NEW RICHMOND – The PinRouge ski centre is off to agood start this winter, despitethe low snowfalls. The produc-tion of snow and the fact thatthe region’s other ski centreswere closed boosted PinRouge’s clientele.

Éric Dubé, the president ofthe Little Cascapedia River Re-gional Park which owns PinRouge, thinks another factorplayed a role in New Rich-mond’s ski centre’s good start.“It could have been bad be-cause the New Brunswick andNova Scotia skiers are notcoming this year. We see peo-ple from other areas, likeGaspé, but we also see newlocal faces, people who hadabandoned skiing and who de-cided to go back to it, or whohave decided to take up thesport. The pandemic also ex-plains why we have never seenthe parking lot so full. The mildweather has helped people puttheir gear on in their car,” saysMr. Dubé.

“For the same reasons... wehave rarely seen so many peo-ple at Duthie’s Point cross-

Promising start to season at Pin RougeNew director general takes the reins

country skiing trails, and thesame reality applies to ParcChaleurs’ skating rink. Peopleneed to go out,” he adds.

Former Olympic medalistMarie-Ève Drolet now

heads Pin Rouge

Meanwhile, the Pin Rougeboard of administrators has re-cently hired Marie-Ève Drolet

as director general of PinRouge. Her predecessor wasfired at the beginning of Sep-tember because he and theboard could not agree on theway to run the Little Cascape-dia River Regional Park.

Marie-Ève Drolet an-nounced her retirement fromspeed skating on June 22, 2017,after a lengthy and successfulinternational career. A native of

There is often a queue at the bottom of the skilift, which tells a lot about the attendance thisyear at Pin Rouge.

VOLUME 47 / NO 3, JANUARY 27, 2021Contract 400119680$1.50 (Tax included)ESTABLISHED • MAY 1975

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Laterrière, in Saguenay, shehad been spending her sum-mers in Maria since 2015 atthe time of her retirement andsettled permanently there fouryears ago.

“She is a mother of twochildren and her boyfriend,whom she met in WesternCanada when she was trainingthere, works in Carleton. Hesettled here first. As a native of

Saguenay, she wanted a placewhere she would enjoy the out-doors. She found one. She hasa degree in psychology and asa former top-notch athlete, sheholds qualities that have greatimportance for the Pin Rougeposition. She has shown perse-verance, commitment, a strongwill and discipline as an ath-lete. She also has family valuesand experience in leadershipand management. It takes a bitof everything to do what weneed and she has it. There isalso a challenge in public rela-tions and she is good at that,”explains Éric Dubé.

As a short track speedskater, Marie-Ève Drolet wona silver medal in the relayevent at the 2014 OlympicGames, and a bronze medal inthe relay event at the 2002Olympic Games. She also fin-ished 4th in the 1000 m in2002. Her international careerlasted close to 20 years. Shealso won numerous medals inother worldwide competitions,including the World Champi-onships.

She started her new job onJanuary 11. She will turn 39 onFebruary 3.

The trails are open afterthe first snowstorm of theseason on January 17.

Photo: Tourisme Gaspésie

Nelson Sergerie

Gilles Gagné

A step towards a regional snowmobile plan

CHANDLER – A significantstep has been taken towardsthe creation of the Snowmo-bile Development Plan. GaspéPeninsula Table of Prefectshas hired a dedicated resourceto work on that plan, which isone of the priorities identifiedby the region with Quebec forregional development.

Nadia Minassian, the pres-ident of the Prefect Table sayssnowmobiling is a well-estab-lished sector of the tourism in-dustry and it adds to the lengthof the tourism season. “Wewant to continue to ensure thatit is accessible for the regionand to optimize the economicbenefits,” says Ms. Minass-ian.

Investing in trails to ensuresafety and access to towns and

villages are the main priorities.Ms. Minassian points out thatthe clubs are already doing ahuge job and the plan will sup-port their efforts.

The economic spinoffs fromthe snowmobiling industry areestimated at $40 million in theGaspé.

The snow that fell as a resultof the January 17 snowstormpermitted snowmobile clubs tohave 100% accessible trails.

In Gaspé, the Bons CopainsClub had opened 50% of theirtrails, but had to stop operationsdue to the rain during the holi-day season. The approximately35 centimetres that fell duringthe January 17 storm resulted inopening up their entire net-work, says Club PresidentSteeve Curadeau.

At the Mont-Carletonsnowmobile club, the presi-

dent, Denis Henry, points outthat the backcountry trails wereopened before the holidays.

The extra ten centimetres ofsnow allows snowmobilers toaccess the coastline. "To have

one more snowfall would bethe icing on the cake," saysMr. Henry.

Page 2, January 27, 2021 - Spec

Now more than ever, simple gestures are our best protection to fight the virus.

Maintain physical distancing

Wear a mask

Wash your hands regularly

Avoid travel to other regions and non-essential trips

Get tested promptly if you have symptoms

Follow self-isolation guidelines

Québec.ca/coronavirus

1 877 644-4545

Let’s continue to protect ourselves properly.

Page 3, January 27, 2021 - Spec

Police reportOn January 21, a violent collision between a snowmobile and atree left the driver seriously injured and in the intensive care unitof the Gaspé hospital, with potentially life-threatening injuries.The accident occurred in Douglastown shortly after 10 a.m, nearKennedy Street. The rescue operation involved the firefighters,who used a sleigh to reach the injured man, who is in his twenties.The Sûreté du Québec has initiated an investigation to shed lighton the accident. The snowmobile driver was not wearing a helmetwhen the accident took place, according to the police.

------

Jean-Guy Lavoie, 88, from Marieville, near Montreal, appeared incourt on January 11, through his lawyer, to be officially chargedwith sodomy, gross indecency and sexual assault. He was arrestedon December 11 and questioned by the police. He had commit-ted, upon his December release, to appear in court virtually amonth later. The alleged victim was a minor when the acts al-legedly occurred, between 1983 and 1986 in New Richmond,where the accused was residing at the time. Judge Janick Poirier,of the Quebec Court, postponed the case until March 8, a courtappearance that will also take place at the New Carlisle court-house.

Record net migration in the GaspéNelson Sergerie

GASPÉ – The Gaspé Penin-sula and Magdalen Islands isthe remote region with thehighest positive interregionalmigration balance in theprovince. With an increase of681 people, the Vivre enGaspésie Strategy is sur-prised by the size of the in-crease.

The Institut de la statis-tique du Québec (ISQ) indi-cates that for the year2019-2020, the rate is 0.74%,more than double that of theneighbouring region of theLower Saint Lawrence.

The ISQ notes that this isthe fourth year in a row thatthe region has obtained a pos-itive result, but these most re-cent results exceed by farthose of previous years, evenranking fourth across theprovince proportionately. Theincrease of 681 people is ex-plained by a substantial de-crease in the exodus,accompanied by a notable in-crease in new arrivals.

All MRCs are making in-creases. The most significantincreases were made inBonaventure (160), Côte-de-

Gaspé (128) and Avignon(88). Haute-Gaspésie evenexperienced its first growthsince 2003-2004 with 87 peo-ple. The Rocher-Percé MRCbrings up the rear with an in-crease of 54 people.

Best results in 20 years

The Vivre en GaspésieStrategy points out that this isthe best results in the 20 yearssince such statistics werepublished.

“It's kind of like our StanleyCup,” Co-ordinator DanikO’Connor spontaneously says.Until now the best overall bal-ance has been 260 people.

“The way of life, thebeauty of the landscapes, thegreat outdoors, the peopleand the fact that there are a lotof jobs available now arethings that attract people,”says the coordinator.

Mr. O’Connor notes thatthese statistics do not take

The coordinator of the Vivre enGaspésie Strategy, Danik O’Connor. Ph

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into account the effect of thepandemic on people's inten-tions to settle in the Gaspé.

"At the Places aux jeunesrequests to come and settleand welcoming services fornewcomers have increased by50%. The future is likely tobe positive,” say Mr. O’Con-nor, convinced that the nextyear will pay off once again.

The lack of housing andchild care spaces remains achallenge, but several solu-tions are on the table.

