PERT’s Executive Director Nick Salter and Director of Communications & Engagement Chad Walcott, had the privilege of attending the Coasters Association‘s Lower North Shore Partnership Forum, held on February 26 and 27 in Saint Paul’s River.

The geography immediately left a lasting impression on both of them. It served as a powerful reminder of how deeply place shapes livelihood—and how geography can pose real challenges for the communities living there.

No roads connect the Lower North Shore to the rest of the province — Highway 138 stops short of the region’s communities, leaving residents with limited and often weather-dependent transportation options.

Chad and Nick experienced these obstacles first-hand on their journey to the forum in Rivière St. Paul.  Despite booking the most direct flight possible (which included three stops),  they were rerouted mid-journey onto what locals call the “milk run” – a flight path with seven takeoffs and landings, servicing communities along the coast. Not only did this delay their arrival, but it also challenged their stomachs as the small but mighty 18-person Beechcraft 1900d was buffeted by turbulence and winds during its descents and takeoffs.

The Forum

The Coasters’ forum offered an important opportunity for regional and provincial organizations, local partners and government representatives to connect and explore avenues for collaboration.

At the forum, participants spoke candidly about the realities they face. In his opening remarks, Coasters Association President Glenn McKinnon offered a striking reflection on the region’s economic relationship to the rest of the province. Though Côte-Nord contributes billions to Québec’s economy, it receives a fraction back to support public services and infrastructure for its residents.

One particularly poignant moment came when fisherman Jody Chevalier addressed the group about upcoming changes to the region’s crab fishing quotas. These changes could directly affect about forty English-speaking crab fishermen, with potential ripple effects on employment at the local seafood processing plant — and across the community.

Other pressing issues were also raised around food insecurity, the challenges in organizing childcare, and the ensuing impact on labour force participation for women in the area.

Labour Market Participation by gender

Alongside Cathy Brown and Rachel Hunting from the Regional Development Network, Nick gave an overview of PERT’s work, including our newly launched Circonflexe Mentorship Program.

Nick also presented the findings of our recently published Employment Profile of English Speakers in Côte-Nord, which provides an overview of the state employment for communities in the Lower North Shore. 

The report showed that, despite having comparable labour force participation rates, English speakers in the Lower North Shore (also known as the RCM of  “Le Golfe-du-Saint-Laurent”) experience an unemployment rate nearly three times higher than their French-speaking neighbours (23.9% compared to 8.3%). 

The report highlights that English speakers in the region earn $11,200 less in median employment income and are more likely to live below the low-income cut-off compared to French speakers.

The Journey Home

The return trip to Montréal was challenging. Severe weather cancelled their original flight and forced the PERT team to shelter overnight at a local motel.

This did provide an opportunity to visit Labrador, but it extended their trip and kept them away from our families and pets by an extra day.

For PERT’s team, this was a novel inconvenience. For Coasters, it’s routine – and often dangerous. Transportation delays can interfere with everything from work and school to medical appointments, and can turn emergencies into life-threatening situations.

With a winter storm sweeping in two days later, the PERT’s team window to leave narrowed to 24 hours, heightening their anxiety. With the weather clear, they were finally able to return home on Saturday. Although they have left the coast, their time there will remind them to keep it close. It was a remarkable experience.

PERT’s team is grateful to Shelley Fequet, Kimberly Buffitt, Cornella Maurice, and the entire Coasters team and board for their warm hospitality. We also thank Cathy Brown, Riley Dalys-Fine, Rachel Hunting, John Buck, Hugh Maynard, Russell Kueber, and Mike Vigneault for their support and camaraderie throughout the experience.