SPEC Headlines, Sept. 28, 2003

Conseil conjoint and the FTQ use pressure, not intimidation, to convince contractors to hire its members
Gilles Gagné

CHANDLER - Jocelyn Dupuis, the provincial spokesperson of the Conseil conjoint of construction admits that his group, and its main partner, the FTQ-Construction, are putting pressure on contractors in order to convince them to hire their union members on the site of the Gaspesia mill in Chandler, but these efforts are nowhere near the intimidation denounced by another union, the CSN.

Two weeks ago, CSN's vice president Alain Bédard underlined what he called scare tactics put forward by the FTQ and the Conseil conjoint so to monopolize the hiring of the 700 construction workers currently active in the $500 million refurbishing of the Chandler plant. He pointed out that only 5 percent of the workers on that site, for a total of 36 people, were members of the CSN or the CSD.

"Throughout the province of Québec, the Conseil conjoint and the FTQ gather about 72 percent of all construction workers. But on industrial sites, this proportion climbs to 97 or 98 percent. This is especially true in Eastern Québec. We have a massive workforce to offer. We can supply the whole manpower of contractors. I will not tell them to take only a 72 percent proportion of FTQ members", explains Mr. Dupuis.

Bonaventure's Bioparc at a crossroad: expansion or closure
Gilles Gagné

BONAVENTURE - The Bioparc in Bonaventure, the town's second largest tourist attraction, is at a crossroad, according to director general Elaine Bernier. It must expand considerably, via a $23 million project that is already designed, or close its doors, because the status quo is not viable financially.

Elaine Bernier unveiled last week a major expansion project, consisting notably of a huge wooden sidewalk on piles along the Bonaventure River and leading to Pirate's Island, a new aquarium adding beluga whales and white dolphins to seals, water slides and a wave pool, supplied with salt water, and an enlarged area housing the mammals and birds of the Gaspé.

The Bioparc is having its second excellent year in a row, attendance wise, having greeted more than 21,000 visitors. But the attraction will nevertheless declare a deficit of $200,000, minus a $100,000 temporary grant that was agreed on by the Parti Québecois government before the election of April.

"Actually, we had a verbal agreement about a $200,000 grant, but only half of it was forwarded, following the government change. Over the first five years of the Bioparc's existence, we have been able to make ends meet by relying on a number of small programs. But we have tried them all. We are not eligible for most of them anymore. We have experienced a good year, but we cannot elude the $200,000 deficit. And it will be the same thing year after year. We need a major expansion, in order to be autonomous, financially. We need 100,000 visitors per year", explains Mrs. Bernier.

$1.2 million expected from Ottawa for Site Historical in Paspebiac
Gilles Gagné

PASPEBIAC - Member of Parliament for Bonaventure-Gaspé-Magdalen-Islands-Pabok Georges Farrah commits himself to a quick answer for the financial help expected by the Corporation of the Historical Site of the Banc de Paspébiac, which needs close to $4 million to restore its buildings.

Last February, the federal government injected $195,000 for the studies required to refurbish the buildings according to strict architectural rules. In March, former Premier Bernard Landry announced a grant of $1 million for the first phase of the restoration of the 200 year-old buildings. The Québec government also announced that another sum, of $1.2 million this time, would be injected in the refurbishing operation if Ottawa could match that contribution.

On September 19th, while taking part in a ceremony where a plaque commemorating the national historical significance of the Paspébiac Site was unveiled, Georges Farrah promised to come back soon with an answer about further financial assistance.

"We have the obligation to protect the site and maintain it in good condition. The restoration file was started three years ago. Taking into account the deterioration of this historical national monument, we think that we can give a favorable answer very soon in order to inject our share in the restoration of the infrastructures", explained Mr. Farrah, following the unveiling of the plaque.