“There is a will of all thepeople at the regional level toface this challenge. It is im-portant that all people under-stand that these are issuesexperienced throughout Que-bec. The Gaspé is not theonly one to experience thisand there are regions that ex-perience it more than us,"says Mr. O’Connor

The Gaspé Peninsula andMagdalen Islands had 90,697people on July 1, 2020, a netgain of 285 people, or 0.3%.

DEMOGRAPHICS:

An excellent performance

Gilles Gagné

NEW RICHMOND – Thenumbers say that the GaspéPeninsula and the MagdalenIslands finished fourth in allof Quebec, all proportionsconsidered, for the net rateof interregional populationexchanges, obtained by di-viding the net gain of ex-changes by the totalpopulation of a region.

For Danik Boulay theGaspé Peninsula and theMagdalen Islands finishedalmost tied for third place,and clearly in first placeamong the regions locatedfar from Montreal and Que-bec City.

“The Laurentides andLanaudière regions finishedin first and second place butthey are so close to Montrealthat it is understandable tosee people who leave the bigcity settling relatively close.The Mauricie region fin-ished third with a rate of0.75% but our rate was0.74%. That is pretty close,almost a tie,” points out Mr.O’Connor.

He had been saying foryears that it would take atleast 300 more people set-tling in the region yearly to

counterbalance the numberof deaths, which has beensystematically higher thanthe number of births formany years, due to the agepyramid in the Gaspé Penin-sula and the Magdalen Is-lands, where retired peopleare overrepresented.

“This time around, wesucceeded in attracting therequired number of peopleallowing us to increase thepopulation. The promisingaspect of the recent trend isthat our biggest increases aremade in people aged be-tween 20 and 45 years-old.Those people will have chil-dren soon, or their childrenwill also have children rela-tively soon,” he analyzes.

Another reassuring as-pect of the current popula-tion gain is the perceptionfactor.

“The young generation isborn and raised in a region,our region, where there is asurplus of jobs available. Wehave more than 500 jobsavailable in the region at thepresent time. In the mind ofthose youth, there are jobs inthe region. It will help shakethe long-time belief to theeffect that there is none,”stresses Danik O’Connor.

Page 4, January 27, 2021 - Spec

Editorial section

(Taxes included)1-year (paper or digital): $466-months (paper or digital): $25 Outside Canada: 1-year paper $165 digital: $46

SPEC welcomes letters to the editor on subjectsrelevant to topics covered by the paper. Lettersmust be kept within 300 words or less and maybe edited for clarity or to remove any slanderous,sexist, racist or homophobic statements. We re-serve the right to reject any letters. Opinions or let-ters published do not necessarily reflect theeditorial policies or beliefs of this newspaper. Allletters must bear the handwritten signature of thewriter and include the address and number(s) forverification purposes. (Address & phone numberwill not be printed.). The Publisher shall not beliable for slight changes or typographical errorsthat do not lessen the value of an advertisement.The Publisher's liability for other errors oromissions in connection with any advertisementis strictly limited to publication of the advertise-ment in any subsequent issue or the refund ofany monies paid for the advertisement.

CMCAAUDITE

Member of: QCNA , CARD

Publisher: Penny MacWhirter

News Editor:Gilles Gagné

Office ManagerJoan Imhoff

208-B Gérard D. Levesque New Carlisle, Que. G0C 1Z0

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:President: Roger Wise Vice-President: Elaine SextonTreasurer: Ray Venables Secretary: Maria ChattertonDirectors: Hayden Sams,Bonita Annett, Bethany Paetkau,Patricia Ste-Croix Annett

Published every Wednesday by: Les Publications de la Côte Inc.(Sea-Coast Publications Inc.)

Tel: 418-752-5400 specs@globetrotter.net thegaspéspec.com

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.We acknowledge special funding from the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications.

JOURNALISTS:Nelson SergerieDiane Skinner

CONTRIBUTORS: Cynthia Dow,

Jeanie LeLacheur

Gilles Gagné

Commentary

GASPÉ - Without further as-sistance from Quebec, OrléansExpress will once again sus-pend its services in the Gaspéin February. In a letter sent toelected officials in the region ofwhich The Gaspé SPEC hasobtained a copy, the presidentand CEO of Keolis Canada,parent company of Orleans,Pierre-Paul Pharand, writesthat revenues are at a criticallevel.

Orléans has requested anemergency meeting and help,however, requests that havegone unanswered both fromTransport Minister FrançoisBonnardel and Regional Min-

ister Marie-Eve Proulx. MrPharand writes that the deci-sion is far from easy, but nec-essary in order to get throughthis crisis.

“It’s a shock for the entireGaspé. The coach is becomingthe only means of interregionaltransport for elderly or vulner-able people to reach large cen-tres," says the spokesperson forthe Table of Prefects, AllenCormier.

“The regional minister issupposed to defend the inter-ests of our region. Not re-sponding to Keolis means alack of interest in services tothe Gaspé population,” addsBonaventure Member of theNational Assembly Sylvain

Roy.Regional Minister Marie-

Eve Proulx preferred not tocomment on the file, referringThe Gaspé SPEC to the Minis-ter of Transport.

At François Bonnardel's of-fice, his press secretary, Flo-rence Plourde, wrote in anemail that "the government issensitive to the situation expe-rienced by users of long-dis-tance services."

She recalls that Quebec hasalready released $8.2 millionin assistance to ensure themaintenance of services. Whatshe does not write, however, isthat aid pays only 75% of theoperating deficit.

"With the current situation

creating new ridership issues,the government is continuingits work to support the intercitytransport sector," concludedMinister Bonnardel's press sec-retary, who was not availablefor an interview on the subject.

At the start of the health cri-sis, almost a year ago, OrléansExpress suspended operationson March 28, due to a majordrop in traffic during the firstlockdown.

The company had resumedthe route on the Coast in Julyand had maintained until nowthe two departures from Gaspéto Rimouski in the morningand those from Rimouski toGaspé in the afternoon even ifthe departures between Mon-

treal and Quebec were quite re-duced. Forty percent of thedrivers were laid off last Sep-tember, but the drivers based inRimouski had been spared atthat time.

Mr. Roy stressed that itwould be an appropriate timeto review the model for bustransportation in the GaspéPeninsula. It's not the first timehe's brought up the idea.

"If this continues, we willhave to think again about de-ploying an interregional bustransport service that we willmanage ourselves," says theMNA for Bonaventure, espe-cially if the private companyand Quebec do not support theregion.

Without help from Quebec, Orléans suspend services in the Gaspé

Nelson Sergerie

Keystone XL: Joe Biden onlyshowed common sense

Although Joe Biden, the new president of the UnitedStates, is getting a lot of flak for axing the KeystoneXL pipeline project, it was the right thing to do, even ifthe oil lobby is affirming that he was heavily influencedby another lobby, the anti-fossil fuel one.

The pro-oil lobby states that the decree signed byMr. Biden to end the Keystone XL initiative “showshow dominant the anti-fossil fuel lobby has become inrecent years,” according to an American petroleum in-dustry consultant, David Blackmon.

Mr. Blackmon and many other pro-oil lobbyists arelikely wrong. From the Canadian perspective, it is ev-ident that the anti-fossil fuel lobby has not becomedominant south of the border.

In fact, Joe Biden’s decree about axing the Key-stone XL project is probably just accelerating the de-mise of a pipeline that could have had a hard timeshowing profits over the short and long term.

The project has been in the plans for 13 years now.It is true that former president Barack Obama hadblocked the construction of the Keystone pipeline andsubmitted it to the scrutiny of the environmental au-thorities.

That was normal, considering that the pipeline wassupposed to send mostly heavy oil from Alberta’s tarsands to Nebraska and from there to the Texas re-fineries. Alberta’s tar sands oil is arguably the mostpolluting fossil fuel in the world.

When he was elected in 2016, Donald Trump over-turned Barack Obama's decision to block constructionof Keystone XL, a $9 billion, 1,200-mile pipeline witha projected capacity to transport up to 830,000 barrelsof crude oil.

Joe Biden did not cut that project through beingheavily influenced by anti-fossil fuel advocates, al-though they probably played a small role in that deci-sion. The new American president is just looking atfacts, something Donald Trump refused to do over thelast four years.

An incremental use of oil, which the Keystone XLwould have contributed to, is the equivalent of wors-ening the living conditions on the planet. Research re-garding carbon capture has not yielded satisfactory

and convincing results so far, clearly not enough to en-courage further fossil fuel consumption.

