economical development
The Place du Village will be the heart of this revival project in Mont-Saint-Pierre.
If the stars continue to align, the Mont Saint-Pierre mountain resort project can be fully operational in two years.
Imagined three years ago with the seal of approval of the Piermontese residents, this recreational tourism project has already gone through several phases estimated to cost more than six million dollars, leading to the belief that its full realization is imminent.
The tourism revival project is divided into five main axes, starting with the village of Place du. It is a matter of restoring the old buildings of the inn located in the heart of the village doomed to destruction. This will be converted into a reception area where you can stop to explore the various activities on offer, take a break in the bistro café and visit the future businesses that will eventually take root in the old buildings of the inn turned business incubator.
The village church, which was recently dismantled, will be leased to the Mont-Saint-Pierre Solidarity Co-operative, which will set up a paid virtual paragliding center there for people who prefer to keep their feet on the ground or who like to fantasize themselves in the air when weather conditions are not favorable.
The third hub will be the summit of Mont-Saint-Pierre where an observatory in a natural setting will allow visitors to participate in an immersive display of the unique geological history of the place. As for the fourth axis, it remains oriented towards natural environments while we want to revitalize the beach by creating an outdoor theater there, and a place for artisans, just as the Free Flying Festival did at the edge of Route 132 as well as a picnic area for families.
Finally, outdoor viewing will always be at the heart of this relaunch project with the incorporation of existing hiking trails, the addition of new themed trails, and the development of a 32 km mountain bike trail in the Taconic Valley.
To achieve this, it is clear that the project must raise funds. To this end, the Solidarity Cooperative in Mont Saint-Pierre headed by Jean-Sebastien Cloutier has forged many partnerships in addition to relying on Christian Bouchard as an expert advisor. A fundraising campaign has also been launched and is co-chaired by the Mayor of Mont Saint-Pierre, Magella Emond and Enrico Carpentieri of the vineyard of the same name. Much of the funding has already been completed and the public is now being solicited. “Over the past year, $465,000 was raised thanks to Cuisine Gaspetion, Innergex, DMB Food Distribution, Transport RDL, Concept K and Carrefour Aventure,” said Magella Emmond. Caisse Desjardins Mer et Montagnes also joined in with a fundraising drive of $210,000, as well as the GDS sawmill, which increased the amount by $100,000.
While the special campaign continues, there is a public element unfolding where everyone can donate via montsaintpierre.ca under the “launch” section to be part of the movement. This campaign is also necessary because 20% of the total amount of the project must come from the community.
It is therefore the beginning of the most important revival of the small village in the east of Haute-Gaspésie, which, by its attractions, can be compared with the other major tourist towns of Gaspésie. In this sense, Mont Saint-Pierre wishes to regain its former nobility and become a popular destination again. “I have been mayor of Mont Saint-Pierre for a very long time and I have had to manage this decline. Now, with the new construction, the return of young people and possibly other new families with this tourism project, it is very good to finally manage the growth,” concluded Magella Emond.
