SPEC Headlines, 2003-04-06

One more MRC would be included in the already large
Bonaventure-Gaspé-Magdalen Islands-Pabok riding
Gilles Gagné

The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Québec recommends to include
one more MRC to the already huge riding of Bonaventure-Gaspé-Magdalen
Islands-Pabok. The MRC of Haute-Gaspésie, which includes Cap Chat, Sainte
Anne des Monts and a number of small villages located on the north side of
the Gaspé coast, would be added to a riding already including the MRCs of
Bonaventure, Côte de Gaspé, Magdalen Islands and Rocher Percé.

The Commission also suggests to rename the riding Gaspésie-Magdalen Islands.
But the MRC of Avignon, which includes municipalities from Carleton to
l'Ascension, including Escuminac, Cross Point and Matapedia, would remain in
the Matapedia-Matane riding. It would be the only MRC of the Gaspé
administrative region, which does not include the MRCs of Matane, Matapedia
and Metis, to be left out of the Gaspésie-Magdalen Islands riding.

Murdochville one year later: There is room for hope for some,
but the government must do more, according to Mayor Minville
Gilles Gagné

One year after the March 28th, 2002 announcement of the closure of the
copper smelter by Noranda Inc, people still living in Murdochville have
mixed feelings about the future of the town. People like Jean-Yves
Bernatchez really believes that the town can prosper again. But Mayor Marc
Minville, who was in favor of the closure of the municipality, thinks that
the government will have to offer better incentives to attract private
enterprises to what has been a mining and metallurgy town for 50 years.

Conservation project for Barachois of Malbaie in the works
Charlene Eden

    The Barachois of Malbaie has become the focus of a voluntary
conservation project.  The idea for a conservation project was first
introduced in 1997 by the Club des ornithologues de la Gaspesie.  Since that
time, numerous groups and individuals have been working together to
determine the best means of protecting the barachois.  Last week in
Bridgeville, the project took a major step forward, as a conservation plan
was unveiled.
    According to those involved in the project, the barachois is an
important ecological site, as it is home to over 200 species of birds, 25
species of fish, numerous different types of vegetation and a variety of
rare and endangered plants.  Furthermore, the barachois is a fragile
ecosystem, which needs protection from a number of human activities that
have caused damage to it over the years.