One Program That Has Helped

Grande-Entree fishing boats

A program given by the Magdalen Islands Local Development Center (CLD), The Young Entrepreneurs Program was a resounding success with the young fishermen of the islands.

With an awarded budget of $400,000 in 2008, the CLD helped with many start up fishing outfits.

It wasn’t a surprise that the CLD chose to concentrate its efforts in the fishing industry, with more than 400 fishing enterprises from the islands.

This aide was given to the transfer of fishing permits and outfits to the next generation. Succession, training to be ready for the sea is more present in the fisheries industry that in any other sector in Quebec.

For the past three years, the CLD has helped thirty-five young Magdalen Islanders acquire their fishing business.  Mostly these young are the sons of captains and have been helpers for years.  They are young and have fishing diplomas from the local Island school board.

They each received a maximum grant of $12,000 from the CLD to help with the purchase of their new business. It also helped in defraying the training costs involved and it allowed the young fishermen to have management coaching.

However, the budget is now gone and the CLD hopes to have additional short-term funds from the Quebec government to continue in other sectors on the islands.

Over seven million dollars of investments were generated in less than three years in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine.