Backgrounder: Details of the contributions granted to two Haute-Gaspésie businesses

March 14, 2019 – Cap-Chat, Quebec – Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)

Gaspésie companies Village Grande Nature and Eskamer Aventure offer accommodation services and outdoor activities that contribute to Haute-Gaspésie’s standing as one of the most attractive tourist hubs. To improve and develop their service offering, they will receive $236,895 in repayable contributions from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.

The funding was announced today by the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Member of Parliament for Gaspésie–Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Minister of National Revenue. The funding was granted by the Government of Canada through CED’s Quebec Economic Development Program.

Village Grande Nature Inc.

Repayable contribution of $195,895 out of a total investment of $1,000,470

Village Grande Nature is a hotel complex located at the base of the Chic-Choc Mountains. Its service offering combines accommodation (colonial style lodge, Canadian and Scandinavian chalets with a spa, a loft and a dormitory), a restaurant with a dining room that can double as a conference centre, a campground, a network of 32 km of maintained trails and a natural lake.

The purpose of the project is to improve the quality of Village Grande Nature Chic-Chocs’ tourism offering. The contribution from CED will be used to improve accommodation units and common areas and install thalassotherapy equipment, as well as to install an emergency electrical system and improve cellular and internet access.

The project will consolidate 19 existing jobs.

Eskamer Aventure Inc.

Repayable contribution of $41,000 out of a total investment of $365,000

Created in 2005, Eskamer Aventure specializes in offering canyoning activities in the heart of the Chic-Choc Mountains and on Gaspésie’s coastal mountains, as well as in offering sea kayaking excursions. The business has an accommodation component with a rustic campground and a treetop platform chalet. Eskamer’s offering improves the tourist circuit in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, Haute-Gaspésie and Gaspésie, and falls under outdoor experiences, one of the Alliance Touristique’s 14 experiences.

The purpose of the project is to expand and improve Eskamer’s tourism offering. In essence, the project will help make the activity of exploring canyons, called “canyoning”, better known. Every new component implemented in the project will help provide an integral canyoning experience. Swimming in the warm water of a glass pool high above the ground, jumping into the void with a magnetic brake pulley, a zipline spanning more than 300 metres over the Canyon Ruisseau Castor and a maze for children are some of the anticipated new additions.

The project will create six jobs, in addition to the five jobs currently provided by the business.

Summary

• Number of projects: 2
• Number of jobs created: 6
• CED contributions: $236,895
• Total spending generated by these projects: $1,365,470