Gone are the days when the region had on the other

Photo Pierre-Paul Biron
The major players in the Gaspésie intend to develop their economies with growth-generating projects that they will put themselves on foot. A forum on the future of the Gaspé peninsula, moreover, has brought together elected officials and other community stakeholders in the spring.

Pierre-Paul Biron

Saturday, 5th August 2017 00:00

UPDATE
Saturday, 5th August 2017 00:00

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Refusing to be defeated by the difficulties of economic and demographic research, the Gaspé peninsula between today in a new era marked by youth, but also by a strong desire to take themselves in hand. “Finished the braillage,” says the president of the table of prefects regional.

Guy Gallant does not have white gloves to talk about what has changed in recent years. “It may be a little our fault because we had lamented long time,” concedes the mayor of Saint-Alexis-de-Matapédia and president of the table of prefects regional.

“You have to stop it and create. We now choose to solicit the governments, with projects, with ideas, rather than ask for help simply. “

To take in hand

“It is easy to forget the Gaspé peninsula,” adds the president of the UPA regional and former mayor of Carleton, Marc Tétreault. “It doesn’t hurt too much and this is not a big population that will make a difference at the next election. But here it is finished, ” he warns.

Photo Pierre-Paul Biron

Marc Tétreault, president of the PAU regional

He and other stakeholders in the gaspé peninsula have developed over the last few months a forum on the state of the region. A way to take themselves in hand and listen to the Gaspesians who have ideas to put the region back on the rails.

“With the abolition of the regional Conferences of elected officials, and local development Centres, we have again said : “Let you”. It took a while before we are tacking, and that they organize, but there we are ready to meet the challenges, ” says Mr. Tétrault.

By implementing this new structure, the people around the table have realized that the best projects for the Gaspé came from the region and not elsewhere.

Relationship with the State

Despite all this good will, the stakeholders interviewed by The Newspaper, however, remain realistic and emphasize that the contribution of the different levels of government will be required to complete projects. “It takes a signal of the State, anyway. Wind power never would have developed in the Gaspé peninsula without the desire at the time to mount a wind energy sector in quebec, ” pointed out the mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côté.

The prefect of the Haute-Gaspésie, Allen Cormier, based in this sense a lot of hope on a recent meeting with Philippe Couillard. “This may be the turning point for the region. He has promised us that he would give a helping hand, ” emphasizes the elected official who hopes to ads by September.