Contract 400119680 ESTABLISHED • MAY 1975 VOLUME 47 / NO 27 JULY 14, 2021 $1.50 (Tax included) Long awaited traffic lights to be installed at New Richmond intersection Gilles Gagné NEW RICHMOND – The Town of New Richmond and Transports Québec have reached an agreement for the installation of traffic lights at the intersection of Highway 132 and Saint-Edgar Road. The increase in traffic during the last years and the expected rise of circulation over the next years will make it safer, says Éric Dubé, mayor of New Richmond. The Town of New Rich- mond has been advocating for The traffic lights at the intersection of Highway 132 and Saint-Edgar the installation of those lights Road are expected to be functional in May 2022. Photo: G. Gagné since 2013, says Mayor Dubé. Recent development in the in- “Before that, the intersec- likely to bring a considerable stalling traffic light is reason- ble,” he explains. dustrial park and the rising tion was not qualifying, statis- increase in traffic,” stresses able even if an accurate figure The cement base of the fu- popularity of the Pin Rouge tics-wise. We couldn’t say that Mayor Dubé. is not determined yet. ture traffic lights was installed ski station and its cottages in four deadly accidents had oc- “Eurovia is building its as- “The Town of New Rich- a few years ago, when Trans- the summer have led to an curred there in the last years or phalt plant there. It means mond’s share in the funding is ports Québec made the last ad- agreement that will materialize so, however, we see accidents 3,000 gravel trucks in and not negotiated yet but it will be justments to the intersection, a over the spring of 2022. with material damage. We hear 3,000 asphalt trucks out. Just limited,” says Mr. Dubé, who situation that convinced the “Over the last eight years, people saying that they came there, you have 6,000 addi- expects a five-digit number, so Town of New Richmond to we have been asking for it, and close to having serious acci- tional trucks between June and less than $100,000, maybe sig- keep coming back with the re- we have adopted resolutions in dents there. With the rising the fall. The waiting time will nificantly less. quest for traffic lights. “Some- that sense and sent them to traffic generated by the indus- surely get worse. Then with The relevance of building a one at the ministry knew that Transports Québec every sec- trial park, the risk can only in- Ford moving there and Subaru roundabout instead of in- one day it would have to come ond year. In 2018, the Ministry crease. People are patient but expanding, more people will stalling traffic lights was as- to this,” concludes Éric Dubé (of Transport) said ‘yes’, on when you have been waiting drive towards that area. I am sessed over the years. “There with a grin. the condition that the Town for four minutes, you take a also aware that another firm is not enough room, with the The lights of the 19 poles pays part of it but I don’t know chance. We didn’t want to wait that had planned to move to businesses established on the surrounding the intersection what happened. It fell through until a fatal accident oc- the industrial park in 2023 will corners. It would have been will also be changed for the cracks after that and over curred,” he adds. do it this year. Other projects too tight. One corner is avail- brighter and lower electricity the last days, they announced There are at least three new are slated for that zone as able right now but we would consumption LED lights when that they will go ahead,” ex- projects underway in the In- well,” explains Mr. Dubé. have had to trespass over a the new traffic lights will be plains Éric Dubé. dustrial Park. “They are all The probable cost of in- second one and it is not possi- installed. 4th Range bridge is almost ready Gilles Gagné during the peak of the winter but it resumed early in the spring. NEW RICHMOND – After The new $2.8 million bridge close to eight years of waiting will likely be ready for users and numerous requests sent to during the third week of July, the Town of New Richmond; points out Stéphane Cyr, direc- Transports Québec, the tor general of the Town of New Gaspésie Railway Society and Richmond, after receiving infor- the residents of the New Rich- mation from Transports Québec. mond ranges are about to be “We still don’t have the accurate able to use a brand new bridge date. Some paving works must on the Fourth Range. be carried out in the Doddridge The closure of the old bridge