From the outset, the mayor of Anse-Saint-Jean wanted to highlight the quality of the two proposals that had been selected for the final phase of the selection process. When the proponent selected, the first Anjeannois magistrate highlighted two elements having played a preponderant role in the scale.
On the one hand, it was the financial guarantees that allowed the Compagnie des Montagne de Ski du Québec (CMSQ) to stand out. Already attached with Investissement Québec, among others, the proprietary proprietary of the private promoter was considered more solid than that of the Mont-Ét-Édouard collective for whom the financing parameters were in the process of being confirmed.
Then, the duration of the investment project was also an element that awarded the decision of the municipal council, underlined Mr. Perron. “The Quebec Ski Mountain Company is planning to invest 44.1 million over three years. On the other side, it is 58.1 million over six years. In six years, many things can happen. It was a worrying element for us. We thought it was too long. ”
Of disappointment and the need for a rallying
The decision obviously generated strong reactions in the council room of the municipal building of Anse-Saint-Jean on Wednesday evening. Several citizens present on site to hear the outcome of the proponent’s selection process have taken the floor to ask questions and to issue certain comments.
In particular, during the period dedicated to public issues, the lack, in the eyes of some, of public consultation in the process. All the time, the municipal council, chaired by Richard Perron, hammered that citizen participation in the process was by no means obliged by law and that “for the sake of efficiency and speed”, it was the elected officials who had assured, in complete compliance and impartiality, the mandate to represent citizens.
It should be noted that the members who have located on the avicler committee were appointed publicly, at the request of many citizens. Confidentiality hovering over their identity has therefore been lifted. Their report will be made available for consultation, soon, on the municipality’s website.
After hearing the explanations provided by the Anjeannois municipal council, Louis Tremblay Poirat, the president of the Mont-Ét-Édouard collective, addressed the media after the session.
“Obviously, we are disappointed. We have worked extremely strong for several months. We found that we had a project which was innovative, visionary, which was well supported at the financial level too. […] We had equally marked at the level of the analysis scoring of the Avisor Committee with the [CMSQ]. I think we have proven to everyone that we had submitted a good project. Now we’re going to stand up. In the event that the negotiations do not succeed with the proponent selected, our project would always be valid, “he said.
For his part, Pierre Lavoie, when he approved at the end of the evening on site by The dailysaid it was an important step for Anse-Saint-Jean. “This is a decision that was not easy to make. There, the most important thing is that people rally. The mountain must become a positive asset for the village. I am satisfied with the result as a whole. We went from a bankruptcy, a recovery that did not really work for project offers of several tens of millions of dollars on the table. We are no longer talking about amass six million to save the mountain. There, Mont-Edouard will become an important mountain in Quebec. Certainly, we will have to protect the village. I’m going to make the watchdog for this mandate. I want Anse-Saint-Jean to keep its community aspect and its authenticity, “he said.
An ambitious project on the table
Some of the elements appearing in the CMSQ plan were unveiled on Wednesday evening. The company led by Christian Mars confirmed that it would endow the station with a new area in the first winter.
It was however in 2026 that the bulk of the elements of the CMSQ project will be delivered, according to the plans. A six-seat disengageable chairlift, at a cost of 16 million, will be in office in December 2026, it was promised. A 120 -bed hotel chalet is also in the boxes. The snow system will be improved as soon as possible in order to “ensure better snow coverage and extend the ski season”.
Other additional investments will be made by the private promoter. The latter estimates that 100 million, in the space of five years, will be injected into real estate assets. The municipality of Anse-Saint-Jean, in the long term, could therefore receive more than 1 million annually in taxes.
The CMSQ which will negotiate the parameters of an emphyteutic lease with the municipality in the coming weeks said it wanted to ensure a respectful transition.
“I think I essential to initiate an open dialogue without delay with volunteer organizations in the middle. It is not only to collect their needs for infrastructure and equipment, but also to explore sustainable partnerships around the community mission of the mountain. The experience, the local anchoring and the commitment of the administration in place and current employees of Mont-Ét-Édouard constitute a precious lever for the success of the project, “said Christian Mars, through a press release.
