PRACTICAL HANDBOOK FOR NEWCOMERS Town of Chapais 2015 Edition The following handbook was developed by: in collaboration with: This document is published on the website of Town of Chapais. www.villedechapais.com/nouveaux-arrivants 2015 Edition © Ville de Chapais Cover page: the blue power winch, in the town hall’s foreground, was used to lift and lower materials and miners in the mine, and represents the mining heritage of the municipality. Cover page: for the four photos on the left © Joëlle Pichette CHAPAIS WELCOMES YOU ! Dear newcomers, It is such a joy to welcome you to our region! On behalf of the municipal council and all of Chapais’ citizens, I insist on wishing you a warm welcome. We are proud that have chosen to settle in our beautiful community. Family and citizens are at the heart of Chapais’ priorities and concerns. In fact, in our 2013-2023 strategic planning, the follo- wing vision caught our attention: “Chapais 2023, an exciting and prosperous living environment with over 3000 people, proud and engaged in their community.” Its warm and welcoming population, its quick accessibility to health and education services of quality, its proxi- mity to nature to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, its peaceful and secure streets, the availability of its sports facilities, as well as the exceptio- nal quality of its water; all contribute to make Chapais a great place to live! You will find many useful information in this handbook to facilitate your integration and to enable you to familiarize yourself with your new living environment. Do not hesitate to communicate with the available re- sources to find whatever it is you need. My dear friends, welcome to your new home and I am looking forward to meeting you here! The mayor of Chapais, Steve Gamache See Page FRIENDLY REMINDERS IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU ARRIVE Find accommodation 7 Take steps to acquire your driver’s license 10 Fill out a request for a health insurance card 11 Find a family doctor 11 Register your children to a school and/or childcare centre 14 Fill out a social insurance number request 14 Improve your French and/or English and/or Cree 14 Begin a job search 14 This handbook has been designed for newcomers. The Town of Chapais isn’t responsible for the accuracy, reliability or up-to- date information posted herein. Furthermore, the lists provided may not be complete or represent but a sample of the available resources. In order to simplify the text, the use of the masculine is often used to indicate women and men. If you are aware of any mistakes made in this document, please inform us at: Chapais Town hall 145 Boulevard Springer Chapais, Québec, G0W 1H0 (418)-745-2511 ext. 230 [email protected] PAGE 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPAIS Health and Social Services Centres 11 Portrait of Chapais & A Historical Review 4 and Agencies Municipal Council & Town Hall 5 Family Doctors 11 Important Phone Numbers 6 Info-santé 12 Computer Access 6 Pharmacy and Essential Products 12 Insurance 12 IMMIGRATION Dentists 13 Immigration 6 Optometrists 13 My Resources as an Immigrant 7 Legal Aspect- Canadian Human Rights Act 7 EDUCATION Schools 13 LOGEMENTS Daycares and Child-Care Services 13 Rent an Apartment, a Room or a House 7 Lease 8 Language 14 Buying a House 8 EMPLOYMENT Social Insurance Number (SIN) 14 CURRENT SERVICES Spring Water 9 Job Searching 14 Heating 9 Statutory Holidays in Quebec 14 Telephone 9 Northern Residents Deductions 15 Internet 9 Television 9 STARTING A BUSINESS IN CHAPAIS Post Office 9 Key Organizations to Consult 15 TRANSPORTATION ORGANIZATIONS AND VOLUNTEERING 15 Driver’s Licence and Vehicle Registration 10 Mandatory Driving Course 10 RECREATIONAL, CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY 15 Insurance 10 SERVICES Means of Transportation 10 Travelling Outside of the Region 11 RECREATIONAL FACILITIES 16 HEALTH AND SECURITY Health Insurance Card 11 PAGE 3 PORTRAIT OF CHAPAIS orthern-Quebec, through its vast natural spaces and its proximity to a history-rich aboriginal community, constitutes a unique and exceptional living environment. Chapais is a town located in the southern part of the Eeyou Istchee N James Bay territory near the 49th parallel. Found along the provincial road 113 which joins the Abitibi- Temiscamingue region to the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean one, its geographic position makes Chapais one of the gateways to Northern-Quebec. With over 1600 inhabitants, Chapais is a municipality which offers a calm and secure lifestyle. This small town provides access to a fair amount of products and services, as well as a variety of sports, cultural, and community infrastructures. Health care facilities are numerous and easily accessible. Work, the grocery store, the schools, daycare