Category: Press Release

Chevery, May 27, 2025 – Determined to break the chronic isolation of the Lower North Shore, the MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent is launching an analysis detailing the advantages and necessity of completing Route 138.

This measure is part of a series of initiatives taken by the MRC to advance this crucial issue for our region, including the hiring last fall of a development coordinator dedicated to the file, whose main role is to establish working relationships with all the players involved in the file of the completion of Route 138.

“Unfortunately, we can’t go back and rewrite the history of Route 138. We have to look to the future and change the narrative based on today’s economic and social realities. Fortunately, we, along with our Native neighbors, occupy a vast and generous territory with a wealth of resources in high-demand sectors such as energy, mining, fisheries, forestry and tourism. Exploiting these resources could yield major spin-offs for our region and for the entire province”.

– Glen McKinnon, Route 138 Development Coordinator for the MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent

The analysis will be carried out in collaboration with the Institut de recherches en économie contemporaine (IRÉC) and the public relations firm Mercure, and will be presented to the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable with the opportunities study document produced by the Groupe mobilité Basse-Côte-Nord.

Investing to connect: gains far beyond the North Shore

The MRC’s study aims to detail how the lack of a road link affects Quebec’s economy, and will focus on elements less studied to date, such as the cost of our isolation to the province of Quebec.

“Our territory is immense, rich in history, culture and resources. There’s a universal truth that time is money, so why is it that the population of the Lower North Shore has had to wait decades for the infrastructure that would allow it to exploit its resources and contribute to the vitality of the province’s economy? Who benefits from our isolation?”

– Glen McKinnon, Route 138 Development Coordinator for the MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent

The Quebec government’s lack of investment in the North Shore’s Road infrastructure is an injustice that residents have been experiencing for decades. The region contributes more than $9 billion to the province’s GDP (2022), and infrastructure investments barely exceed $300 million per year (2024-2026). This injustice makes the situation particularly critical on the Lower North Shore, where the lack of investment means that the population is trapped by substandard air and maritime transportation.

The MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent will therefore continue its mobilization efforts to advance this crucial project for the future of our territory.

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Source : Mrs. Gladys Driscoll Martin
Warden
418 787-2016
info@mrcgsl.ca

Each month, the MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent will share with you the highlights of the Council meeting to better inform the population about the work of the MRC Council.

Chevery, May 1, 2025 – The population of the MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent will elect a warden by universal suffrage in the next municipal elections. The MRC Council of Mayors has decided to change the suffrage method for electing the Warden during an extraordinary session on May 1, 2025.

« The MRC has decided to take a major step towards change by adopting this by-law concerning the election of the warden by universal suffrage. »
– Gladys Driscoll Martin, Warden of the MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent and mayor of Saint-Augustin

« This decision shows our commitment to developing the Lower North Shore and creating a brighter future for generations to come. »
– Colin Shattler, mayor of Blanc-Sablon

« This formula will be beneficial because it will allow the Warden to work full time on regional files. »
– Dale Roberts Keats, mayor of Bonne-Espérance

« The mayors will focus on their municipalities; the warden will get a head start on regional issues. It’s time to catch up to the rest of the province. »
– Gena Chubbs, mayor of Gros-Mécatina

« This decision is an opening towards the future and the development of the region. This represents increased citizen participation and, in my opinion, an important turning point in regional democracy! »
– Chantale Otis, administrator of the municipality of Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent

The next municipal elections will be held on November 2, 2025. Information regarding the candidacy process will be shared at a later date.

Source : Mrs. Gladys Driscoll Martin
Warden
418 787-2016
info@mrcgsl.ca

Each month, the MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent will share with you the highlights of the Council meeting to better inform the population about the work of the MRC Council.

IS HEREBY GIVEN BY THE UNDERSIGNED, GENERAL DIRECTOR AND SECRETARY-TREASURER OF THE REGIONAL COUNTY MUNICIPALITY OF GOLFE-DU-SAINT-LAURENT, TO THE EFFECT THAT:

The regular meeting of the Council of the MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent scheduled to take place on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 4 p.m., will be held on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at 4 p.m.

The said meeting will be held at the head office of the MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent, located at 29 chemin d’Aylmer Sound, in Chevery, Québec. You can also take part in this meeting by visiting the municipal offices of our MRC at the following addresses:

– Municipality of Gros-Mecatina, 30 route Mecatina, La Tabatiere, Québec;
– Municipality of Saint-Augustin, 108 rue Principale, Saint-Augustin, Québec;
– Municipality of Bonne-Espérance, 100 Whiteley St. Paul’ River, Québec;
– Municipality of Blanc-Sablon, 1149 boulevard Dr Camille Marcoux, Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon, Québec.

GIVEN IN CHEVERY, THIS SECOND (2ND) DAY OF APRIL (04) IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY-FIVE (2025).

(COURTESY TRANSLATION)

North Shore, March 6, 2025 – At the request of the Centre de santé et de services sociaux de la Côte-Nord, a dozen women with high-risk pregnancies and likely to give birth in the near future will have to travel from the Lower North Shore, Minganie and Sept-Rivières to Baie-Comeau.

Health Minister Christian Dubé, who is aware of the problem, expressed confidence that the situation would be resolved by the CISSS with the help of Santé Québec officials when questioned on Tuesday. Two days later, the problem remains. The CISSS, which has been aware of the situation since the beginning of the year, also knows that there will be other weeks in 2025 when the Sept-lles mother-child center will experience gynecologist shortages.

The Wardens of Minganie and Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent Meggie Richard, Gladys Martin and Sept-Rivières Warden Denis Miousse understand the need to reduce the risk of complications during childbirth. However, moving women who are about to give birth on a 230 km road with no cellular network in some places is unacceptable.

This is why the wardens vehemently denounce this unacceptable situation and call on the Minister of Health, Mr. Christian Dubé, the Minister for the region, Ms. Kateri Champagne Jourdain, the President and CEO of Santé Québec, Ms. Geneviève Biron, and the acting CEO of Santé Québec, and the interim CEO of the CISSS de la Côte-Nord, Nathalie Castilloux, to remedy the situation as quickly as possible, and to ensure that gynecologists are available at all times at the Sept-lles mother and child center.

Source : 

Ophélie Babin, Conseillère en communication
Ville de Sept-Îles 418 962-2525 poste 2101

Each month, the MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent will share with you the highlights of the Council meeting to better inform the population about the work of the MRC Council.

Each month, the MRC du Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent will share with you the highlights of the Council meeting to better inform the population about the work of the MRC Council.