Lane area and the Third and forced some residents of the Fourth Ranges around mid-July. ranges to make long detours to It is possible that the bridge will go to work, visit relatives, run be available by then. For the errands and it created a difficult moment, the Department (of situation for emergency services Transport) doesn’t want to pre- and school bus drivers. Work dict an exact date,” says New Richmond’s Fourth Range bridge: a matter of days before its opening. Photo: G. Gagné started in October and stopped Stéphane Cyr. YoYour 2nd dose of vaccine is essential. The combined effect of two doses ensures longer-lasting and better protection against COVID-19. Getting your 2nd dose of vaccine is a must. Page 2, July 14, 2021 - Spec SPEC ends fiscal year with Police report the first surplus in years On June 15 at the Percé courthouse, Michael Athot, 24, from the Val Gilles Gagné of the newspaper’s distribu- federal governments deal with d’Espoir sector of Percé, entered a plea of guilty on charges of dan- tion is currently underway. private agencies to assure the gerous driving causing bodily harm and driving while his licence was NEW CARLISLE – Sea- While a $17,850 employment publicity placement. It went suspended. He was sentenced to a 36-month federal penitentiary Coast Publications Inc., the grant in 2019-2020 was not re- from a paltry $1,595 in 2019- term. The accident he caused had occurred in May 2020 in Sainte- non-profit organization that newed in 2020-2021, other 2020 to $44,352 in 2020- Thérèse-de-Gaspé. The victim was a 60-year-old woman who sus- publishes The Gaspé Spec, de- revenues made up for that, in- 2021. As publisher Penny tained serious injuries. The duration of the sentence was agreed upon clared a surplus for the finan- cluding a Heritage Canada op- MacWhirter stressed during by both the defence and the prosecution. Since Michael Athot had al- cial year that ended on March erating grant, which went the annual general meeting, ready served preventive time, that period of close to eight months 31, 2021. That surplus reached from $43,805 two years ago to when that commission amount was subtracted from the three-year sentence. He was not arrested $115,940, compared to a loss $54,756 last year. is high, it means that the vol- shortly after the hit and run but only in October 2020, five months of $34,306 in 2019-2020. A $36,008 Local Journal- ume of publicity is high as after the crime. Those results were released ism Initiative grant was re- well. at the July 3 annual general ceived in 2020-2021, for the The balance sheet of the Michael Athot will also be forbidden to drive a motor vehicle for a pe- meeting of the newspaper, hiring of Nelson Sergerie in newspaper now stands in riod of five years, a period that was also agreed upon by both parties. which took place at the New Gaspé. much better shape than a year The second person charged in this case, Julie Laurencelle, 28, returned Carlisle town hall. It was the SPEC also received ago. Current assets amount to to the Percé courthouse on June 28, as she was facing three counts first surplus for the SPEC in $6,928 for local news from the $232,910 while fixed assets of driving while her licence was suspended and of complicity in the many years. Facebook Journalism amount to $4,300, for a total May 2020 hit and run. Considering Michael Athot’s plea of guilty, the The big difference came COVID-19 Relief Fund. Pub- asset of $237,210. charges were dropped against her. The charges were also dropped from advertising sales, as they lisher Penny MacWhirter had The liabilities stand at against Athot’s mother, Rachel Poulin, 49, who was facing a charge climbed from $84,686 in applied for the grant at the be- $85,610 but a big chunk of of obstruction in the work of the police officers investigating the 2019-2020 to $255,974 last ginning of the COVID crisis that sum consists of grants re- case. Julie Laurencelle had made the headlines in August 2017 after fatally hitting a woman with her vehicle during an intervention on year. That was an increase of and was pleasantly surprised ceived in advance, instead of Highway 132, also in Sainte-Thérèse-de-Gaspé. She served a prison $171,288. In fact, the amount when SPEC received ap- payables, which total $20,842. sentence of six months less three days for that hit and run. of publicity sold by the news- proval. The SPEC’s net capital to- paper tripled from one year to Facebook is often criti- tals $151,600 now, compared ———- the other.