To help “make a real difference” in the communities it serves, Desjardins Group is investing $475,000 into four grassroots projects in the Gaspésie region.
The funds are being provided through the GoodSpark Fund – a charity fund established by Desjardins in 2016, with the commitment of investing a total of $250 million by 2024 in projects created by and for the community. In particular, the fund looks to support socioeconomic recovery in Quebec and Ontario by investing in initiatives related to the environment, youth, health, entrepreneurship and recreation and tourism development.
The four projects and the amounts being invested in them are:
The mountain resort is meant to boost Mont St-Pierre's tourism industry. Funding will be used to create a “unified, seamless experience for tourists,” with the development of a village plaza, a beachfront, as well as bike and hiking paths, among other things.
The Vivre en Gaspésie (Living in Gaspésie) project aims to contribute to the region's demographic growth and economic vitality by helping to attract workers from outside the region – while establishing the right conditions to encourage them to stay. People moving to Gaspésie can get help finding a home and registering for school and childcare services, on top of a financial aid program for graduates taking internships at local businesses.
The inter-municipal waste management board is working to develop a process for incorporating soft plastic waste into asphalt pavement and engineering pieces. This innovation will then be used to create a new road to the Percé Geopark.
Funds will be used to renovate the art centre in Percé and reinvent it as a multidisciplinary arts centre that will host film screenings and different activities for the arts community, as well as the community at large.
“The GoodSpark Fund supports grassroots projects that make a real difference for communities," said Desjardins Group president and CEO Guy Cormier. "It's a way for us to help finance initiatives that make the region a better place to live and more appealing to people who might be considering a move.”
Cormier added that the GoodSpark Fund makes “substantial contributions” to various projects, reflecting Desjardins’ cooperative desire to help communities with the priorities which matter most to them, namely economic vitality, education and the environment.