By and large, human beings have collectivelyrooted for stricter environmental rules, but on paperonly.

Concretely, the application of an ecology-friendlyregulation has progressed at turtle speed. The pan-demic, which undoubtedly stems from the exaggeratedhuman presence in areas that should remain pristine,proves that other actions must be undertaken. That iswhat Joe Biden is doing at the dawn of his presidencyterm. That is the vision that has been lacking inCanada over the last 20 years and, above all, in Al-berta.

Joe Biden is backing up his words with actions. Heplans a $2 trillion clean energy infrastructure strategy.Yes, it is not $2 billion, it is $2 trillion, so $2,000 billion!The goal boils down to reaching net-zero emissions by2050 and creating millions of good-paying jobs. Mr.Biden also plans to create 250,000 jobs through plug-ging abandoned oil and natural gas wells that havebeen leaking for decades if not a century.

Let’s call it a real plan. Canada’s prime ministerJustin Trudeau has started talks with Mr. Biden and hisentourage to convince the new American governmentto put the Keystone XL project back on track but thatoption appears ill-fated. The new president signed 17decrees on January 20, his first official day in power,and he chose topics he will not relinquish.

Although Mr. Trudeau has been mostly favourableto the oil industry since his first electoral victory in2015, thus raising skepticism when he encouraged en-vironment-friendly ventures, chances are that his at-tempt to make Joe Biden change his mind is mainlymotivated by domestic political considerations. Hewants to prove Western Canadians that he is workingfor them. It will probably not change the Liberal Partyof Canada results in Alberta and Saskatchewan, comethe next election, but it might save a few seats in Man-itoba and the rural areas of British Columbia. In a mi-nority government context, that counts.

Alberta will suffer from Joe Biden’s decree aboutKeystone XL but not as much as Premier Jason Ken-ney says. He has been talking about a financial impactof $30 billion over the next decade.

That is exaggerated. It is far from sure that with oilprices hovering around US$50 per barrel, the pipelinewould have been profitable. Tar sands oil needs pricesof at least US$70 to break even and probably close toUS$90 or US$100 per barrel to make enough moneyand payback capital expenditures.

The world is not geared towards a return to thoseprices, despite the usefulness of fossil fuels in our dailylives. The competitiveness of renewable sources ofenergy is skyrocketing currently and their emergence

is far from only a derivative of ecological pressures. Itis an economical choice.

Jason Kenney and Justin Trudeau argue that theKeystone XL project would achieve net-zero green-house effect gas emissions in its operations by theyear 2023, however that net-zero goal would beachieved largely through the trading in renewable en-ergy credits. Other ventures would have to do whatTC Energy can’t reach.

The Alberta premier, Canada’s prime minister andother fossil-fuel advocates affirm that the Keystone XLsystem would become fully powered by new invest-ments in renewable energy capacity in 2030, a com-mitment to spur an investment of over US$1.7 billionin communities along the Keystone XL footprint. Thatwould create approximately 1,600 megawatts of re-newable electric capacity, and thousands of construc-tion jobs in rural and Indigenous communities south ofthe border though.

Mr. Kenney and Mr. Trudeau have the benefit ofthe doubt on those numbers. Joe Biden and his teamhave decided otherwise though.

So Alberta will be hurt to a certain degree by theUnited States government decree but it might alsomean that it is time to wake up.

For decades, that province has neglected serioushints about the necessity to diversify its economy. Fordecades, its governments have failed to use a oncewell-endowed trust fund to develop properly other eco-nomical sectors. For decades, Alberta has refrainedfrom implementing a valid sales tax to bolster its budg-ets. How deep will the province go before making theright move?

Page 5, January 27, 2021 - Spec

Lightening the loadFor years now I have been hearing about the growingtrend to live a life of simplicity and as I get older it is re-ally starting to appeal to me. Sometimes I dream ofmoving to one room and giving absolutely everythingaway. I’d keep some books, a knife, fork, spoon andbowl, enough clothing for the four seasons, and a set ofsheets and towels. Does that sound crazy to you, ordoes it sound like freedom?

I have been decluttering my house for years and Ifigure I must need help if it’s taking so long! So, givenall this extra time at home, I have just signed up for anonline course on decluttering. One of the first steps, theinstructor says, is to decide why you want to ventureinto these uncharted waters. What is compelling me tostrip down to bare essentials?

I know what you’re thinking: “She must be one ofthose hoarders who cannot walk around her housewithout stumbling into piles of garbage and old news-papers and magazines!” Such is not the case. Myhouse is actually very livable and the only things I stum-

ble over are my animals!Still, I am conscious that I would like to live with much

less. Fewer things to dust. Fewer clothes to launder,fold, hang, iron. Fewer things to move when I’m vacu-uming.

Basically, I’m done being a slave to unnecessarypossessions. I want to save precious time -- which be-comes increasingly precious as the number of candlesgrow on my birthday cake. I want to save money, too. Iwonder how much I would have in my RRSPs had I notbought a whole lot of sheer junk over the years?

I quit shopping for little nothings when I realized theimpact on the environment. You know, those cute littlehousehold nick-nacks that come all the way from Asia tosupposedly make our homes so much more “homey.”Extracting the raw materials to manufacture and shipthese items is costing us our real home, the Earth.

So a few years ago I decided to buy only three typesof things: consumables (food, books, CDs, etc) usefulitems (like kitchenware, but only when somethingbreaks), or craft items and artwork created by localartists and artisans. Anything else is a no-no.

Even clothing will be added to the no-no list: makingclothing is having a devastating impact on the environ-ment, so I have decided to live with what I have. “Fash-ion” is just a marketing ploy. For the past few years Ihave been going through my closets in the spring andfall and anything that was not worn during the season istaken to the second-hand clothing depot in Maria.

A history of harmonyLike so many people, I spent Christmas Day far frommost of my loved ones. On the other side of the world,my family was holding a sizeable gathering (no lock-down on their Christmas menu!) and hoping for aneasterly breeze to keep things cool, and as they doevery year, they were singing.

Families often have a shared language; somethingthat binds them together. For our family, it’s music. Welove to sing (even if the majority of us are not whatyou’d call soloist material). We had the opportunity tolearn to play a musical instrument. I can trace this giftof musicality back to my great-grandparents. Theirswas a typical Australian family of Irish descent: large, vi-brant and musical (I’m sure there are many Gaspesianreaders of Irish extraction who recognize this scene).Granny’s parents played duets in the parlour to enter-tain friends and visitors, her mother on the piano and

Emma Buckley

Guest Commentaryher father playing the fiddle. (My great-grandmother’sname was Margaret; fittingly, “When You and I WereYoung, Maggie” was their favourite song).

As an adult, Granny led the singing at her ownbeloved piano. Granny was no shrinking violet: she onceupstaged the pianist at her adult daughter’s party, plonk-ing herself down beside him on the piano stool and re-torting “Call yourself a pianist? Move over!” (Thestunned pianist did just that, and Granny promptlylaunched into some tunes she felt were more in theparty spirit). Throughout her life she served others withher music, playing at church, and for the ‘old dears’ atthe nursing home, even when she was older than mostof them.

Her daughters grew up singing harmonies whiledoing the dishes. They, my aunts, are passionate aboutclassical music, however their little brother, my dad,came of age in the 60s. His soundtrack was the Beatles,the British Invasion. Granny made him wait until he fin-ished high school to join his first band, a pop group thatplayed at the local dances. Dad played guitar and bassguitar in bands for the next 40 years, mostly jazz. Mumpassed many hours with her small, squirming children inbeer gardens and at festivals, bribing us with the oddlemon squash while tapping her feet to “When TheSaints Go Marching In” and other Big Band classics.

Growing up, sing-alongs were common, with ex-

tended family or music-loving friends of my parents.Dad always led these gatherings on his guitar; some-times my sister and I were roped in to play some piano.Dad’s signature tune was “The Loved One,” by TheLoved Ones, a short-lived Aussie band from the mid-60s. His performance was impressively theatrical, com-bining rhythm guitar, rapping hand percussion andhowling vocals. It was the kind of performance that madekids’ jaws drop. (I do recall at least one very small childbeing reduced to tears). Needless to say, we loved it.

