The real estate developer presented the Quebec government with a challenge to build 1,000 retirement homes in 10 major cities in Quebec. The foundation’s only requirement is to obtain, in exchange for this $23 million real estate project, free land and three years of tax holidays.
In return, the building is erected and is entrusted to the OMH of the municipalities that were selected by Mission Unitainées, an NPO set up to manage the project on the ground. The developer also adds a tranche of $500,000 to cover unforeseen events and the city or the OMH have no amount to pay.
“This is the first time I’ve heard about this project in the last few hours. It’s not an OMH project. It’s a city project and there’s someone somewhere who said no to the project. Whether it’s the mayor or the general manager, I don’t know. But we’re going to ask questions,” explained the president of the La Baie borough, Raynald Simard, who sits on the OMH.
The latter went to the foundation’s official website to learn about the project. He can’t believe that Saguenay could have let such an opportunity pass, especially since the 100 housing units were intended for low-income retirees. “People have to provide a tax return to be eligible for housing. It’s an investment of 23 to 24 million that we’re losing,” continued Councillor Simard.
The latter obviously questioned the OMH leaders in connection with this affair. The general director Éric Gauthier assured him that the OMH had not received any communication from Ms. Caroline Sauriol, the program manager for Mission Unitainés.
Between two chairs
Jean-Marc Crevier, Jonquière’s representative at the OMH, had also never heard of this project, which he describes as exceptional given the housing crisis the region is going through. He says he understood that the OMH, unlike what happened in other cities, was never made aware of it or even put in contact with the developers.
Jean-Marc Crevier (Jeannot Lévesque/Archives Le Quotidien)
“If we think that 100 people, or retired couples with little money would have had the opportunity to have quality housing at a reasonable price, we must, as elected officials, demand accountability in order to know what happened. Montreal paid for the decontamination of land for this project and here, we are not even informed that there was an offer to the City that never reached our ears. We do everything possible to attract projects and when they are on a silver platter, we let them pass. Some people will have to explain themselves. We are told that our project is now in Drummondville,” declared the Jonquière representative at the OMH who will bring the issue to the next council meeting.
While we are losing a real estate investment of 23 million, continues Jean-Marc Crevier, we are making a splash setting up a real estate development office at Promotion Saguenay.
“This kind of story is too shocking for citizens. Some people will have to tell us what happened and why the OMH was not included in the file.”
— Jean-Marc Crevier
Councillor Michel Tremblay raised the issue with the chairman of the Finance Committee, Michel Potvin. “He told me that it had fallen between two stools in the change of general management between Jean-François Boivin and Gabriel Rioux.”
Wednesday, The Daily asked the mayor of Saguenay why the city had said no to the foundation’s project. Julie Dufour simply said that “Saguenay had not said no,” but provided no explanation to justify the fact that these projects are being carried out elsewhere in Quebec, unlike in Saguenay.
Requests for an interview with the project manager at the Mission Unitainés organization, Caroline Sauriol, went unanswered.
