Of meat lost by lack of butchers

Photo David Prince
Sylvain Fleurant of the Slaughter Of Praz, Rouyn-Noranda, expects to receive 300 moose during hunting, or 30% of its turnover.

Yanick Fish

Wednesday, 11 October 2017 21:05

UPDATE
Wednesday, 11 October 2017 21:05

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Hunters of moose have been obliged to waste the meat at the end of last week because of a shortage of butchers.

The situation is problematic in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, where hunters often have to travel several tens of kilometres before finding someone to put their prey to the fees and the debit.

The heat of last weekend has meant that some cuts of meat have not been cooled in time.

“With the heat that he has done over the last week-end, there are hunters who have not brought their moose time. We had to throw a party, ” says Réjean Bechard, owner of the outfitter Fern, Duparquet, in the Abitibi region.

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Its three butchers start work at 4 in the morning and finish at 19 hours until 3 November.

Several other hunters had to find a cold room waiting to obtain the services of a butcher. The meat must be kept at a temperature ranging from 0 to 5 ºC. In the hot weather, the flies and the parasites come to contaminate quickly.

The Témiscamingue region is particularly problematic as it is less than five butchers on a territory as large as Slovenia and hosts hunters from all over Quebec.

Shortage of labour

The butchers are in search of labour, but the young workers prefer to turn to the mines of the Abitibi region because of the salary more attractive. Three butcher shops have closed their doors over the past year and others will follow.

63 years old, Stephen Grimard of the butchery of the Game Lorrainville no longer takes new customers. Since her children have left the family business, it has reduced the rate of fire.

Yves Bouffard of the butcher in The Gourmet Ville-Marie, has ceased to host the wild meat, in order to allow two of its employees to go hunting.

The slaughter of Praz de Rouyn-Noranda was at its maximum capacity (90 moose) in less than two days and took weeks of six days in order to support the demand.