Occupation of the region and lasting quality of existing communities
Photo par Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf, via Flickr
The scale of the investments in a region larger than France requires the maintenance of a road network that is safe and has smooth flowing traffic, in as much as there is no railway alternative. Despite the absence of prisoners, the old "Siberian" model of the development of a region where sites for the extraction of resources are transformed into work camps where workers and sometimes their families are just "passing through", is unsuited to the socioeconomic realities of the region. The time when big business maintained its work force prisoner on the work site is past. Today, communities of the region wish to preserve a stimulating and interesting socioeconomic environment for the generations to come. The pre-requisite of road accessibility is fundamental in our region.
On a regional level
Effects on the quality of life and social fabric (strategic labour force, youth, retired people)
The quality of life in a remote region without railway service to large cities depends essentially on the quality of its road network and today, in a marginal way, on its air transport network. In the present context, with traffic increasing and thus an intensification of the funnel effect at the Saguenay ferry, the multiplication of the effects on the smoothness of traffic flow associated with the exceptional danger of the funnel section make using the highway more and more hazardous and insecure. This phenomenon is known to all people on the North Shore and has the effect of limiting travel to only the essential, thus limiting economic activity.
A safe road where traffic flows smoothly is a fundamental element for the quality of life in region far away from central Canada, for exemple:
Photo by Luftphilia, via flickr
- Students who wish to pursue higher studies have to travel to central Canadian cities by road; air travel being too expensive and railway service non existent. A solution to the problems of safety and traffic flow at the approaches to the Saguenay will allow these young people to travel and see their families more often, thus maintaining their integration in the regional social fabric. This would increase the probability of their returning to their communities.
The strategic labour force to consolidate its presence in the region, increasing in this way the competitiveness and performance of regional businesses. By doing this, we favour the emergence of avant garde entrepreneurship leading to the possibility of the additional jobs needed for young people to return to their region.
- Retired people to continue living in their community while knowing that they will find the health services needed and that specialized services will be available by using a safe road with smooth flowing traffic. Their investments can be concentrated in the region close to the youngest of their families, encouraging in this way the creation of wealth and jobs.