Press Release
Northern Quebec: First Regional Conference on Natural Resources and Sustainable Development; a complete success!
Chibougamau, March 27, 2009 – Aided financially by Emploi-Québec and the Ministère du Développement
économique, de l’Innovation et de l’Exportation, about a hundred participants from the four corners of the province
and Northern Quebec attended the first regional conference on natural resources and sustainable development: How
to be Ecology-friendly and Respectful in Using our Forests while Remaining Prosperous, held on November 5
and 6, 2008. Four months after the conference, the organizing committee met to assess the outcome of the event.
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*Simultaneous translation will be available for the entire conference
When looking at the forest environment from a socio-economic as well as a cultural perspective, we see that it is closely related to the pace of the population of the James Bay municipalities and the First Nation communities. Because 16 % of the forest area in Quebec is situated in Northern Quebec, the major part of the regional economy is based on forest resources. Concurrently, recreational activities related to the forest environment are important to our region and thriving. For example, ecotourism and adventure tourism are now growing significantly. Recent trends reveal a growing interest from the population and tourists in activities being held in a natural environment such as hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, canoeing and wildlife observation. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor these activities so that they may favour harmonious and sustainable regional development.
Considering the current situation, the conference is aimed at creating awareness, informative and supplying tools to the participants through reflective thinking on management and sustainable use of forest components as natural resources. In holding this regional event, not only are we seeking to bring together local and regional forest stakeholders however concerned with forest management, we are also committed to making the event accessible to the general population. Participants will have the opportunity to share ideas and information regarding the place held by the natural environment in various interrelated spheres of sustainable development. Ultimately, we hope that communities will participate actively to the social, economic and environmental development by taking ownership and responsibility of their territory in order to innovate and open new areas of sustainable development.
Sustainable development is now inevitable in all organizations. We hope that after the conference, participants will have a better understanding of challenges facing natural resources development in Northern Quebec, and that they will be better equipped to become more ecology-friendly.