SPEC Headlines, Oct. 12, 2003

Partnership to develop a package deal for Pin Rouge
240 seats reserved on VIA for Christmas tourists
Gilles Gagné

NEW RICHMOND - The Town of New Richmond, Via Rail Canada, the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec, SEPAQ, and travel agent Kilometres Voyage have developed a package deal for tourists who are interested in spending a six day Christmas vacation in New Richmond and the Gaspésie Park area.
On September 29th, the Town of New Richmond became the official owner of the Pin Rouge ski centre, renamed the Regional Park of the Little Cascapédia River, one of the two main attractions of the package deal. Mayor Nicole Appleby wants to use that tool to make a profitable venture out of the ski centre which opened in 1990.
On December 23rd and 29th, 240 seats will be reserved for tourists on the Chaleur train between Montreal, Québec City and New Richmond. Most of these seats will be added, in order to keep on satisfying regular customers using this means of transport during the busy Christmas and New Year's period.

Micmac chiefs ask for moratorium on Bennett construction
Gilles Gagné
 
EEL RIVER BAR - Micmac chiefs from the five Native communities of the Bay of Chaleurs call upon the Government of Canada to invoke a moratorium on the construction of Bennett Environmental's "thermal oxidizer" in Belledune.
The chiefs of Gesgapegiag and Listuguj, in the Gaspé, and their colleagues from Eel River Bar, Pabineau and Eel Ground, in New Brunswick, also urge Ottawa and the government of New Brunswick to create an independent commission in order to make an accurate assessment of the environmental impact of the initiative. The commission should be made up of health professionals, scientists, local and Micmac representatives.
Cumulative effects of pollutants upon human life, wildlife, marine life and ecosystems should be an important angle of the independent study, say the chiefs, who already see heavy pollution in some parts of the Bay of Chaleurs.