Contract 400119680 ESTABLISHED • MAY 1975 VOLUME 45 / NO 49, DECEMBER 11, 2019 $1.50 (Tax included) New gym for SPDS is a source of pride Gilles Gagné School students have had their physical educations classes in PORT DANIEL: – The De- the room that doubles as their cember 6 Open house at the lunch room or outside when Shigawake-Port Daniel the weather permitted. Current School (SPDS) was a great students are very eager to be success, as over a hundred able to train for upcoming community members took sporting events in their the opportunity to visit the school’s regulation-size gym. school’s new gymnasium. On several occasions SPDS Following the planning students travelled to NCHS to and call for tenders, the practice for sports such as bas- building of the gymnasium ketball since they didn’t have was announced at the end of the appropriate facilities at June 2017. It was con- their school. structed between August The outdoor sports pro- 2018 and August 2019 at the gram, including snowshoing cost of $2.6 million. The fa- and skiing, which is popular cility was ready for the be- among the students at SPDS Photo: G. Gagné ginning of the current school will continue. year. As a result of having the Mark Gallibois, Principal Lori-Ann Hayes and John Prince greeted everyone who came for the Shigawake-Port Daniel School open house. They were not alone Funding for the SPDS new gym, SPDS also has an though, as other staff members, students, parents and volunteers made sure that gymnasium came from a on-staff physical education every visitor had a guided tour of the new facilties. program called One school, teacher. Mark Gallibois who one gym launched by the started his teaching career 19 an elevator are a great source curricular activities. The be a community gym. There Quebec government in 2016. years ago at SPDS, has that of pride. school board is also working is still a bit of work ahead As soon as the school ad- position. Visitors were invited to a on that aspect. We want adults but it will come,” explains ministration heard about the “We can do a lot of things lunch that was served in the to use it as well. We want it to Lori-Ann Hayes. existence of the program, in the gym, dodge ball, broom cafeteria. It is hard to believe they applied for the project. ball, volleyball, basketball, that the cafeteria doubled as “We figured that we had badminton and floor hockey. the gym for decades. A power- Many SPDS students were proud to show their parents and nothing to lose,” says Ms. It is also big enough to do point presentation of the con- family members the new gym. Hayes. With an enrolment of laps,” points out Mark Galli- struction project was also on 70 to 75 students, the school bois. display. was eligible for the program, The pre-kindergarten to For now, the gym is used but being such a small school grade 1 students go to the gym by SPDS students, but school their hopes of being ap- three times a week, while principal Lori-Ann Hayes proved for the project grades 2 to 6 go twice a week. points out that efforts are cur- weren’t high. “But it worked. During the open house stu- rently underway to extend its We had nothing and they dents and volunteers greeted schedule. gave us something,” says visitors and showed them “We are still working on a Ms. Hayes. around. It is obvious that the school policy for the use of For more than 60 years gym and the other new facili- the gym. We want the students Shigawake Port Daniel ties, including restrooms and to use it after school, for extra- A special pre-open house was held for SPDS Alumni. Former SPDS stu- dents who now attend New Carlisle High School were proud to be invited back to their elementary school to play badminton and visit the facility. Photo: G. Gagné Photo: Sadie Gallibois Hayes NEZ ROUGE: Donates nearly $160,000 News Nelson Sergerie GASPÉ - The Lions Club of Gaspé recently announced that thanks to Operation Nez Rouge close to $160,000 has been donated to local organizations over the past 30 years. briefs Last year with 686 rides. $8,600 was raised. Year in, year out, between $3,500 and $7,300 is donated to various organization including the youth centres in Rivière-au-Renard and Gaspé, Été jeunesse Gaspé and the Gaspé Elementary School. Fewer nurses in the Gaspé “It’s very important because it allows young people to have activities that they would not have had otherwise. There have been several organizations that have benefitted from Operation Nez Rouge. For Peninsula and Magdalen Islands several years now it mainly focused on four organizations only because otherwise we would be too dis- tributed,” said the treasurer of Operation Nez Rouge George Chrétien. Nelson Sergerie The only one on the Coast GASPÉ - The number of nurses continues to