Contract 400119680 ESTABLISHED • MAY 1975 VOLUME 45 / NO 33, AUGUST 21, 2019 $1.50 (Tax included) Great lineup and activities for all at the 111th Shigawake Agricultural Fair and Music Festival Gilles Gagné SHIGAWAKE: The 111th Shigawake Agricultural Fair and Music Festival that took place August 15-18 was well-at- tended once again, although the numbers were not available as SPEC was reaching its deadline. Event spokesperson Meghan Clinton said that the 2018 attendance record was probably not matched but that this year was still strong and The lawn tractor race is well-attended. The weather was great throughout the four always a popular event. Dean days of the fair and festival. Dea finished first in the 12 to 14hp category, ahead of Debbie Benwell and Brandon Blanchette. Alex Martin edged Dean Dea in the 14.5+hp class, while Brennan Renouf finished third. Alex Martin Photo: G. Gagné also won the V-twin category, ahead of Brandon and Curtis Benwell, respectively. Photo: C. Dow Cape Breton fiddle virtuoso Ashley MacIsaac played Friday night. The show was delayed a bit as the renowned Celtic performer was very particular about the sound quality. He started the Photo: Tiffany Whalen Tiffany Photo: show speaking a little French to the audience and playing an Acadian air, winning the audience Annebella Mackenzie Walker, age 21 months, and over immediately. Hope Town’s Clyde MacWhirter had been backstage beforehand to meet Ashley and discussed winning a step-dancing contest, so the musician invited him onstage Aubree Ross, age 5, won in the Littlest Cowgirl during the show to exhibit his steps! Not bad for a 77-year-old! competition. Riley MacDougall and his bluetick beagle, Bailey, won first place in the Female Medium Dog category. Photo: G. Gagné The Barr Brothers performed twice during the weekend, once on Saturday night and again at the end of the afternoon on Sunday. Stuffed animal for the protection of youth News Nelson Sergerie GASPÉ: - The Alliance of Pro- fessional and Technical Per- briefs sonnel in Health and Social Services estimates the shortfall of $270 million for child pro- tection services in Quebec. As part of a provincial ini- tiative launched on June 12, the union gave the member of the National Assembly for Gaspé a stuffed animal, part of the Toutou campaign looking for a host. The stuffed animal named Loïck tells the story of The APTS union gave a stuffed animal called Loick to Gaspé an 11-year-old boy, abandoned Member of the National Assembly Méganne Perry-Mélançon. and having no contact with his while the number of reports for the Third Opposition on the parents. His host family aban- has increased considerably. Parti Québécois youth issues, Photo: N. Sergerie doned him as well because of "We are talking about hid- believes that the financial re- The Parliamentary Assistant to the Prime Minister, Samuel his behavior problems. den waiting lists because a sources granted by the Quebec Poulin, made the announcement on July 21 in Gaspé. This is the kind of story the child who should have all the government does not take into union wants elected officials to services is found in the binder account the issues specific to More resources know about. of someone already overloaded the Gaspé Peninsula. APTS spokesperson Guy- and the young person will be “We should begin to assess for Place aux jeunes laine Michel said that despite seen once every three months the needs without always look- Nelson Sergerie recent investments to reduce because we do not have time to ing at the number of the popu- GASPÉ: - Québec is increasing the funding for Place aux jeunes waiting lists, $270 million is see the child. It's still a child lation because there are in the Gaspé Peninsula and Magdalen Isands by 30%, bringing needed to provide an adequate waiting for services, but it does territorial realities peculiar to the total to $1.8 million over five years. service while the reinvestment show,” illustrates Ms. Michel. us," says the speaker who "Never before has so much money been invested in the return is only $65 million. With more funding, serv- points out that Gaspé Penin- of young people to the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine," says "Quebec has forgotten that ices and working conditions sula has one of the highest Samuel Poulin, the Parliamentary Assistant to the Prime Minister second-line services in the would be improved. $651,000 rates of devitalization in Que- for youth, who was in Gaspé on July 21 last to make the an- Youth Centre should be the last was awarded to Gaspé Penin- bec. nouncement. link in the chain, the last resort sula to add five resources and According to her, this situa- "These are necessary tools for another seduction campaign to