Music and memory are tightly linked. Who hasn’tbeen brought to tears hearing the favourite song of aloved one, now far away or departed? As an adult I re-discovered a childhood ditty that my Granny used tosing to me, which evokes a deep and mysterious emo-tion whenever I hum it to myself. Whether it is listeningto music, singing, or playing an instrument, music de-lights and inspires. It relieves stress and comforts usduring difficult times, such as this current pandemic. Itspeaks to us in its own unique words.

Sadly, my dad has developed arthritis in his fingers,putting an end to all those wild, wonderful perform-ances. It’s now my brother who accompanies thesinging on his guitar. Perhaps one day it may be my sis-ter’s son, who also plays the guitar and has a beautifulsinging voice. So the gift of music flows on, into newhearts and new hands.

Cynthia Dow

Guest Commentary

I admit, I have a really hard time letting go of someclothes, but my goal by next year is to keep only whatfits in my rather small bedroom closet and sell my cedarchest. I’ll have more space in my bedroom, and therewill be no more spending a full day putting away sum-mer clothes and getting out winter clothes and viceversa. I have better things to do!

Items that conjure up memories are also really hardto discard but do I really want to spend all that time inthe past? The present is the only place we can truly live,and memories are stored in our brains, not our things.

Then, there is Nature: A constant source of delight,but I have the unfortunate habit of bringing things homealmost every time I step out the door: birchbark, feath-ers, spruce beard. I have decided that this spring I will“repatriate” a lot of my rocks and stones. In the future Iwill -- I swear -- no longer collect beautiful dead things(like butterflies and dragonflies killed on the road) buttenderly pick them up and put them in the grass wherethe indignity of being further crushed by cars is nolonger a danger. You see my dilemma, don’t you? Theyare so lovely how can I just leave them out there to turnto dust?

We will all turn to dust one day, no matter how lovelywe are and I’ll be damned if I spend any more of myprecious hours dusting too many things and moving toomany things and laundering too many things when Icould be having more meaningful experiences -- andlightening the load for the Earth!

Editorial section

MARIA – The Gaspé Penin-

sula and Magdalen Islands

experienced another envi-

able week on the COVID-19

front as only three new cases

were added between January

15 and 22. Four days went

without a single addition to

the regional number of

COVID-19 cases.

During the week, the

number of active cases de-

creased from 36 to 12. The

total number of cases since

the beginning of the pan-

demic rose from 1,691 to

1,694 over seven days. The

number of recovered cases

rose from 1,610 to 1,636 dur-

ing the week.

Three factors, however, re-

main a source of concern. As

of January 22, the Public

Health Board announced that

there was a new outbreak in

the region at the Chandler

CLSC. Less than five cases

were reported there.

That same day, two new

hospitalizations were reported

by the authorities, which in-

creased from four to six the

number of Gaspesians treated

in a hospital for the coron-

avirus. That number was also

six on January 15. Two pa-

tients are currently being

treated in a hospital located in

the region.

One of those six patients

still hospitalized on January

15 died during the week. The

total number of casualties

now stands at 46 since the be-

ginning of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the distribu-

tion of vaccines is now com-

pleted in all the seniors’

residences of the region. In

fact, the Public Health Board

is expecting a break in the

distribution of vaccines dur-

ing the last week of January,

due to Pfizer’s decision to ex-

pand the capacity of its pro-

duction facility in Belgium,

which requires a slowdown in

exports.

Geographically, only the

Rocher Percé MRC reports a

number of active cases larger

than five, and it is six. It com-

pares to 22 on January 15.

In the Avignon, Bonaven-

ture and Côte-de-Gaspé

MRCs, the number of active

cases is less than five. In fact,

the total number of cases in

the three areas is only six, so

two cases per MRC on the av-

erage.

The Haute-Gaspésie and

Magdalen Islands areas re-

port zero cases of COVID-

19, as of January 22.

The number of vaccines

distributed so far in the

Gaspé Peninsula and the

Madgalen Islands is reach-

ing close to 6,000. The

products of Moderna were

distributed in the Magdalen

Islands because its conser-

vation protocol is not as

strict, which is useful, con-

sidering that the vaccines

must be sent by plane to the

Magdalen Islands

COVID-19: The region adds only three cases in a whole week

Gilles Gagné

Page 6, January 27, 2021 - Spec

Pho

to: S

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Town of Grand River and local fishermen wantapproval for boat winter storage area expansion

Gilles Gagné

GRAND RIVER – The GrandRiver Port Administration, themunicipal authorities and theGrand River Economic Devel-opment Corporation are urg-ing the Quebec government toapprove and accelerate the ex-pansion project of the localfishing boats’ winter storagearea.

Backed by a wide array ofPercé Rock MRC organiza-tions, the Grand River PortAdministration has beenpreparing that expansion plansince 2018, and has submitteda $2,066,000 project to theQuebec government twice, tothe Ministry of the Economyand Innovation and the Agri-culture, Fisheries and FoodDepartment.

No approval has beengranted yet because the typeof project apparently doesn’tfit in any program. Other in-formal talks have also beenheld with government repre-sentatives, explains the mayorof Grand River, Gino Cyr,who has supported the venturesince the beginning, threeyears ago.

“The winter storage parkneeds to be expanded from acapacity of 32 boats to 48.Fishing boats are getting big-ger everywhere and the winterstorage space in Newport isincreasingly reserved for snowcrab boats, which are also get-ting bigger. Some fishermenare moving here and we needmore space,” explains MayorGino Cyr.

“There are other needs.The boat lift and the trailercurrently used have exhaustedtheir useful life. They are nolonger safe. An accident oc-curred in 2017. A boat fellfrom that archaic equipmentand it was totalled. The fisher-man just received a portion ofthe boat’s value. We need anew 60-tonne travel lift typeof crane and the ramp where itcan be used,” points out Mr.Cyr.

Vincent Gallagher-Duguay, vice-president of theGrand River Port Administra-tion, deplores the treatment re-ceived by the Gaspesianfishermen, considering thattheir North Shore and Mag-dalen Islands colleagues havebenefitted from the same typeof help they seek.

“The members of theGrand River Port Administra-tion have done their home-work. They have participatedin the planning of the project

with the engineering firmmandated to carry out the fi-nancial and technical study. Agood portion of the fishermenhave already committed to a20% participation comingfrom the community. We arenot asking for charity. We haveput ourselves in solution modein order to secure the handlingof boats and be able to storethem in the winter in a place fitfor them and endowed withservices adapted to our needs,”stresses Mr. Gallagher-Duguay.

“We are aware of the treat-ment received by the Mag-dalen Islands and North Shoreprojects. We are also fisher-men evolving in Quebec. Thepremise we use belongs to theMAPAQ. If a boat is damagedwhile being handled, will theministry take that responsibil-ity? What will we do with ourboats over the fall if there isnot enough room for them?”asks Vincent Gallagher-Duguay.

Gino Cyr and Vincent Gal-lagher-Duguay want fair treat-ment from the Quebecgovernment.

“Both projects in the Mag-dalen Islands and the NorthShore were 100% subsidized.We are not asking for thatmuch,” points out Gino Cyr.

He and Vincent Gallagher-Duguay don’t understand whytheir project cannot qualify forQuebec Fisheries Fund, estab-lished two years ago with anenvelope of $42.8 million forfive years.

“That fund is putting em-phasis on innovation but thereshould be an orientation for in-frastructure. The projects ap-proved so far by themanagement of that fund don’teven total $5 million. There issomething wrong there,” af-

firms Gino Cyr.The space available in

Newport will only becomemore scarce as time passes be-cause a rising number of NewBrunswick crab fishermenwill likely use that facility inthe winter to start their seasonearlier in the spring, due to therising presence of right whalesin the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.The New Brunswick harboursare generally free of ice muchlater than the Gaspesian ones,sometimes a month later.

“Gaspesian crab fishermenare forced by Fisheries andOceans Canada to wait forNew Brunswickers to beready in order to start the sea-son but the pressure is in-creasing because the right

whales arrive earlier in our wa-ters. Snow crab fishermenhave to start their season ear-lier as well due to the closedareas triggered by the presenceof right whales. So we expectless space in Newport over thecoming years. The GrandRiver project makes sense forthat reason too,” explains GinoCyr.

