Canada/ $15,250 injected into the local economy in Sacré-Coeur

The Société de développement de Sacré-Cœur and Société d'investissements Investra invited the public to the Sacré-Cœur en croissance bursary awards ceremony at Le Petit Bessan restaurant on the Ferme 5 Étoiles de Sacré-Cœur on May 17. In all, 7 projects were awarded over $15,000 in development grants.

The evening, held in the sugar shack at Ferme 5 Étoiles, now home to Le Petit Bessan restaurant, drew a curious crowd of twenty or so.

Marjorie Deschênes, Director of the Société de développement de Sacré-Cœur (SDSC), began the evening's entertainment with a brief overview of the partnership between the SDSC and Investra.

"The Sacré-Coeur en croissance program represents a total of $63,500 that Investra has committed to the community over the past 2 years," she said.

"Since its inception in 2021, this success translates into an average of 1 new project per month. That's a total of 24 projects, 22 organizations and 31 entrepreneurs," she added.

"For us, this in-house index of the level of economic dynamism motivates us on a daily basis to do even more together, and to be a key player in serving our community," the director concluded.

Projects from all horizons

Photographer Sylvain Duprat and beautician Séléna Gauthier were unable to attend the awards ceremony. They received $750 and $1,000 respectively for their photography services and the operation of the SG esthetics center.

Frédéric Liévin, Laure Marandet and Fabien Drugeon, all residents of Sacré-Cœur, received $3,500 for the start-up of their new business Instinct Nomade.

Instinct Nomade will organize horse-riding tours lasting a few days to introduce interested parties to the region in a whole new way. "The first customers are expected in 2024," says Marjorie Deschênes.

"The beginning of this dream started here, when I arrived at Ferme 5 Étoiles in 1995," says Laure Marandet, one of the project's instigators.

For their part, Justin Gauthier and Corine Fraser both received $3,000 to start up Entretien JDG, a landscaping service, and a new kinesiology clinic that will open in the village center.

Finally, the Halte Gourdmande team - Philippe Roy (absent), Pierre-Luc Savard, Isabelle Lévesque and Marie-Noëlle Lévesque received $2,500 and $1,500 for the acquisition of the establishment and the setting up of a catering service.

A solid commitment

Serge Deschênes, President of the SDSC, also addressed the guests, testifying to the SDSC's strong interest in the municipality's entrepreneurial community.

"The most important thing is you, the people who bring projects to the table. It knocks me off my chair every time I see how bold our entrepreneurs are for a small village like ours," he said with satisfaction.

Guy Deschênes, President of Investra, the investment company that is fueling Sacré-Coeur's growth, agrees.

"Bravo for being the inspiring role models you are. Bravo for daring too," he told the audience.

"We're here to listen to you, and it's always a pleasure to hear from you," he added.

"Sacré-Coeur en croissance is a lever available to them that serves as seed money for their project. It sends them a positive signal, because we believe in them, and we're taking action," concluded Marjorie Deschênes.

Source: www.journalhcn.com/