and recreational activities are all concentrated in a 1km radius, thus all accessible by foot. Surrounded by forests and lakes, the town of Chapais is a leisure venue in which outdoor enthusiasts will be ecstatic: sport fish- ing, snowmobile and ATV trails, kayaking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, cycling trails, hiking trails, and wildlife viewing. The natural environment makes it possible to host various outdoor activities, just a few minutes away from the residential area. A HISTOTICAL REVIEW hapais’ story begins with the discovery of copper, gold and silver deposits by Léo Springer in 1929. The town of Cha- pais was established in 1955 based on the Mining Act, with the aim of improving the living conditions of the miners. It C was named after Sir Thomas Chapais, a French Canadian politician and historian. Opémiska Copper Mines, the main employer at the time, was then responsible for the organisation of the municipality and financing of the municipal services. Chapais was what is commonly called a “company town”. The drinking water distribution network, the streets, the houses, the Opémiska hospital and the curling club were all amongst the company’s achievements. It wasn’t until 1960 that Chapais, under the Loi sur les cités et villes (Towns and Cities Act), switched its mining town status for a municipality status operated by a City Counsel elected by the people. During this period of prosperity, Chapais counted more than 3500 inhabitants (permanent and temporary population), and the workforce directly linked to the mining industry reached more than 750 workers. In 1974, Chapais diversified its economic activities by opening up the Paradis & Fils sawmill, which later became Barrette- Chapais Itée. This forestry company is amongst the most performing in Canada, and helped counter the exodus of part of the population caused by the closure of the mine in 1991. These departures, along with the horrible1980 fire accident that killed nearly 50 people from the community during the New Year’s festivities, had, in a way, created a sense of belonging, solidarity and support amongst those that chose to stay in Chapais. 1995 saw the birth of Chapais Énergie, the first cogeneration plant in Quebec to produce electricity from residual forest bio- mass, more specifically, from the bark left behind at sawmills in the region. Today, the community of Chapais is still dependent on forestry and mining, but it is turning itself towards the future. It recently launched its 2013-2023 strategic planing in order to ensure its growth and sustainability. In fact, many projects for economic development around Chapais Énergie are being prepared, along with the development of agricultural land for the culture of, amongst others, seed potatoes. PAGE 4 MUNICIPAL COUNCIL Mayor Steve Gamache Councillors Roxanne Tremblay Civic Seat #1 Guy Lafrenière Civic Seat #2 Lucie Tremblay Civic Seat #3 Denise Larouche Civic Seat #4 Jacques Fortin Civic Seat #5 Daniel Forgues Civic Seat #6 From left to right: Guy Lafrenière, Jacques Fortin, Daniel Forgues, Steve Gamache, Lucie Tremblay, Denise Larouche, Roxanne Tremblay You can learn more about the councillors’ mandates by visiting our website under the tabs (in French only) VIE MUNICIPALE CONSEIL MUNICIPAL www.villedechapais.com/vie-municipale/conseil-municipal The council meetings usually take place on the third Tuesday of the month at 19:00: all citizens wanting to take part in the city council meetings are welcomed to do so. You can take a look at the council meetings online under the tab (in French only) VIE MUNICIPALE CONSEIL MUNICIPAL www.villedechapais.com/vie-municipale/conseil-municipal TOWN HALL 145, boulevard Springer C.P. 380 Chapais, Québec G0W 1H0 Phone : 418-745-2511 Fax : 418-745-3871 Email: [email protected] Website : www.villedechapais.com Operating hours : Monday to Friday from 8:30 to12:00 and 1:30 to 4:30 People in charge: General Manager: Mariève Bernier Assistant Director: Mélanie Gagné Treasurer: Mariève Bernier Town Clerk : Mariève Bernier Head/chief of the fire brigade : Steeve Forgues Emergency Measures Coordinator : Mariève Bernier Officer for issuing municipal certificates and licences : Jean-Philippe Lalancette Municipal Inspector : Jean-Philippe Lalancette Recreation Director : Sylvie Bédard Head of Public Works : Steeve Forgues Informations : Désignation: Town Demonym (name of inhabitants) Citizen of Chapais Administrative Region : Northern-Quebec (10) RCM : Outside of RCM (000) Electoral Division - Quebec : Ungava (793) Population : 1615 Area : 63,13km² Constitution date : November 16th 1955 PAGE 5 IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS EMERGENCY Ambulance, fire department, police 911 INFO-SANTÉ (non-urgent health consultation) 811 Centre ANTIPOISON 1-800-463-5060 CLSC (Local Community