So far, the project stake-holders have met with staff atQuebec’s Economy and Inno-vation Department, withoutsuccess. In fact, the projectwas refused.

“When she was appointed,our regional minister, Marie-Ève Proulx told us that a goodproject would be accepted,even if it didn’t fit the criteria.

She told us that whether thereis a program or not, she wouldsupport the project. It is timeto prove it. (…) Administra-tively speaking, we have ex-hausted the options. It is nowa political issue,” concludesGino Cyr.

The MAPAQ spokesper-son, Laurence Voyzelle, saysthat her government is activelyworking on the Grand Riverfile, notably through conversa-tions with the mayor of GrandRiver. She adds that the Que-bec government has proposedto the federal government touse the Fisheries Fund for theGrand River project and thatprovincial authorities are wait-ing on an answer from Ottawa.

Diane Lebouthillier, Mem-ber of Parliament for the ridingof Gaspésie-Magdalen Islandsand Minister of the CanadaRevenue Agency, says that theGrand River project “is stillunder analysis by the QuebecFisheries Fund (officials),” andthat “no decision has beenmade yet.”

She also points out that theproject might be analyzed byFisheries and Oceans Canada’sSmall Harbours Division,however, during a short inter-view with the SPEC, she did-n’t specify any amount thatcould come from the federalgovernment, and she didn’tprovide a time frame for an an-swer. Fisheries and OceansCanada will eventually pro-vide those answers, she says.

Lobster fisherman Vincent Gallagher-Duguay says localfishermen are ready to kick in $500,000 towards the project.

Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles continuesto recruit for its Montreal campus

Nelson Sergerie

GASPÉ - The Cégep de laGaspésie et des Îles can con-tinue recruiting students for theMontreal campus after obtain-ing a safeguard order from theSuperior Court. Quebec hadadopted a decree published onDecember 30 in the OfficialGazette to suspend the author-izations to do so.

In the decree, it is men-tioned that in the public inter-est, the Ministry ofImmigration, Francization andIntegration (MIFI) stressedthat it was necessary to sus-pend the reception and pro-cessing of selectionapplications on a temporarybasis presented under the For-eign Student Program by for-eign nationals admitted bythese educational institutionssubject to verification.

In the list of establishmentswas the Cégep de la Gaspésieet des Îles. The ministry wasacting on allegations of fraudmainly targeting private estab-lishments.

The CEGEP turned to thecourts as the issuance of ac-ceptance certificates was sus-pended until March 31. Theestablishment convinced thecourt in the protection of therights of the students which or-dered the ministry on January11 to proceed with the process-ing of requests for certificatesof acceptance received fromthe current or prospective stu-dents of the campus of Mon-treal for the January 2021session and to issue the certifi-cates before January 15.

The CEGEP affirms that457 students could have seentheir educational programprogress. "All of these students

have taken steps to move andsettle in Quebec for their stud-ies. Not only could this deci-sion of the MIFI have hadpsychological impacts onthem, but it would have seri-ously compromised the suc-cess and the continuation oftheir school projects,” under-lines the principal, Yolaine Ar-seneau.

Quebec has taken note ofthe court's decision, and has in-dicated that it will comply withit. The ministry notes in the de-cision that “the ministry's mis-trust of these programs is notunreasonable, but that the sus-pension constitutes a signifi-cant inconvenience for thesestudents who have organizedtheir lives in order to study inQuebec this winter."

The Ministry of Higher Ed-ucation is continuing investi-gations and verifications.

The title of my photograph is“Never-ending Guidance”. I tookthis photograph at FairhavenBible Camp in New Carlisle on aNovember evening, using aCanon Rebel T7.

It was a cold autumn eveningwith a beautiful sunset. Beingsurrounded by all the stress ofCovid-19, getting to the beachbrings a sense of peace andtranquility for me. Lighthouseshave always been a symbol ofnever-ending protection andguidance through life’s trials, soseeing the first star of the nightappear over the lighthousemade me feel that, no matterwhat was going on around us, the bigger picture remains thesame. Things will happen, no matter what we say or do, so be at peace with yourself.

Page 7, January 27, 2021 - Spec

Louisette Langlois wants to annul her suspensionNelson SergerieCHANDLER - The Commission municipale du Québec intends to vig-orously contest the request for a stay made by the mayoress of Chan-dler before the Superior Court.

Louisette Langlois wants to annul the decision which suspendedher for 180 days on December 21 and that of October 9 relating tothe request for a stay of proceedings and to contest the notice ofhearing on penalty which had been rejected by Judge SandraBilodeau. This case will be heard on February 12 at the Montrealcourthouse.

In the request filed on January 19, Ms. Langlois’ lawyer, CharlesCaza, considers that the decision contains several illegalities, in par-ticular errors in the assessment of the facts which are not supportedby the evidence presented before the commission, which constitutesa reviewable error by the Superior Court.

On the sanction, the prosecutor indicates that the elected officialdid not derive any advantage, even if she was found guilty of 20 ofthe 21 breaches of Chandler’s Code of Ethics, and considers it dis-proportionate, having a punitive effect rather than corrective or de-terrent.

In the meantime, Ms. Langlois asked for a reprieve to be able toresume her position as mayor, while the merits of the dispute areheard. The case was heard on January 25. The organization wantedto file a declaration of abuse and dismissal of the merits in No-vember.

The pro-mayor, Bruno-Pierre Godbout, is disappointed with thisnew chapter in this saga. “I find that unfortunate for the citizens.We had announced some great developments in the budget. Someinvestments will have to be reviewed as she continues to defend her-self at taxpayer expense." That defence bill now totals $192,000.

Slight Tax IncreaseThe citizens of the Saint-François district of Chandler will see

their tax bill climb by some 9% in 2021. Their bill for water sanita-tion and aqueduct will go from $174 to $258.

“It's a deal that ends between Saint-François and Pabos that costs$23,000, however, the citizens of Saint-François still experienced atax cut of $400 last year," says Mr. Godbout.

The base rate increases from $0.02 to $0.90 per $100 while thebill for residual materials is frozen in this budget of nearly $12 mil-lion. Pabos sees its bill drop by around 2%; the other districts havean average increase of 1.5%. A ladder truck for the fire department,$2 million paving work and the 3.6 million municipal garage areplanned for this year.

“We had a 70% subsidy. It will be a project that will be greatly ap-preciated by both municipal employees and citizens," says Mr.Bruno-Pierre Godbout. The Newport water treatment project val-ued at $12 million is scheduled for 2023. The three-year plan is $33million.

Registration infoElizabeth Dupuis, Project Coordinator

Edupuis-familyties@hotmail.comor via Facebook (418) 752-7265

Photography Project - Now You See Us

Tip of the WeekExposure is how a photo is created. There are three adjustable elements that

control the exposure - aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

Aperture - how much light you let in. Shutter Speed - how long that light is present

ISO - Sensitivity of the sensor that records the light

“Never-ending Guidance” by Patricia Smith

Upcoming events 4 Photography Technique workshops via

Zoom, lead by local photographers: The Camera, Composition, Preparing to

Shoot, Shooting StylesActivity: ‘’7 days of Photography’’

Follow Family Ties’ Facebook Page for more details

2020: Rail investment catchesthe attention of Marie-Eve ProulxNelson SergerieGASPÉ - The additional amounts announced in February 2020 forrail repairs is the major item retained by the minister responsible forthe Gaspé in her yearly report. “It’s a dream I have had for a longtime; $307 million for the rehabilitation of the railroad is a majorstep,” says Marie-Eve Proulx with pride.

The minister also highlights $4.9 million in assistance to munici-palities and $850,000 for tourism in times of the pandemic.

Other hot items are the consultation on the priority projects andthe reform of Investissement Quebec with 12 jobs created in the re-gion, even if this component was the subject of a clash with theelected officials of the region due to the transfer to Rimouski. fromthe regional office of the Ministry of Economy and Innovation.

The social economic action plan is also part of the report. Beforethe holidays began, the regional pole criticized the small amount thatwas allocated. The minister wants to continue discussions. “We aregoing to rework and reposition things with them to provide a goodorientation. We will continue to support social economy enterprises,"explains Ms. Proulx.

