Contract 400119680 ESTABLISHED • MAY 1975 VOLUME 45 / NO 21, MAY 29, 2019 $1.50 (Tax included) Two cooperatives associate with Bryan Powers to develop New Carlisle sawmill Gilles Gagné NEW CARLISLE: – Two Bay of Chaleur area coopera- tives, Maria’s Coopérative forestière de la Gaspésie and SARGIM, the New Rich- mond based tree producer, are associating with Bryan Powers, the owner of Vimy Cedar sawmill in order to de- velop new products and max- imize the facility’s potential. The transaction was con- cluded recently and the part- nership will lead to the creation of a new company. Some details remain to be fi- nalized but the deal is offi- cial. “The idea is to create a new company. Let’s call it Company C, with our coop, The New Carlisle sawmill is renowned for the quality of its products. Bryan and SARGIM. The new company will rent the develop added value prod- He is sending some products to acquire the plant and we wanted to diversify and here equipment of Company B, ucts. We don’t necessarily to the Magdalen Islands and wanted to get closer to the is a good opportunity,” ex- Bryan’s equipment in New want to buy large quantities to Nova Scotia, for example. forest. We produce trees but plains Denis Bujold, director Carlisle. Company C will of wood. We mainly want to He has no succession ready we sell them. Somehow, we general of SARGIM. look for the acquisition of add value, like taking rough wood, process it and find wood and making moldings,” markets for those “added- emphasizes René Babin. value” products. The name of The New Carlisle sawmill the new company will be employs approximately 10 Bois Powers Wood,” explains people. “It will be upgraded René Babin, director general in the medium to long term,” of the Coopérative forestière he adds. de la Gaspésie. Since merging with other Bryan Powers will be a forestry coops of the region minority shareholder in the in 2013, the revenues of the new company and will retain Coopérative forestière de la control of his sawmill for Gaspésie have increased now. The agreement has pro- from $5 million to $13 mil- visions for the eventual ac- lion annually. The number of quisition of the New Carlisle members is 130. sawmill by the new company, SARGIM has annual rev- once Mr. Powers is ready to enues of $1 million and has retire. 50 members. It also owns “Bryan has experienced Paspebiac’s Pépinière Baie- difficulties because of the fire des-Chaleurs, but the latter is that damaged the sawmill a not a cooperative. It is an in- couple of years ago but his corporated company owned products are good and we by SARGIM. Pépinière Baie- need him as much as he des-Chaleurs has annual rev- needs us. Through investing enues of $1.5 million. Both in the partnership, we are as- entities employ 65 people suring the future of a com- during the spring, the peak pany,” adds René Babin, who period for them. says that Bryan Powers has “We are protecting jobs by developed a solid reputation partnering with Bryan and we in cedar products over the are saving expertise. There years. aren’t many companies in the The sun is finally shining on the Gaspé Coast after a long, hard “We want to buy many Gaspé Peninsula achieving a winter. 19-month old Charlotte Major from Hope Town couldn’t be species of wood, preferably degree of added value for any happier to finally be able to play at the park. already roughly sawed and wood like Bryan’s business. News The Liberals aren’t listening briefs says Dominique Anglade Nelson Sergerie Enough is enough! GASPÉ: - The Liberals have Thierry Haroun not been listening enough to GASPÉ PENINSULA: - “Enough consultations, now is the time their activists. This is the for action,” says Danis Prudhomme, Executive Director of analysis being made by Lib- FADOQ (Québec’s most prominent seniors’ group). Reached by eral Member of the National Spec, Mr. Prudhomme mentioned that over the past five years, no Assembly for Saint-Henri- less than four consultations were organized concerning objectives Sainte-Anne and advocate for and priorities related to the the province’s CHSLDs (long-term the Gaspé Peninsula, Do- health establishments, such as Villa Pabos in Chandler). “Now is minique Anglade, almost eight the time for action! The government has all the information to months after the stinging de- go-ahead and invest in many priorities that have been proposed by feat in the October election. us and other players. Priorities such as hiring more personnel, to Ms. Anglade visited offer more training to the personnel, etc. Currently, across the Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, province there are 2,387 seniors