Concrete actions to support the development of Northern Quebec (french only)
Montreal, April 8, 2015. -On the occasion of the unveiling of the Plan North up to the year 2035, the plan of action 2015-2020, the Prime Minister of Quebec, Philippe Couillard, accompanied by several Government Ministers, conducted several economic, social and cultural announcements related to Northern Development.
A vital relationship with Aboriginal peoples
The Minister responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, Geoffrey Kelley, emphasized that local populations and involved First Nations and Inuit, have collaborated throughout the process leading to the achievement of the initial version of the Plan Nord. This essential collaboration will continue.
"Northern Plan is an approach inclusive, consistent with the principles of sustainable development and based on respect for the relations of nation to nation, existing agreements and governmental consultation obligations. We have made the commitment to maintain and promote close collaboration with all the partners of this project including with Aboriginal nations in respect for their culture and their way of life, and this, from priorities they have identified. I am confident that the Northern Plan will demonstrate what we can achieve together, collaboratively and in partnership with indigenous and local communities", he said.
A territory in the vast energy potential
The Minister of energy and natural resources and Minister responsible for the Plan Nord, Pierre Arcand, recalled that Northern Quebec had an energy potential important, not only in hydropower, but also in wind energy and bioenergy. These new sources will be highlighted in order to meet the energy challenges of the North.
"Several Plan Northern Territory communities not served by Hydro-Québec due to their remoteness, and must turn to thermal power plants using fossil fuels. It is same for the companies, which have major energy needs, especially in the mining sector. The Government intends to focus on the development of clean and innovative energies to supply isolated communities of the territory of Northern Plan. It also relies on a diversification of energy supply to ensure the retention, development and economic diversification of companies that are there", said the Minister.
Assessing the impacts of development on northern communities
Northern development projects will be able to generate a positive impact, but also cause varying effects on the physical and mental health of the population, lifestyle, family relationships, communities and local infrastructure. To be able to anticipate these effects, the Plan Nord provides a mechanism for assessment of health impacts.
"This new process will integrate with the existing procedure for the assessment of the environmental impacts, so as not to weigh down the processes in place. We will accompany firms so that they carry a particular attention to the impacts of the new projects on the health and well-being of the population, to prevent avoidable problems. Impact studies will be initiated as early as the planning phase of projects, in order to maximize the positive effects on the health of populations", explained Minister responsible rehabilitation, youth protection and public health, Lucie Charlebois.
Measures relating to mineral exploration
"The territory of Northern Plan contains a remarkable mineral potential. To support its development, a stable and predictable environment must be offered to businesses. For this purpose, the 2015-2016 budget contains several measures to support mining exploration, an essential step for mining development', the Minister of Mines, Luc Blanchette recalled.
For two years, the minimum cost of statutory work to be compulsorily carried out on a mineral claim will be reduced by 35%. In addition, upward pricing of rights of registration and renewal of the claims for 2015 will be postponed for one year and also progressive. Furthermore, exploration expenditures for the purposes of the tax system have been expanded to include certain costs. Increased support will be provided to the research on the recovery of tailings and the responsible development of the mining industry. Finally, the annual budget allocated to the work of acquisition of geoscientific knowledge on the territory of Northern Plan will be increased by $ 3 million.
Mining investment support
The Minister of economy, Innovation and exports, Jacques Daoust, reiterated that to highlight the economic potential of the North, it was necessary that Northern Plan meet the prerequisites to attract local investors and foreigners interested in starting development projects in the North. To this end, he recalled the renewal of the mandate of the Société d'Investissement et l'exploration (SIDEX) 2025 diversification, and the renewal of the Action-plot program for the year 2015.
"The mandate of SIDEX is to invest in companies involved in mineral exploration in order to diversify the mineral inventory of Quebec, to stimulate investment in exploration, open exploration and investment in New Territories and promote the development of mining expertise and the emergence of new entrepreneurs. His Action-plot program Meanwhile meets the financing problems faced by junior exploration companies. SIDEX has contributed to the vast majority of the recent discoveries of deposit in Quebec and the opening of new regions resources. There is no doubt that it will play an important role in the deployment of Northern Plan over the next years and the creation of quality jobs in our northern regions", he said.
Transport infrastructure development plan
Large distances, the isolation of communities, the lack of links between northern and Southern Quebec, and opening to foreign markets are all issues that may limit the development of the North. In this context, the Government will coordinate the development and the realization of a comprehensive plan for different modes of transport on the territory of Northern Plan.
"We will put in place an approach to sharing the Nordic infrastructure with partners users of these infrastructures. This approach will include rules and modalities for sharing accurate towards the costs of construction, maintenance and use facilities between various users. The Government advocates the development of an integrated transportation system in response to the guidelines of the Plan Nord, particularly towards sustainable development and access to the territory,"said the Minister of transport, Robert Poëti.
In addition, the Minister announced several major projects, such as the continuation of the upgrade, business in 2009, 17 of 20 airports situated on the territory of Northern Plan, improvement and the rehabilitation of Highway 389 from Baie-Comeau to boundary of Labrador, the extension of Highway 138, between Kégaska and Blanc-Sablon on the Basse-Côte-Nordthe rehabilitation of the road between Kawawachikamach and Schefferville and the rehabilitation of the road from James Bay.
Cultural agreements
Aboriginal nations and local communities want that their culture and their identity also benefit from northern development. In this spirit, the Government intends to act to allow different local and indigenous cultures to ensure their sustainability and increase the support for cultural development. It is also necessary to put at the disposal of the indigenous communities of the tools that will enable them to preserve the vitality of their language, which is at the core of their cultural identity.
"In the context of the implementation of the Plan Nord, we highlight the Nordic cultural heritage by different measures, such as the maintenance and the enhancement of cultural development agreements. The many partnerships we conducted with Aboriginal nations and northern municipalities have demonstrated their flexibility can embrace all disciplines and build expertise in tourism, literature, heritage valorisation in dissemination of knowledge and cultural dialogue. I applaud the choice of target cultural issues such as priority issues for the future of Northern Quebec populations said.
"The Plan Nord is a unifying project whose profits come in several areas. We offer a vision that integrates the social development of the communities and the establishment of the conditions necessary to support this development, for the benefit of all Quebecers,"concluded the Prime Minister.