Promoting the automation of Gaspesian businesses is one of herimportant objectives in 2021. Noting that regional businesses are lag-ging far behind in this regard, Marie-Ève Proulx has this element instandby as a basis for economic recovery after the pandemic. “I seea major breakthrough in local buying. Encouraging local buying. Dig-itization and automation too. The Gaspé is the region where busi-nesses are the least automated. We should see the Gaspé becomemore automated. We will work hard on this. "

Page 8, January 27, 2021 - Spec Page 9, January 27, 2021 - Spec

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Page 10, January 27, 2021 - Spec

Photo

: D

. S

kin

ner

Diane Skinner

In the morning after it has

snowed the night before, it is

the perfect time to look around

for animal tracks. Many ani-

mals are nocturnal (active at

night) and have been out hunt-

ing for food. When walking in

your own backyard or further

into the woods watching out

for animal prints can be fun

for adults and children. This is

an opportunity to help your

child appreciate nature and its

beauty.

First check for your own

pets’ prints in the snow. Dog

prints and cat prints are fairly

easy to tell apart, with the

most obvious difference being

size. Dogs are canines and

cats are felines and their wild

relatives will show some sim-

ilarity to each other.

Dogs and their canine rela-

tives such as foxes, coyotes

and wolves have a very simi-

lar appearance with the

biggest difference

being the size of

the print. A

wolf print is

usually the

largest, at about

five inches (13

cm), coyote about

three and a half inches (9 cm),

dog prints depending on the

breed about three inches (8

cm) and the fox about two

inches (5 cm).

Almost all canines have

larger front feet than hind

feet. Dog prints are differ-

ent than their canine

cousins because their nails

tend to be thicker and

blunter. Wild canines tend to

have nails which are thinner

and sharper. The fox has the

smallest paw and they tend to

be furry so the print that is

left is not as clear and dis-

tinct. Coyotes can be easily

confused with dog tracks but

they tend to walk in a straight

line, while dogs walk in a

more zig zag pattern.

Cats and the feline family

including the bobcat, lynx

and cougar have some simi-

larities but again, they vary in

size. Cat prints are about the

size of a nickel with the bob-

cat print being about twice

the size. Lynx are larger but

they also have furry

paws for walking in

snow so their prints

are not very distinct.

If you are fortunate to

spot a cougar (mountain

lion) print, it will be larger

and more well-defined. The

sizes are approximate (be-

cause again it depends on the

size of the particular animal)

varying from a cat at 1 inch

(2.5 cm), bobcat two inches

(5 cm), lynx three and a half

inches (9 cm) and cougar also

three and a half inches (9

cm). Another way of telling

the cat family from the wild

feline prints is that there will

be no claws visible in the fe-

line family prints, because

they can retract them!

Other animals that may

visit your property or the

woods at night include skunk,

squirrel, rabbit,

porcupine or

even beaver.

Their prints,

if clear in the

snow, will

show that they have five toes

on each foot. In fact, if you

are lucky, you may find a rac-

coon print that looks like a

tiny human hand. Porcupine

prints can be identified if you

can see their feet turn inward,

what we call pigeon-toed in

humans.

Animals that have hooves,

including deer and moose, are

easily identified because they

are unique. A deer track looks

like two exclamation marks

that point slightly outward. A

moose track can resemble an

upside-down heart split in

two.

Bird tracks are easily iden-

tified and most often have

three toes which point for-

ward, sometimes with a back-

ward facing toe. Size will vary

greatly depending on the size

of the bird.

Bear tracks are unique and

easily identifiable. They are

large, have short claws and the

print has four “toes” and the

pad of the foot which resem-

bles the front part of a

human’s foot. If you see these

fresh prints in the snow turn

and go the other way –

quickly.

(This article isan introduction to

animal tracks in thesnow and there is a great

deal more information that anexperienced tracker can tell.Some of the sizes are approxi-mate depending on the size ofthe individual animal. Tracks,Scats and Signs, availablethrough Amazon.ca at $9.85,will help your child become anature detective. Lots of illus-trations will help to learn todecode the animal signs thatare everywhere.)

Animal prints in the snow leave cluesabout what animal was there. Theseprints belong to a large Chocolate Lab.

Photo

: D

. S

kin

ner

Diane Skinner

Your car is covered in ice and

snow and before you can drive

away you have to clean it off.

One of the most dreaded jobs

in winter is scraping, wiping

and even shovelling snow and

ice from our vehicles. These

hacks, which are clever tips for

doing something, may be of

some help to you.

Place plastic bags over your

side mirrors and secure with

elastics. Because we respect

the environment, take the bags

and elastics off and stow in

your car to use again.

Do you have an old pair of

long socks or even the legs cut

from thick tights? Raise your

windshield wipers and place

them over each. Of course,

these can be reused before the

next storm, however, there are

some who are against raising

the wipers before a storm be-

cause it wears out the springs

on the wipers more quickly.

Your choice.

Take a can of cooking spray

before a storm and lightly

spray on the rubber stripping

around the door. This will make

it harder for ice to build up and

may make it easier to open

your door.

If you have a cat, or a friend

with a cat, take a cup or so of

cat litter and place it in an old

sock and wrap an elastic tightly

around the top. Place the sock

inside the front window of

your vehicle. The cat litter ab-

sorbs moisture so will help to

keep your window from fog-

ging up.

Keep a large box of cat lit-

ter in your trunk and this could

help by adding extra weight

and therefore traction on ice.

This helps on cars with rear

wheel drive.

If you can, park with your

windshield facing the east.

The sun rises in the east so on

a sunny, bright day it will

help by melting some of the

snow, however as Gaspesians

know, an easterly wind may

do just the opposite. East

winds on the Gaspé bring bad

weather.

Spray the inside of your

windshield with shaving

cream and wipe clean with a

paper towel. This reputedly

helps to keep your windshield

from fogging up.

We all have lots of hand

sanitizer so on an icy morning

if your car locks are frozen put

some sanitizer on your key

and it could help to unfreeze

the lock.

Buy a very good snow-

brush because it really will

make a difference. If you

have an SUV or van, buy one

that has a curved handle as

this will make cleaning the

roof easier. Use a broom to

clear off the roof.

Throw a piece of carpet or

an old rug over your wind-

shield before a snowstorm.

Then just pull it off and you

will have less scraping to do.

Throw it in the trunk to use

again.

If you are out and have for-

gotten your snowbrush, use a

credit card to scrape ice off car

windows. This is not ideal, but

in a pinch it will do.

Stuck and need more trac-

tion? Take out your car mats

and place them in front of rear

wheels.

The snowy period of the

year on the Gaspé Peninsula

can be spread over six and a

half months from October 20

to May 10. The most snow

usually falls during the 31 days

with March 3 being the mid-

point.

This data is provided by

Weather Spark and is based on

statistics gathered over many

years. They conclude that win-

ters on the Gaspé are “freezing,

snowy, windy and mostly

cloudy.” Oh yes, we know all

too well.

It is worth investing in a quality snowbrush andone with a curved handle will make it easier toclean the roof of an SUV or van. A broom is alsohelpful to clear the roof after a heavy snowfall.

Car hacks for winter

Who was here?

Page 11, January 27, 2021 - Spec

Reflections

by

Diane Skinner Flowers

You can only do so muchDo that

Help where you can,Give what you can.

We are getting tired of this virus. It is winter, we are coldand the days can be dismal and the scientists were right.The second wave of COVID is indeed here, though Gaspe-sians seem to be doing a terrific job of following all proto-cols around COVID-19. Our numbers are relatively low.All we need to do is look around to see that there are manyothers facing challenges during the second wave. Likely, youknow of someone having a harder time than you.

A great way to lift your spirits is to do some things tohelp another person get through these crazy times. It can besomething big or small. The simple act of giving tells theother person that someone is thinking about them. Does itseem that you have heard these suggestions before? Youhave, but it never hurts to have a reminder.

Call someone. People are feeling lonely and human con-tact is critical to our well-being, even if it cannot be in per-son. Call a friend. Call a family member. Call a neighbour.Call an old friend that you have not spoken to in a longtime. This is your chance to connect. It is a wonderful, easy,no-cost way to do something for someone else.

Shop for someone. It can be difficult for some, particu-larly the elderly, to get out and go shopping. Offer to pickup their groceries or medications. Also, moms with smallchildren or new babies find it difficult to shop and cannottake their children with them. Offer to help! The parentmight say no thanks this time, but suggest that you will callin a week or so to see if they need anything. People are re-luctant to ask for help. Make it easy for them to accept.

