The GéoLAGON project, envisaged in particular in the Charlevoix sector and which provides for the construction of hundreds of hotel chalets, “has no social acceptability”, decided on Wednesday the Minister of Tourism, Caroline Proulx, dismissing the idea of funding from Quebec. The promoter replies that he has already obtained all the financial support he needs for this project, by relying on the private sector.
“Would you qualify this project as sustainable? Quebec Solidarity MNA Étienne Grandmont asked Minister Proulx on Wednesday, as part of the study of budget appropriations for the Ministry of Tourism. “I have never met them [les promoteurs du projet] and as long as there is no social acceptability, which there does not seem to be, there will be no assistance from the Government of Quebec or the Ministry of Tourism” granted to this project, has then replied the minister.
Since last year, promoter Louis Massicotte has been trying to obtain the necessary municipal authorizations to build a village of some 300 hotel chalets in a forest sector of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, where a huge artificial pond would also be temperature would be maintained at 39°C using geothermal energy.
This project, intended primarily for transient customers, has raised several concerns in recent months. In a report produced earlier this month on behalf of the municipality of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, the Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve found that social signs should be installed on an area equivalent to four football fields. in order to produce the energy needed to supply this village with electricity.
The report also noted that it would be necessary to drill 206 geothermal wells to carry out the mentioned geothermal lagoon project, which could damage the water table. The organization also mentioned possible spills of products used to maintain this immense lagoon.
Private funding
Faced with the concerns raised by this project, the MRC de Charlevoix adopted a resolution last February blocking all development in forest areas in the region for 90 days. The promoter behind this project, Louis Massicotte, remains confident that he will be able to carry it out. He attaches little importance to the opposition of the Minister of Tourism to this development.
“It’s a private project on private land without any subsidy. And we have no grant application planned with the ministry or with the government,” insists the promoter, in an interview with the Duty. At the other end of the line, he assures us that his project is intended to be “carbon neutral” by focusing on geothermal energy and solar energy, without disturbing the environment.
“What we understand on our side regarding social acceptability in Charlevoix is more the quantity of units that is questioned and we understand that. That’s why we’re reviewing the project,” adds Mr. Massicotte. A first phase of the project could thus provide for 186 hotel chalets in the sector, rather than 306, he mentions.
Louis Massicotte hopes to eventually repeat the development he plans to carry out in the Charlevoix sector in three other regions of the province, for a total of four villages that would total 1,200 hotel chalets. To help bring it to fruition, the developer announced earlier this week that an unnamed UK financial institution has shown itself open to providing funding of up to $250 million. for each of these four villages.
At the beginning of the year, the French clean energy investor Kyotherm had also been announced as a partner in the GeoLAGON project to the tune of 140 million dollars. “Our financial model is completely closed now,” says Louis Massicotte, who has not yet obtained the necessary authorizations from the municipality of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François for his project to go ahead.