“I found a wonderful region in Charlevoix. » Mexican-born Abel Francisco enjoys the decor of La Malbaie, his new home since 2021. There are hundreds of Mexicans like him who have been serving tourists in Charlevoix for several years. Some people like it and dream of settling there. Others are disillusioned by the difficult working conditions. The region adapts rather well to these newcomers.
Abel is one of the dozen foreign workers at the luxury hotel Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie. Besides the winter, the distances to travel without a car and the tedious learning of French, Charlevoix is a destination of choice for expatriates from Mexico looking for better living conditions. “The owner is very welcoming. We’re happy to be here,” he said. “For my part, I am treated well. I can express myself if I don’t agree or not. They respect my choice. »
The number of Mexicans working in tourism in Charlevoix has exploded since the pandemic. We find these neo-Charlevoisians almost everywhere. The biggest employer for these temporary workers: Club Med. Of the multinational’s approximately 300 employees in Quebec, nearly 200 are foreigners, mainly from Mexico. The multinational can count on its subsidiaries in Latin America to recruit these employees, many of whom have already worked in tourism.
It’s hard not to come across them in Baie-Saint-Paul, since most of them live in the old convent. The building called the “mother house” is the subject of a $3.6 million agreement between Club Med and the municipality, which owns the building. The heritage building has been restored and preserved, although it retains the air of a youth hostel which does not appeal to all these new tenants. Workers told the Duty that in winter, during the high season, “we share our rooms” and that otherwise, the place is quite cramped and poorly insulated.
The Mexican standard
The duty was unable to find any negative testimonies from Charlevoisians towards these new neighbors. The only complaint heard is that they work a little too much and that the locals lack places or opportunities to get to know each other.
The intense workload is one of the complaints heard several times during interviews with community members. Leslie Ofelia Solís Lopez, for example, dislocated her shoulder while working for Club Med. The work accident put her out of business and she lives thanks to CNESST benefits. She takes the floor to name the discomforts experienced in the management of the hotel. “I injured myself because I had to go quickly, almost running between lunch and dinner service,” says the young woman. “Coming here, there is an illusion of changing life, of knowing Canada. But, it’s a horrible experience. »
His service team consisted almost entirely of Mexicans. The Mexican standard has therefore long been applied to the pace of work. Six-day weeks and lower salaries than their colleagues have made headlines since the arrival of Club Med, which claims to have adapted since then. However, approximately 40% of Mexican employees still do not earn a salary equivalent to Quebec workers, according to information from the Duty.
Spanish also naturally dominates exchanges between employees. Francization has done its work and the official language of Quebec is progressing irremediably within the walls of the Franco-Chinese enterprise. Despite everything, not all of these employees get used to speaking here. The discomfort is shared as much by customers as by staff, said Leslie Ofelia Solís Lopez. “We feel bad not to speak French,” she says. “We feel like we can’t work well. »
“Without them, no Club Med”
The multinational still received 14 complaints to the OQLF in 2 years. ” It’s too much. We are not condemned on any of them. But we are trying to remedy it,” replies Vincent Giraud, the brand’s Canadian vice-president and French origin. He explains that he works hard to comply with Quebec’s official language requirements. “We are an international company. We have international clients. weeks ago […] where the clientele is 90% English-speaking. Automation becomes “I start in English”. It’s not always easy to change that. » A badge to warn that the employee is learning French will be deployed this summer on uniforms in order to facilitate exchanges and change these habits.
Club Med management says it has continually adapted since their arrival in Quebec in 2021. “If our employees are not happy, we cannot have happy customers. […] We follow the laws. They have the same working conditions as Quebec workers,” says Vincent Giraud. “Without them, there would be no Club Med.” Even if everything is not perfect in his organization, he assures that the trend is improving. ” We learn. We give feedback, the main thing is to correct it. »
The clientele of this vacation giant fluctuates with the seasons. Twice a year, in spring and fall, the hotel takes a break and lays off its employees, who therefore become unemployed. Club Med offers them the opportunity to return to Mexico during this forced break, indicates Vincent Giraud. “They have a choice. They don’t pay for accommodation here [fourni par Club Med]. And we reimburse part of the plane ticket. »
Most Mexicans interviewed indicate that despite these irritants, they still hope to be able to stay in Quebec in the long term.
This report is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.