Treat someone. Drop off a coffee and a muffin, whetherbought or homemade, but still follow all the protocols forkeeping yourself and others safe.

Send a note or card. Why not? For the cost of a stamp,you spread joy and maintain a connection during COVID.Why not send one every couple of weeks?

Clean off a neighbour’s car or shovel their steps. This isan example of a win-win scenario. Your neighbour does nothave to go out to remove the snow and you get fresh airand exercise.

Wave to acknowledge others. Nobody can see your smileso a wave is a way to connect. Again, it costs you nothingyet can mean a lot. Remember to wave thanks to othercourteous drivers.

Say something nice. Words matter. Whoever wrote theold rhyme “Sticks and stones can break my bones but wordscan never hurt me,” was very wrong. Unkind words canhurt deeply. If someone says something to you and you feellike snapping back, try counting to three first. That givesyou time to take a deep breath. Then choose your wordscarefully. Give compliments to other people. In fact, begenerous with those compliments. They are also free to giveand the supply never runs out.

Give an unexpected gift. Christmas is over, it’s not theirbirthday so the unexpected gift has a lot of impact. Give abook, a box of tea, a lovely scented candle or some cook-ies. Anything that you think that person might enjoy. It istruly the thought that counts.

Donate to a local charity or non-profit organization.Why local? It will have the most impact if your donationstays in the community; perhaps to a food bank, church orcommunity organization that supports those in need espe-cially during this pandemic.

Help where you can. Give what you can.

Diane Skinner

One of the most beloved Chris-

tian hymns is “Amazing

Grace” published in 1779. It

has been recorded countless

times by many musicians in-

cluding Mahalia Jackson, Judy

Collins, Joan Baez, Elvis Pres-

ley, Skeeter Davis and Johnny

Cash. It is a much-requested

hymn at funerals due to its

powerful lyrics and memorable

melody. Its lyrics are very som-

bre which befits a funeral.

Reverend Joshua Paetkau,

Parish of New Carlisle and

Chaleur Bay, further informs

us, “‘Amazing Grace’ is a

beautiful hymn, and it is in-

deed one of the most re-

quested hymns at funerals,

together with How Great

Thou Art, Abide with Me, and

Rock of Ages.

The story of Amazing

Grace is a very interesting

one. It was written by a

British Anglican priest named

John Henry Newton. Newton

did not start life off as a priest

- none of us do - and was a

very rough person prior to his

conversion to Christianity.

Newton went to sea at a

young age, and was gang-

pressed into the British Navy.

Newton spent most of his sea-

faring days as the captain of

slave ships, and was heavily

involved in the slave trade.

During most of his time at

sea Newton was a very vulgar

and profane man, but would

often seek God after near-

death experiences, of which

he had many. Upon the

stormy seas off the coast of

Ireland, when he was 23 years

old, he apparently begged

God to save him. He experi-

enced God's overwhelming

grace which inspired him to

compose “Amazing Grace.”

Newton's conversion to

Christianity would set him on

the road that later led to his

becoming a prominent force

in the abolition movement,

though it did not do so imme-

diately.

Newton continued his reli-

gious journey and was or-

dained in the Church of

England. He wrote the lyrics

to “Amazing Grace” to use

during his sermon on New

Year’s Day, 1773. There was

likely no melody at that time,

but it was perhaps repeated

by the congregation. “The

musical element of church

services in those days was the

singing and chanting of

psalms and prayers. Hymns

were sung at gatherings of

young people and meetings

that took place outside the

church walls,” states Rev.

Paetkau.

The hymn became more

popular in the United States,

mostly in Methodist and Bap-

tist churches after the melody

was added. In fact, many

melodies were written and the

estimate is that there are more

than 20 with many being sim-

ilar. The version we know and

sing most frequently now was

written around 1835 by an

American, William Walker.

The message of Amazing

Grace is one of forgiveness

for possible sins committed in

the past, something that New-

ton himself was likely seek-

ing. It is estimated that it has

been recorded thousands of

times. Perhaps you have no-

ticed it in movies including

Coal Miner’s Daughter and in

The Wrath of Khan, as a me-

morial to Mr. Spock after his

character’s death. Barack

Obama recited and then sang

the hymn at a memorial serv-

ice for a victim of the mass

shooting at a church in

Charleston in 2015.

An interesting observation

is that there is no specific

mention of God until the

fourth verse, yet the word

“Grace” does indeed refer to

God. The words are very

powerful including such

lyrics as “When we’ve been

there ten thousand years,”

“That saved a wretch like

me,” and “Twas grace that

taught my heart to fear.”

It is one of the most re-

quested hymns at funerals

even today, some 250 years

after being penned by John

Newton. Perhaps his hymn

gave him the redemption he

was seeking for his involve-

ment with the slave trade.

However, “Amazing Grace” is

intended to be sung and its im-

pact is vast. If you go online

you can listen to any number

of versions of the hymn vary-

ing in arrangement greatly.

What is constant though are its

powerful words.

Rev. Joshua Paetkau states, "Amazing Grace is abeautiful hymn, and it is indeed one of the most

requested hymns at funerals, together with How Great ThouArt, Abide with Me, and Rock of Ages."

“Amazing Grace”

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now I am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved.

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares

We have already come.

'Twas grace has brought us safe thus far

And grace will lead us home.

When we've been there ten thousand years

Bright, shining as the sun,

We've no less days to sing God's praise

Than when we've first begun.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now I am found

Was blind, but now I see.

Page 12, January 27, 2021 - Spec

Diane Skinner

The popularity of baby names

changes over the years.

Names such as Helen, Shirley,

Fred, Gary and, yes, Karen are

seldom given to new babies in

2020. Those names and others

had their turn to be popular

but they may come back one

day.

Baby names can be influenced

by things that happen in the

news. In the U.S. the names

Kobe and Kamala have risen

drastically in popularity for

obvious reasons. The death of

Kobe Bryant led to a rise of

175% and Kamala, the new

Vice President, up 104% as a

pick for baby names.

A quick search of the 1921

Census of Canada for the Dis-

trict of Bonaventure shows

these first names: Mabel,

Harold, Daisy, Albert, Pearl,

Fergus, Maud, Myrtle, Lillian,

Beatrice and Clifton. In 1950

the most popular girls’ names

in Canada were Mary, Linda,

Patricia, Susan, Debra, Bar-

bara, Karen, Nancy and

Donna. The most popular boy

names that year were James,

Michael, Robert, John, David,

William, Richard, Thomas,

Mark and Charles. Five of

those male names can be

found in the Bible.

In Canada, the release of

the most popular baby names

of 2020 tells a bit of a differ-

ent story as names always do.

The popularity of baby names

changes with the times. It

seems that Canadian parents

are choosing names that are

traditional and some from the

past. The top baby girl names

for 2020 were Olivia, Emma,

Mia, Sophia, Zoey, Charlotte,

Amelia, Aria, Mila and Han-

nah. The most popular boy

names were Liam, Jackson,

Noah, Lucas, Oliver, Grayson,

Leo, Jack, Benjamin and

William. Three are found in

the Bible.

Of course, the names par-

ents choose will stay with

these new babies for their life-

time. But what’s in a name?

Does it shape who we are?

Perhaps others treat or see us

in a certain way because of

our name.

You might recall the fa-

mous song “A Boy Named

Sue” recorded in 1969 and

recorded live at the San

What’s in a name?

Quentin State Prison. The

song was written by Shel Sil-

verstein, an American writer,

poet, cartoonist, songwriter

and playwright. He is known

for his humour which is cer-

tainly on display in the lyrics

of “A Boy Named Sue.”

The song tells the story of

a young man who is ridiculed

and becomes a fighter as a re-

sult. He promises himself that

one day he will find the father

who gave him the name Sue.

They meet one day and the fa-

ther tells him that the name

has made his son tough and

that is why he chose that

name. They make up and ‘Sue’

concludes that if he ever has a

son, “I think I’m going to

name him Bill or George!

Anything but Sue!

We all have a name that we

have carried around for all our

lives but does our name influ-

ence who we are? Have you

ever known someone and

thought that their name did not

suit them? Do you like your

own name? If you knew a

bully as a child named Richard

you will always associate that

name with bullying behaviour.

