Solidarity MP Émilise Lessard-Therrien shared Thursday morning her concerns about the possible establishment of a Costco branch in Rouyn-Noranda.
“A Costco in Rouyn-Noranda will hurt the entire regional economy. In Rouyn-Noranda, there will also be more competition for a workforce that is already scarce. Our businesses are already reducing their opening hours for lack of workers, do we want to weaken them even more for a Costco? Already they are experiencing competition from the Amazons of this world. Are our businesses already not meeting demand? “, Can we read in the Facebook publication of the member for the riding of Rouyn-Noranda – Témiscamingue.
The American multinational would have taken serious steps to come and settle in western Quebec, says Radio-Canada. An owner holding land in the region was even contacted by the company wishing to acquire his – not so small – piece of land.
This article caused the Témiscamingue county native to react: “It’s not so much that I’m against it. In fact, I think we have to ask ourselves questions about the arrival of a player like Costco in Rouyn-Noranda. »
The one who is also spokesperson for the second opposition group in terms of regional development mentions that several regional media have compared the possibility of a Rouynorandian Costco with the one present in Drummondville for a few years already. His arrival had been greatly beneficial in the region where small traders hardly suffered.
Émilise Lessard-Therrien warns, however, that “there is a major difference between Rouyn-Noranda and Drummondville. We are not passing through Rouyn-Noranda. [La ville] is at the end of Route 117 and you don’t pass by there by chance. »
Drummondville, being rather located between Quebec and Montreal, is more prone to unplanned stops due to heavy traffic, illustrates the MP. “The risks in Rouyn-Noranda are that it drains consumers from other MRCs (regional county municipalities) to Rouyn-Noranda. It is therefore the entire regional economy that risks suffering from the establishment of a major player. »
In addition to the fear of a decrease in traffic, merchants are already suffering from a labor shortage in the region. As of December 2021, Abitibi-Témiscamingue ranked third in the administrative region with the lowest unemployment rate in Quebec at 3.4%, just behind Capitale-Nationale (3.3%) and Chaudière- Appalachians (2.9%).
“There are plenty of merchants who are not even able to open with all their regular hours because they are so short of people,” laments Émilise Lessard-Therrien, fearing that the arrival of Costco in the region will worsen the situation.
In favor of the project
” It’s time. Many including me will spend in other cities for their products. I think keeping this “traffic” in the region would be an asset. [Et] when we count the [nombre de kilomètres] traveled back and forth for a Costco, well I think it would be worth having one here, ”one can read in the comments under the publication of the deputy.
Rather mixed reactions can be found in the comments of the status. Some defend the point of view of Émilise Lessard-Therrien, others consider that it is high time for Rouyn-Noranda to have its big surface.
“A Costco brings good jobs [et] of the world from all over the region, possibly from Northern Ontario. In my opinion, the other businesses in Rouyn-Noranda would benefit from the arrival of a Costco. (Restaurants, Hotel etc.). If it’s not Rouyn, Val d’Or will do everything to get it, “writes a second user with a favorable opinion about the multinational’s arrival in the region.
The mayor of the city also indicates that she is evaluating the options available to her for this project, we can read in the Radio-Canada article.
On the other side of the handset, Émilise Lessard-Therrien recalls that her publication aims to bring about a debate on the subject, rather than simply taking sides.
A heat island
In addition to economic concerns, the hon. member is also worried about the environmental repercussions of such a project in the region. With the arrival of a large surface such as Costco comes a very large parking lot particularly conducive to heat islands.
“It is not because we are in a remote region, where there is an abundance of forest, that our urban cores are spared from heat islands”, details the united MP.
This also adds traffic issues. Route 117 is already heavily used in Rouyn-Noranda. Setting up a Costco would inevitably lead to traffic in the region where traffic is already not fluid at rush hour, in particular.
“We really have to take these questions into consideration,” concludes the MP.