“We need accountability before we reinvest public money. You really need to know how to use it. Is it only used for Club Med and international tourism? “That’s really the question,” Simon Fortin, spokesman for the citizens’ initiative, immediately gets to the point.
He claims that many Charlevoisians' “glass was already full” given the price increases and “elitism” at the station. The interview, published by Radio-Canada on December 22, 2023, was “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
In this interview, the president and founder of the massif, Daniel Gauthier, claims, among other things, that he wants to invest another 400 million dollars, develop Mont à Liguori and expand the ski area by 50%.
The Charlevoisian group not only fears the disappearance of natural habitats, but also questions the contribution of public funds to the past and future development of the station.
“What boxes did they tick to receive government support? Have they participated in sustainable development? Do they have social acceptance? Are you part of the Charlevoix community?” asks Mr. Fortin, an elementary school physical education teacher.
He also points out the high prices in the mountains, which prevent young people, school classes and the less well-off from practicing their favorite sport. According to him, several athletes from Charlevoix have moved their skis to Mont Grand-Fonds, which is more than 80 kilometers by road from the massif.
The day ticket to Le Massif for an adult costs between $121 and $149, depending on the period. In Quebec, only Mont-Tremblant is more expensive, with day passes ranging from $135 to $152 for the same age group. At Mont Sainte-Anne, the price range is between $126 and $136.
“We have to think about the middle class, it's boring that for the rich it becomes a matter of elitism,” complains Mr. Fortin.
Clément Turgeon Thériault, general director of Festif!, Mathieu Bouchard, councilor of Éboulements, and Jessica Crossan, former solidarity candidate in Charlevoix-Côte-de-Beaupré, are among the signatories of the letter.
Too expensive for school classes
The mayor of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Jean-Guy Bouchard, acknowledges that “all citizens have a right to their opinion” but does not share their fears about the development of the mountain.
“There is nothing new. The mountain is currently not at the peak of its development. The entire sector in Liguori, which is part of the third phase of development, still needs to be exploited,” says Mr. Bouchard.
However, he recognizes that ticket prices are too high for residents. In his opinion, we need to “find a way to give young people here access” to the mountains “at a much cheaper cost.”
“The mountain is in their backyard. It doesn't seem normal to me that young people from our MRC drive all the way to Grand-Fonds for school ski trips.
— Jean-Guy Bouchard, mayor of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François
He assures that his team will “soon hold discussions with the massif” to achieve better conditions for its citizens.
For his part, the Prefect of the MRC of Charlevoix shares some of the co-signatories' concerns, as he is also unaware of the details of the Massif expansion project.
“It is true that real estate was not very present at the beginning, now it is there. It must be checked whether the development plans correspond to the development plan. But if the plan is adhered to, the municipality will issue the permits,” explains Pierre Tremblay.
Although he admits that ticket prices are “high”, he explains that it is impossible for the MRC to offer preferential prices to people in the region, as Mont Grand-Fonds already does.
“Mont Grand-Fonds until recently belonged to the town of La Malbaie, so it was able to set its conditions. But on our side, the massif has a public land lease, so we don’t have that power,” emphasizes Mr. Tremblay.
By email, Isabelle Vallée, communications and public relations manager for the Massif de Charlevoix, stated laconically: “The Massif listens and is committed to its community of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François and Charlevoix.”
“For the next phase of the project, as announced on December 22nd, everything will come to fruition with the arrival of investors and strategic partners. Once they are identified, the details of the project take shape with them. At the moment it is too early to speculate on the exact nature of this new phase of development,” explains Ms. Vallée.