What’s in a name? Quite a

lot.

Diane Skinner

This unique cookbook, pub-

lished in 1948, has been de-

scribed as “an artistic reflection

of Gaspé summers gone by.” It

was written and compiled over

70 years ago by anglophone

women mostly from Montreal

and who summered in Percé.

The Black Whale was the

name of a craft shop that was

established there ten years ear-

lier in 1938. Nobody can say

for sure how the store got that

name, other than the sighting

of whales off the coast.

The shop was run by a

group called the Percé Handi-

craft Committee and the Presi-

dent was Mrs. Ethel Renouf

who is credited for compiling

the numerous recipes con-

tributed by the members. The

shop sold crafts and art created

by the ladies and by local arti-

sans. Some of the food such as

strawberry jam made from

recipes in the Black Whale

Cookbook were sold in the

store. That particular recipe is

credited to Mrs. Ethel Renouf

herself.

The book is more than

recipes because it offers an in-

formative introduction and lots

of information about the Gaspé

Peninsula. It is more than a

cookbook – it is a slice of

Gaspesian history. The book

contains many small articles at

the beginning of each section

of different kinds of foods on

such topics as Expeditions, Au-

tumn in the Woods, Deep Sea

Fishing and Sunday on the

Coast.

Reading through The Black

Whale Cookbook gives a real

sense of how life was seven

decades ago, through the eyes

of the well-to-do ladies from

Montreal. Some of the names

of the contributors of recipes

could be ancestors of those

who live on the Gaspé today.

These family names include

Renouf, Tardif, Leggo, Beck

and Campbell. We cannot

know for sure because very lit-

tle written history exists about

the ladies themselves.

Looking through the pages

we can get the sense of how

food preparation has changed

and what foods were eaten dur-

ing those times. There were no

microwaves or stand mixers.

Some of the recipes included

are Bonaventure Cod Tongues,

Roasted Sea Pigeons, Fish

Head Chowder, Seal Liver,

Gaspé Ox Tails, Gaspé Frozen

Pudding and Spruce Beer.

Other recipes, though histori-

cal, are still prepared today

such as Johnny Cake, Fried

Smelt, Fish Cakes, Pea Soup

and Gaspé Boiled

Dinner.

The sections

are very reflective

of ingredients that

were available lo-

cally, both then

and now: Deep

Sea Fish, The

Salmon Pool,

The Kitchen

Garden, Home-

made Bread,

Desserts for the

Men Folk, and

G r a n d m a ’ s

Spare Time

recipes, which

features home

remedies in-

cluding Grand

D a d d y ’ s

Cough Syrup,

Tooth Ache

Remedy and

Labrador Tea

which helped to

make one sleep. The methods

of preparing food have

changed a great deal and the

book includes a whole section

on cooking in an outdoor oven.

The recipes and the com-

mittee itself were largely an-

glophone but French-Canadian

recipes are featured and one

section of two pages is written

in French. It is included in

order to give credit to the fran-

The Black Whale Cookbook: good old recipesfrom the Gaspé Coast going back to pioneer days

cophone culture and the

blending of recipes that has

happened over time on the

Gaspé.

Th Black Whale Cookbook

was very popular at the time,

so there are likely many copies

of it still in existence. If you

own a copy hang onto it as it is

a treasure and a piece of his-

tory. I have been searching for

a copy and just recently was

thrilled to locate one from

a rare and used book-

store in B.C.! It would be

so interesting to know

how this particular copy

of the 70-year-old cook-

book ended up about

4,000 km away from its

beginnings. Just like peo-

ple from the Gaspé, copies

of the book can likely be

found all over the world!

From the Black Whale

Cookbook:

Dressing for Partridge - 2

cups stale bread crumbs, 1

tsp. fresh parsley, ¼ cup

butter, 1 onion chopped.

Mix well and cook in frying

pan until slightly brown. Can

add chopped walnuts.

Fried Cod Tongues – Wash

fresh cod tongues, then put

on a cloth to drain. Roll in

seasoned flour and fry in hot

fat until brown.

For Toothache - Heat raisins

over a candle flame in an old

kitchen spoon, until just hot

enough to hold. Place one

raisin at a time between aching

tooth and gum. Eat when cold

and replace with a fresh hot

one. (Spec cannot vouch for

this remedy but it is worth not-

ing that the Percé Handicraft

Committee started a Dental

Clinic in Percé in the late

1940s.)

The Black Whale Cookbook published in1948, contains many historical recipes usingprimarily local foods that were available onthe Gaspé.

Photo: Gov’t. of Canada

Photo: D. Skinner

The Canadian Census of 1921 is available toview on Ancestry.ca and other sites. This page

contains names from Bonaventure County.

Page 13, January 27, 2021 - Spec

Diane Skinner

Women fill many roles on theGaspé. Whether working in-side the home or in the com-munity, Gaspesian womentake the lead in many ways.They are the driving force inorganizations, outstanding ed-ucators, community advo-cates, innovators, and leaders.Some fill non-traditionalroles, but all the women thatwill be profiled in this seriesmake a difference - not be-cause they are women, but be-cause they lead the way. Theyare strong, positive examplesfor our young people. This isWeek # 5.

Tell us about your early life

and your family.

Danielle E. Cyr: I was born

the sixth of a family of nine –

six girls and three boys. Our

mother, Patricia Gauthier, was

a well-organized woman, very

fond of reading and held a de-

gree in elementary teaching.

She kept on “educating” us

until she died at ninety-two!

Our father, Aurèle Cyr, had an

Irish grandmother who had

married a French-speaking

Acadian and had raised all her

children in English until

schooling age. Both my par-

ents agreed that education was

the best gift they could give to

their children. We lived a

happy life in a rather small

house on the shore of what is

now downtown New Rich-

mond. I was sent to Ri-

mouski, where I was enrolled

in the second level of an eight-

year program that was then

called “cours classique.” Just

two years short of graduating,

the program was abolished

and replaced by CEGEP. The

newly formed Ministry of Ed-

ucation merged us, cours clas-

sique students, with the Brevet

A students and, after two more

years, we all graduated with a

B.Ed.

What education and/or

training did you have?

Danielle E. Cyr: I moved

from Rimouski to Quebec

City to continue my studies.

Soon after I met and married a

young Fine Arts student, and I

started teaching at the high

school level. Because I had

had a terrific teacher in reli-

gious sciences, I chose to

teach religion. After having

my children, I stayed a good

six years away from educa-

tion. I stayed at home with the

children and worked from

time to time in a high-end

restaurant in Quebec City. It

was then I realized I was in-

credibly hungry for more

learning. When my youngest

York University in Toronto. I

continued my research on abo-

riginal languages with all the

support that a university envi-

ronment provides

How did your career con-

tinue to develop?

Danielle E. Cyr: At York Uni-

versity, students come from all

over the world and speak more

than 175 different languages.

Teaching in such an environ-

ment is not only a privilege, it

is pure bliss and you meet

like-minded colleagues and

mentors who welcome you in

an international network of

possibilities so you keep learn-

ing and learning. In other

words, it was a good life. I ap-

plied for a grant to work with

the Mi’gmaq and my applica-

tion was successful. I came to

New Richmond, put basic re-

pairs on my house and

launched my research project.

Even being from the Coast,

similarly to most of us back

then, I had almost no idea of

who the Mi’gmaq were. I

agreed to focus the research

project on the making of a dic-

tionary. What struck me first

was how attached the Mi’g-

maq were to their traditional

values and beliefs. In other

words, their culture appeared

Danielle E. Cyr: Academic, educator, life-long learner

Photo

: C

ourt

esy D

anie

lle

E. C

yr

daughter turned six, I decided

to go to university. I enrolled

part-time in a B.A. program in

Linguistics at Laval Univer-

sity and it was the right choice.

I loved it and I have to say I

excelled in it. I started to feel

that this B.A. program in Lin-

guistics was taking too much

time. I met with the Program

Director and asked permission

to skip the second half of the

B.A. and move directly into a

M.A. in Linguistics. This was

granted. Consequently, and the

very day after I completed my

M.A. program, I enrolled in a

Ph. D program, still at Laval

University. I told my supervi-

sor that I would now like to

work on a living language and

he advised me t