Sainte-Anne-Des-Monts

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

SAINTE-ANNE-DES-MONTS – A study has concluded that approximately 1,000 jobs are at stake and that there could be a loss of economic spinoffs amounting to $23 million in Haute-Gaspésie if the pilot project to protect caribou, mentioned in the spring, was to be implemented in this territory without modifications. 

The document, commissioned by the Table des préfets, highlights concerns raised by the prefect of the MRC, Guy Bernatchez. “I want to emphasize regional solidarity even if it only affects Haute-Gaspésie,” the prefect immediately mentions. “It’s major. We have figures that speak for themselves. It’s big. We have been dreading it for a long time, but with the anticipated declines, it is major,” he noted. 

In recreational tourism, the anticipated loss could be as high as 89%. “I admit that it is even more than we thought. The predictability related to our businesses is major,” he says. 

This observation raises alarms about the potential disappearance of a sector that has been crucial for the MRC’s development over the past ten years. “Businesses will no longer be able to have predictability. We will no longer have it. We could talk about a loss of almost $23 million just for Haute-Gaspésie. It is major,” mentions Mr. Bernatchez. 

This study will be used to complete the brief that the MRC plans to submit during the public consultations on the pilot project. “Recreational tourism, forest management: together, that is more than 1,000 jobs, not to mention the wind industry. We want to position ourselves to have new wind farms. We have the best wind deposits in Quebec. We have social acceptability. We have to give ourselves the chance to be able to do it,” says the prefect. 

The MRC of Haute-Gaspésie has 550 kilometres of forest roads. “Our access roads to the territory will suffer in the ranges,” adds Mr. Bernatchez. 

“What we are describing, is a minimum of forest management could be done in the caribou range. During the night of December 18 to 19, 5,000 hectares of forest fell due to high winds. The moratorium should be lifted to recover this wood, and bring volumes to our plants. These areas could be redeveloped by our forestry companies. In the future, we will have forests that are favourable for caribou,” illustrates the prefect, who is a trained forest manager. 

“There is a central line between the economy and ecology to be reached,” says the prefect, who hopes that the Quebec government will listen to the community for the next steps in the brief that will be submitted. 

In June, the MRC had already expressed serious concerns after analyzing the documents submitted for public consultation as part of the pilot project targeting the Gaspésie caribou. 

The document was broadly presented on April 30 by the Minister of the Environment, Benoit Charette, during his visit to Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, where he presented the Caribou Protection Plan for the Gaspésie and Charlevoix regions. 

This plan, based on the recommendations of the Caribou Commission, was subject to a 90-day public consultation, which was extended until October 31, partly at the request of the MRC of Haute Gaspésie. This plan had received a mixed reception in the MRC, and its analysis confirms the community’s fears. 

The MRC had adopted a resolution at the time requesting two key elements from the government: Better communication with the population and a reconsideration of the proposed protection zones. 

The project indicated that the habitat zone under restoration represents 5,000 square kilometres, including the zone along the St. Lawrence River and some private woodlots. 

The prefect mentioned that this zone was disturbed up to 87% and the objective in the pilot project is to reduce it to 35%.