycare spaces remain among her top priorities. “There are several spaces that have been delivered, several housing units that have been built. There are still several sites under construction. We will have to work hard to deliver all the expected daycare spaces and support the many developers who are raising their hands,” says the MNA, who wants to seize all the opportunities. 

On railway issues, unlike her colleague from Gaspé, Stéphane Sainte-Croix, who says he doubts that a train will arrive in Gaspé in December 2026, Catherine Blouin understands that the deadline is tight. “When I ask questions, I am told that it is possible,” she says, while the estimate from the Ministry of Transport states that the construction period is 28 months. The contract for the last of the four major calls for tenders has still not been awarded. 

The MNA remains cautious about the start of construction work on the new emergency and intensive care unit at Maria Hospital. The Gaspé Peninsula Integrated Health and Social Services Centre (CISSS) is in discussions with engineering firms to choose one of them to assess the building’s capacity to take on more infrastructure. 

Although she isn’t ready to commit to saying the first nail will be driven before the end of her term, she is optimistic. “It is certainly desirable. We had done what was necessary to speed up the process. The last news was that the contract had not yet been awarded. We are continuing to monitor it very closely. Every week, I look at where we are. My wish is really to advance the project considerably,” explains the Bonaventure MNA. 

Regarding gasoline prices, which vary significantly within her riding, seeing very low prices in the west of the county and very high prices in the east, she acknowledges the issue. 

“I am very sensitive to the issues surrounding the price of gasoline because it is an essential daily expense,” mentions the elected official, mentioning the tabling of the report that was submitted and that a parliamentary committee is looking into the matter. 

“We are currently evaluating what we can do to ensure that Quebecers pay a fair price,” she adds. 

Her colleague from Gaspé, Stéphane Sainte-Croix, has indicated he will not conduct a midterm review but will focus on the current parliamentary session, which ends in December. 

 Midterm review for Catherine Blouin Read More »

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