that are on a waiting list. The top Gaspé, Percé, Bonaventure priority is to make sure that we find new units for these patients. and Carleton-sur-Mer on May Now, if the government insists on organizing another consulta- 21 and 22 to meet supporters tion, we’ll participate, of course, to make sure that our voice is and reconnect the Liberal heard,” he concluded. Party with the regions. “It’s important for us to meet peo- ple, talk to them and see where each of their priorities Dominique Anglade visited the LM Wind Power plant in Gaspé in January of 2017. Adapting the school calendar is after October 1. What Photo: N. Sergerie to the tourism season should we look at? What are the regional issues? This is an ready. We are in the opposi- Thierry Haroun opportunity to reconnect with A development plan tion. It is now that we must GASPÉ PENINSULA: - Adapting the school calendar (cegep and the regions,” says Dominique speak of a development plan. university) to the tourism season is a major subject that no gov- Anglade. Ms. Anglade believes that Now is the time to get people ernment has really taken seriously despite that for the past fifteen a regional development plan involved to have an interest- The reasons years the tourism industry has been putting pressure on the Que- should have been presented ing proposal for the next elec- behind the defeat bec government to find a solution to this problem. The latest de- to the electorate. “An eco- tion,” she says, noting that bate on the question occurred at the Parliament in Quebec City “We really did not know nomic development plan for work is starting now. between Gaspé PQ Member of the National Assembly, Méganne enough to listen to our ac- the Gaspé, I do not remember Perry-Mélançon and Quebec Tourism Minister, Caroline Proulx. tivists. From what was hap- having seen one recently. The party In fact, for the past fifteen years, this issue has been debated pening in the area, understand Something coordinated, leadership race publicly. The problem is the following: August 15 students usually the impact of the policies that where there are the concerns have to leave their summer jobs to start cégep or university. In the have been put forward. I say of the Gaspesians in a plan In a bid to lead the Lib- Gaspé, most of the students have to leave the region to study, so it often: politics is at least approved by a government eral Party, Anglade says she they have to leave their summer job (mainly in the tourism indus- 60% listening. That's what we where there is money to con- came to Gaspé Peninsula try) and, consequently, employers find themselves with too fewer missed,” admits the Liberal tinue development. I think it first as a promoter of the re- employees. There are cases where restaurants have to close sec- politician. is something significant.” gion, but it is clear that she is tions and some even have to close their doors earlier than expected. Several initiatives have to The latest plan of this kind taking the opportunity to test This situations has be made in commerical fish- dates back to the Parti Québé- the ground with the party economic conse- eries. Labour issues and revi- cois government of Pauline supporters. “Of course peo- quences for our re- talizing the Haute-Gaspésie Marois between 2012 and ple ask the question. This is gion and a solution were highlighted in particular 2014, headed by the former something that is of interest has to be found as to the member. When she is Member of Parliament for to me and making proposals soon as possible and reminded of the conse- Gaspé and Minister Delegate that are off the beaten path. that means adapting, quences of the austerity or of Regions, Gaétan Lelièvre. The Liberal Party has always in other words post- Haroun Photo: T. budgetary rigor of the Couil- The table of prefects had tried been the party that modern- poning the begin- lard government at the begin- to make a version 2.0 with the ized Quebec. It's a huge ini- ning of the school year to September. That will enable students to ning of her term, Ms. Liberals of Philippe Couil- tiative. If I nominate myself, make more money and employers to run their businesses to their Anglade avoids the issue by lard, without success. “We I will come up with some- potential during the high tourist season. That’s the main message bringing up the completion of must recognize that there was thing that will lead to a con- that Méganne Perry-Mélançon expressed during a Parliamentary the Port-Daniel cement plant no general listening. A plan is crete platform.” Credit Commission. and the expansion of the LM Wind Power plant in Gaspé.