Canada/Gaspé presents its 2035 plan
The Town of Gaspé unveiled its first-ever strategic plan on Thursday evening, following a public consultation held this autumn. The document will guide the town's actions over the next ten years, highlighting its rich history and natural attractions.
This planning is the result of suggestions made by over 1,500 citizens during public consultations and online surveys.
The municipal administration has identified 14 priorities, based around land use planning, the environment, community development and the economy.
The success of this plan will depend very much on citizen involvement," says Gaspé mayor Daniel Côté.
I think that citizens are going to be at the heart of everything we do as a city," he explains. Valuing volunteer efforts will lead to greater involvement, and that's how we're going to make this town grow, without going overboard in terms of property tax collection.
In particular, the municipal council would like to see more balanced development between the downtown area and the outlying villages, develop public transportation and introduce incentives for the creation of businesses in the smaller neighborhoods to maintain their economic, social and cultural vitality.
Gaspé was born of the merger of 12 communities. Enhancing the value of villages such as L'Anse-au-Griffon, Cap-des-Rosiers and Rivière-au-Renard was one of the top priorities expressed by residents during public consultations.
Residents react
Some twenty citizens attended the strategic planning presentation at the intermodal station, one of the last municipal buildings to be constructed in Gaspé. It was inaugurated in 2013.
Some of the citizens in attendance were keen to congratulate the elected officials on the work carried out in concert with the citizens.
You must be proud of this publication, and I'm very pleased to see that, as I leaf through it, you've captured the importance of citizen involvement.
A quote from Gaspé resident Pierre Michaud
Others also praised the exercise, but were keen to point out that the plan was ambitious for a town the size of Gaspé, with barely 15,000 inhabitants spread over an area of almost 1,500 km2.
According to a survey conducted by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, more than one in two young people did not know whether they wanted to live and work in Gaspé later in life.
Present at the presentation of this strategic plan, 14-year-old Lily-Charlotte Spain had a message for the municipal council.
I think that in your plan to promote culture and keep people here, you shouldn't forget young people, because there are some who are turned on by it. And we mustn't forget that there are young people in high school who will be going on to CEGEP, there are young people in elementary school who will be going on to high school, and we need to integrate them because it's certain that they'll be interested in culture.We need to get them involved, because they're bound to feel challenged," says the woman who was involved in student government at her high school.
The challenge: finding new revenues
The city's challenge in implementing this strategic plan will also be to ensure the long-term viability of municipal infrastructures, including the construction of a new arena and repairs to the water and sewer systems. It will also have to develop promising projects, such as the creation of a multifunctional venue in downtown Gaspé, mentioned as a priority by citizens during the consultation.
As long as our main financial lever is property tax, we'll never be able to do everything. As proof, we have a three-year plan and we never manage to settle it year after year. Why can't we? Because it takes the Quebec and federal governments to help us financially, and the arena is a good example.
A quote from Daniel Côté, Mayor of Gaspé
Another challenge for the town will be to generate more revenue. To do so, it plans to attract more companies in the naval sector and accelerate the development of the knowledge economy around the Merinov and Nergica research centers.
That means more businesses. The property tax rate for businesses is higher than for residential property, and that's why it's important to create an economy and develop businesses. It's more profitable for a city, it creates jobs and it generates other spin-offs, such as the creation of housing," concludes Daniel Côté.
The strategic plan also aims to attract events such as the Quebec Games. It also calls for Gaspé's 500th anniversary to be held in 2035, and for the meeting of allochthonous and aboriginal peoples. The town also intends to protect 30% of its territory, in line with the Quebec government's provincial target.
Source: ici.radio-canada.ca/