decline in the Gaspé This is the only Operation Rez Rouge on the Coast this year. The provincial organization of Oper- Peninsula and Magdalen Islands ation Nez Rouge would like to have other operations, but finds it difficult to find partners. According to data from the Quebec Order of Nurses as of “It still takes time. These are campaigns that begin to be organized in June. We have a team in place March 31, the region experienced a decline of seven profession- at the national secretariat to help these organizations launch their campaign,” says spokeswoman Danielle als in the past year. This is the second year in a row that the num- Vien. “If there are any organizations that are keen to launch for next year, we would be very happy to ber of caregivers has decreased after a peak of 955 in 2017. hear from them.” The region currently has 922 nurses, an average decline of The 31st edition of Operation Nez Rouge in Gaspé will be held on Fridays and Saturdays. The 2.2% over the past five years. launch will take place on November 29 and will finish on December 28. Nevertheless, the Gaspé Peninsula and Magdalen Islands have 10.27 nurses per 1000 inhabitants, which places the region 4th in The mission of the Société d’aide au développement des the province. Their average age is 43.1 years. 21% are over 55, but collecvités de Gaspé is to accompany promoters in 30% are under 34 years old. 63% have a full-time position. development efforts within La Côte­de­Gaspé by providing technical and financial support to enterprises and organizaons. JOB OFFER: BUSINESS COUNSELLOR Since 1846 Job descripon: Meet entrepreneurs and support them as they meet challenges, seize development opportunies and seek financing by providing them with technical assistance and referrals. The two parties signed their first collective agreement in front • Establish contacts with entrepreneurs; of journalists. Photo: N. Sergerie • Follow up on files involving SADC financial commitments; • Smulate innovaon in businesses; A first collective agreement • Support the introducon of strategic efforts; • Support local development iniaves together with other partners within the community; at the Musée de la Gaspésie • Coordinate the Mentorship program; • Manage programs providing non­refundable contribuons; and Nelson Sergerie • Promote SADC programs GASPÉ -Forage After going through Moreau an extremely Inc. difficult year, the bridges have been restored between the employees and the new Your personality: Ideal profile: management of the418-392-9501 Musée de la Gaspésie. • Construcve atude • University degree in Administraon The two entities signed their first collective labour agreement Each problem has a soluon. (Finance, Accounng, Management, SME on November 12, giving the 12 employees more vacation time • Communicaon management profile) or college diploma and pension benefits. We are seeking someone able to in Administrave Technology or Business Labour relations had deteriorated over a year as employees establish relaons of trust easily. Management. A combinaon of pernent wanted to review the work policy under the old management. • Thoroughness educaon and experience can be taken The situation had deteriorated to the point where the group The details and quality are essenal. into consideraon. of workers had chosen to join the CSN last January. • Result­focussed • Pernent experience in local The work environment has changed since the departure of We take an interest in the success of development, economic facilitaon and Nathalie Spooner and the arrival of Daniel Martin last February. entrepreneurs. coaching connected to projects that are Mr. Martin acted as interim director until the arrival of the current structuring for communies. • Autonomy director, Martin Roussy. We can count on you. • Good communicator and catalyst. "It's really day and night. There was no communication be- • Be able to travel within the territory. tween management and employees. The museum's activities had Disncve benefits: • Good knowledge of informaon been jeopardized. It was a very dark climate, very difficult. As soon • Permanent job: 35 hours/week technology and French as the interim director came in, respect was paid to the employ- • Pay scale: $43,500 to $57,500 ees,” said union president Gabrielle Leduc. • Three weeks’ vacaon aer the first year According to the president, some 20 employees left the mu- • Employee benefits: RRSP, group E­mail your applicaon by seum in recent years due to the toxic work climate. insurance, educaonal opportunies December 19, 2019 to: • Place of work: downtown Gaspé [email protected] Dr. Pascal Cyr BILINGUAL Optometrist SERVICE LENSES CRAFTED ON THE PREMISES MEMBER PASPÉBIAC: 104 Gérard D. Levesque Blvd West • 418­752­5553 OF Dr.