No. Q002/02For release - February 7, 2002
BAIE-COMEAU, QC. — Transport Minister David Collenette, and Québec's Associate Minister of Transport and Minister responsible for Quebec Marine Policy Jacques Baril, today announced that a door-to-door survey on the socio-economic impact of extending Route 138 from Havre-Saint-Pierre to Natashquan will be conducted in the coming weeks.
Highway 138 was extended in 1993 under the former Canada-Québec Strategic Highway Improvement Program, which was designed to develop Québec's highway infrastructure. The co-chairs of this program, representing Transport Canada and Québec's Ministère des Transports, committed to undertaking a follow-up study of the area once a sufficient amount of time had passed to measure the effects of the highway extension. The study includes a door-to-door survey of residents and stakeholders in the Minganie region.
"The study is designed to assess the socio-economic impact of highway access to the affected communities, which formerly lacked a permanent road for year-round access," said Mr. Collenette. "Conducting research of this nature helps us evaluate the impact of funding programs on the well-being of communities."
"Analysis of the data will provide valuable insight into the economic impacts of the project, both from the commercial and tourism perspectives, and will help clearly define orientations for similar types of projects in the future for the Quebec government," said Mr. Baril.
The $80,000 study will be funded under the former Strategic Highway Improvement Program through a Federal-Provincial 50-50 cost-sharing agreement and is expected to be completed by March 2002.
The study, which also includes financial/economic data analysis and individual meetings with members of the business community, is intended to gather data that will provide a better understanding of the link between the extension of the road network, the development of affected communities, and the changes that have occurred since the project was completed. This is not an assessment of the merits of the project.
The Ministère des Transports du Québec retained the services of the consulting firm Roche Ltée, groupe-conseil, to conduct the study. All personal information gathered as part of the survey will remain strictly confidential. To this effect, Roche Ltée will comply with the provisions of the Province of Québec's Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information as well as with those stipulated in Québec's Ministry of Transport directive on surveys.
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Contact:
Luc BourassaDirection de la Côte-NordMinistère des Transports du Québec(418) 295-4765
Suzanne QuinnCommunications GroupTransport Canada(613) 990-6770
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