#Murdochville

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

MURDOCHVILLE – For once, the mayor of Murdochville is openly expressing concern about the condition of the town’s aging water and sewer infrastructure, which is now more than 60 years old.
Driving through the streets, one can see areas where the pavement has bulged due to pipes running too close to the asphalt, creating visible bumps.

“We no longer have a choice. We can’t wait any longer. The mining company hasn’t arrived yet. It could become dangerous. It no longer makes sense,” notes Mayor Délisca Ritchie Roussy, adding that the town cannot afford to wait another ten years.

A study conducted in 2014 estimated it would cost $38 million to rebuild all the infrastructure, originally designed for a population of 5,000.

“We may be able to reduce the bill, but it wouldn’t be done properly,” says the mayor, who believes that the bill has certainly increased due to inflation and overheating in the construction industry.
“It’s as if we’re always chasing our tails. The government is facing increasing financial difficulties. We’re not the only ones who need help,” the mayor continues.

Although Osisko, the company working to relaunch Mines Gaspé, has promised to help with infrastructure, the mayor does not want to rely solely on them.

“We don’t approach them by always asking for money. They are nice people, after all. We don’t want to become beggars. The mining company hasn’t arrived yet,” says the elected official.
Fortunately, the town’s network is not experiencing major water losses and is not currently at critical risk.

“It was a beautiful town with beautiful infrastructure at the time, but we need government assistance. I’ve complained about this many times on the air, but no one has ever come to our rescue,” laments Ms. Ritchie Roussy, who arrived in Murdochville in 1972.

Since the closure of the underground mine and smelter, respectively in 1999 and 2002, the town has struggled to move forward.

“We were in a state of decay at the time. And today, things are no better,” she says, though she insists she’s not being defeatist.

“I’m impatient about everything that concerns us. I’d like my turn to come as soon as possible,” she says, noting that a possible revival of the mine will not happen before 2030.

She wants the issue to be resolved quickly so that she can deal with the influx of people who will return to live in her community.

“We’re behind schedule! We’re behind the times! People are repairing their homes, but we’re no longer there. We had sent several apartment blocks to Gaspé, and we no longer have them. We’ll have 1,000 workers during construction, and they’ll need to settle in,” the mayor continues.
“It worries me, never mind, Ms. Roussy. I rarely say this to my people, and it worries me because we don’t want to lose face. Osisko is a good company, but they won’t pay for everything, and that’s normal too!” concludes the mayor.