Already concerned about global warming, young people are now increasingly bothered by the uncertain economic context, notes the President and Chief Executive Officer of Desjardins Group, Guy Cormier, who has just completed a tour of six cities in Quebec to meet young people.
Mr. Cormier expected to talk about the economy and the environment with the people he met, but he admits that he was surprised by the extent of their concerns about the state of the economy in a context of strong inflation, inaccessibility to property and scarcity of labor which complicates the creation of a business. “It marked me more, because it came out stronger,” he confides in an interview.
At a time when we are facing a surge in prices not seen since the 1980s, many young people are disconcerted by the return of inflation. “These young people have never heard of inflation, have never heard of interest rates,” said the leader of Desjardins.
Mr. Cormier describes himself as an optimist, but he admits to being concerned about the environmental and economic legacy that young Quebecers will inherit. “I think that we are currently flirting with a risk of intergenerational inequity, particularly in access to property. That generation may, I mean may, run the risk of having less accumulation of wealth than other generations, of having access to health care and an education system that will be different. »
It must be said that bad news abounds. “They hear that the health system is under pressure, that the education system is under pressure, that the planet is under pressure and that, there, the budgets of the governments, well they have to be balanced in a context of rising rates. of interest. »
At home, the father of four witnesses young people’s thoughts about their future. He remembers a conversation he had with his son during a skiing activity. “At one point, he said to me: ‘probably in 40 years, my children will no longer be skiing in Quebec. Maybe there won’t be any more snow in Quebec”. You see it’s part of his mind. He is conditioning himself that the life he is going to have, that his children are going to have, may not be the same as the one we had. »
trusting young people
The leader trusts the “fierce” of young people to find solutions to these problems, but he would like to give them the opportunity to have a voice, to speak up and propose solutions.
He says he has met many young entrepreneurs with innovative and exciting projects for their community. He gave the example of a young entrepreneur who converted a church in Alma into a dairy bar, Le Saint-Crème. “There is some imagination in young people. »
It is for this reason that he plans to hold a “major” gathering in Montreal on June 19 and 20. The theme of the event will be “Dreaming the Impossible”. “We’re going to ask young people: ‘Are there any projects you’re working on or would you like to work on or are there inspiring things you’re already doing?’ […] I would like that there are maybe two, three, four projects that we could put forward in Quebec, afterwards. »