for children experiencing diffi- $313,000 has been added to tion deserves more resources ensure that young people who have left Gaspésie-Îles-de-la- culties," says the union the Early Action program. to support young people in dif- Madeleine can return to the region," believes the Member of Par- spokesperson who regrets that The member of the Na- ficulty. liament. the resources on the ground tional Assembly for Gaspé, The member for Bonaven- 200 youth in the region benefited from the program last year. have remained the same on the Méganne Perry-Mélançon, ture, Sylvain Roy, should be It is a tool that offers services for those wishing to settle here. Gaspé Peninsula for 10 years who is also the spokesperson visiting soon. "We will be able to do more activities for retention on our ter- ritory and support the community and young people to settle in the region," says the director general of the Carrefour jeunesse emploi of Côte-de-Gaspé, Steve Fournier. "I'm glad the program is being renewed by the government, but it also depends on the quality of transportation, and the col- lege programs that must be maintained and improved. This is a good first step in the right direction,” said the Member of the National Assembly for Gaspé, Méganne Perry-Mélançon, who was present at the announcement. At the Quebec level, 27 new MRCs will benefit from the pro- gram with the addition of $17.5 million for a total of $35 million over the next five years. 83 MRCs will now be covered by the Place aux jeunes program. Forage Moreau Inc. VILLAGE 418-392-9501 Real Estate Agency Farewell Cove finds its place in Gaspé Suzanne Landry CERTIFIED REAL ESTATE BROKER AEO Nelson Sergerie 418-752-0792 GASPÉ - A municipal sign identifying Farewell Cove, near Penouille, was installed on July 19. It [email protected] is the result of much work done by Lester Coffin who died last January. The historic term finds www.suzannelandry.ca its place nearly 50 years after its disappearance. Friendly bilingual service The name Farewell Cove became official May 1, 1919, when a post office opened in the local from Matapedia to Port Daniel residence of Mr. Luther Coffin. The Commission de Toponymie du Québec confirmed its status in 1983. 19 years experience Distributors of petroleum products: diesel, furnace oil, stove oil, gas and motor oil HEAD OFFICE: Bonaventure Chandler Gaspé 125 Route 132 125 Route Leblanc 216D Montée Sandy Beach Bonaventure, QC G0C 1E0 Pabos, QC G0C 1K0 Gaspé, QC G4X 2B3 Tel.: (418) 534-2777 Tel: (418) 689-2595 Tel.: (418) 368-8777 Fax: (418) 534-4210 [email protected] Proud to serve you! IN BUSINESS FOR 35 YEARS Page 2, August 21, 2019 - Spec BILINGUAL SERVICE MEMBER OF Paspebiac assessing vehicle needs Police report Gilles Gagné The Town of Paspebiac enforced its rule and forced the owner of PASPEBIAC: – The Town of two pit bulls to remove them from the town, following a com- Paspebiac has undertaken a plaint filed by resident, Claude Horth, according to Mayor Régent complete assessment of its ve- Bastien. hicles and could downside its inventory. Eventually, the mu- Claude Horth criticizes the fact that it took 49 days for the munic- nicipal administration could ipal administration to enforce its rule about the presence of pit revert on a Quebec govern- bulls in the town. The owner of the dogs resided on Third Av- ment related body, CGER, for enue East. the ownership and manage- ment of that fleet’s main com- Mayor Bastien points out that it took less than the 49 days Mr. ponents. Horth refers to. “Even 49 days would not have been an extraordi- Mayor Régent Bastien pre- nary delay. The municipal inspector went shortly after the com- sented that situation during the plaint and saw two dogs in the house, by the window. The owner August 13 monthly public was not around. (…) We gave a 15-day delay to the owner of the meeting. He praised the role dogs and the owner of the house was informed of the situation. of an organization such as The owner of the dogs did not go to the town hall in order to re- CGER, which stands for Cen- cuperate the documents (pertaining to the dog regulation). How tre de gestion de l’équipement long would a procedure in front of a judge take?” Régent Bastien asked, suggesting that obtaining a court order would have taken roulant, could have in the Mayor Régent Bastien thinks that money can be saved if the much longer than the solution applied by the municipal adminis- management of the Town of Paspebiac fleet of vehicles is mainly owned and managed by Paspebiac vehicles. tration. CGER. Photo: G. Gagné CGER manages some Quebec government and re- amount will be used to pay Another citizen, Carmita On July 26, the two dogs were moved to New Brunswick, the lated organizations’ fleets.