More than 120 vehicles paraded on Sunday in the streets of the Dalhousie sector, in Baie-des-Hérons, to demonstrate their support for the project to operate a pozzolan quarry in this locality.
This gathering aimed to counterbalance the speeches of opponents of the project and demonstrate that everyone in Restigouche – including Baie-des-Hérons – is not unfavorable to the development proposed by the company EcoRock Dalhousie.
What do these protesters want? By showing their support for the mine, they hope for the return of a certain economic vitality not only for Baie-des-Hérons, but the entire region, a bit like when the AbitibiBowater paper mill was operating and contributing to the prosperity of all the Restigouche.
The procession took off around 2 p.m. Sunday towards the city center. Ironically, it was in the parking lot of a former shopping center – Dalhousie’s Darlington Mall – that protesters gathered before heading downtown.
The place is symbolic in itself, because it bears witness to the consequences of the exodus of the population and the economic decline of Dalhousie following the departures of major industrialists. Fewer employers, fewer people, less money to spend… The mall businesses ended up closing their doors one after the other, leaving behind an empty building.
“There is nothing left in Dalhousie”
Among the people present on Sunday, truckers, heavy machinery operators, business owners for whom the exploitation of pozzolan constitutes an employment opportunity. But also ordinary citizens who want to see Dalhousie become an economic force again, retirees who want their children and grandchildren to return.
“We are doing this to find a certain economy here. There is nothing left in Dalhousie, it has practically become a big home for the elderly. We’re not doing this to argue with anyone, but rather to show that we have a lot of people who are ready to work, who want to see their city prosper. With everything we have lost here, this career represents a little hope,” expresses David, a citizen who was part of the group that relayed the invitation to the population.
According to him, following the loss of major industries, many citizens of the region had to fly in fly out or emigrate to continue working, some ironically in mines.
“But all this destroys families. Some end up leaving the region, because that’s not a life. And here, we have the opportunity to create something here and frame it well. In my opinion, we must seize this chance,” he continues.
“They are in the field”
Daniel Boudreau was born in Dalhousie. He too would like the place to regain some of its former glory.
“The city has had some really good years with a vibrant economy and a good population. But today there is nothing left, it’s sad. What we do here is above all for our children and grandchildren. We want them to be able to stay here, raise their families here, because we cannot build a future with retirees,” he emphasizes.
He adds that he is very skeptical of the arguments raised by opponents of the mine, particularly in terms of pollution and health risks.
“No one will ever convince me that this quarry will pollute as much as the mill, the chemical factory and the power station which released their pollutants into the region for decades. Those who compare the project to that are spot on. These are very different things and also take place in two very different eras. Pollution like that would no longer happen today,” he believes.
Not far from the group, Denis Cayouette awaits the departure of the convoy. A citizen of the neighboring community of Dundee, he feels just as concerned by the debate.
“There are people who will say that because I don’t stay at Dalhousie, it’s none of my business. But it is an issue that affects the entire region. Dalhousie is in my backyard, and what is happening there affects me as much, if not more, than all those who came to demonstrate the other day from Gaspésie,” he says.
Like the majority of people present, he said he would like this project to see the light of day in order to revitalize the economy and offer work to local people.
“We have heard a lot of negative things about this project in recent weeks from those who are against it, and they are entitled to their opinion. But there are many people – like me – who see it as positive. When we hear that everyone is against the project, we have proof that this is not the case today,” he emphasizes, pointing to the crowd waiting for departure in the parking lot.
