Gaultois Community Capacity Building Forum Held

"Our Future Depends On Us"

The Crowd Looks On

On Friday, January 17, 155 residents (55% of the population) of Gaultois came out to a Community Capacity Building Forum at Victoria Academy.  The theme of the forum was "Our Future Depends on Us".

Exhibits surrounded the gymnasium and the people moved from table to table looking over photograph albums and speaking with the hosts at the booths.  The Gaultois Junior Ranger platoon, under the supervision of Alex Coombs and Don Elson, handled the registration and had a campsite complete with canoe and tent in one corner of the gymnasium.  Other groups on display included the Gaultois Library and CAP Site, Victoria Academy including the breakfast committee, the Anglican Church Women, the Lions and Lioness Clubs, the Grant and Green 50+ Club, the Fire Department, Town Council, RCMP, Gaultois Investment Corporation, the South Coast Community Development Corporation and the Coast of Bays Corporation.  On a screen at the front of the auditorium, played a screenshow of photographs of Gaultois taken in 1878 by a clerk with Newman and Company in Harbour Breton.  These old photographs would fade to a picture taken in 2002 from the same angle to demonstrate the changes that have taken place over the past 125 years.  Many of the residents enjoyed watching this over and over and commented on the various buildings they saw in the show. 

The forum was held at the request of the Town Council and the Gaultois Investment Corporation who felt that the time was right to begin this process in the community.  Conrad Collier of the Coast of Bays Corporation welcomed everyone to the event and stated that these forums are held for two reasons:

1. to celebrate volunteerism in the community, and
   

2.  to motivate residents to become involved and to begin the  planning process for the future of their community.

Derek Hunt, Deputy Mayor, welcomed everyone to the forum and visitors to the community.  He thanked the Coast of Bays Corporation staff for their assistance in putting this forum together.  Max Taylor brought greetings on behalf of the Gaultois Investment Corporation and Derek Drover, Principal of Victoria Academy, welcomed everyone to the school and outlined his vision of a community dedicated to lifelong learning for all resulting in a vibrant, well educated community ready to meet the future.

Don Stewart, Chair of the Coast of Bays Corporation, brought greetings on behalf of the Corporation and the Hon. Oliver Langdon, MHA Fortune Bay – Cape LaHune, brought greetings on behalf of government.  He also stated that government is committed to working with rural communities to ensure their sustainability.  Steward May of Belleoram  then spoke of the benefits that came about as a result of the forum in Belleoram in 2001.  He noted an increase in volunteers in many of the organizations throughout the Fortune Bay North region and more cooperation between the various municipalities.

Following this, Tracey Perry, Executive Director of the Coast of Bays Corporation, gave a presentation about the Corporation and the efforts they are making to build a brighter future for the region.  After a coffee break, sponsored by the Coast of Bays Corporation, Max Taylor spoke about the plans the GIC has for future processing in Gaultois.  He stressed that processing of redfish alone will not be enough.  They have to investigate other opportunities in the fishery, such as the production of silage and surimi, and aquaculture as well.  Will Reid, of the Fishers, Food and Allied Workers Union, stated that Union has always had a good working relationship with the plant management and will continue to work with the people of Gaultois to ensure their plant operation is successful.  To end off the evening, everyone enjoyed hotdogs and pop which was sponsored by the Gaultois Lions Club and served by the many volunteers from the Lioness Club and other organizations in the town.

While Saturday morning brought with it a touch of a blizzard to the south coast town, ninety people still ventured out to the school for day two of the forum.   Cynthia Kelly, Executive Director of the Community Youth Network in Harbour Breton, delivered a speech about the importance of involving youth in all aspects of community planning.  Who better to know what their concerns are or how best to resolve them than the youth themselves?  Too often, she stated, that community planners plan for the youth without involving them from the beginning.  This is a major mistake with serious consequences.  Corporal Jeff Christie of the Coast of Bays RCMP spoke about youth initiatives and the importance of youth involvement in planning for the future of any community.  These are the people we want to get an education and return to live in our rural communities.  Involve them now.

Throughout the presentations, the theme of the forum, “Our Future Depends On Us”, was echoed.  Regardless of the organizations, agencies and government departments and all the programs and services they offer, the ultimate decisions and determination of their future must be made by the people of Gaultois.  They are the people who choose to live and work there and know what best suits them.  Rob Kinden, Department of Industry, Trade and Rural Development, gave an overview of the many agencies that are mandated to work with small business and rural communities. 

As a preamble to the breakout sessions, Don Stewart spoke about the value of volunteers in the community and the added strains placed on volunteers in communities that are experiencing out-migration and an aging population.  The people were then broke into four groups according to the coloured dots on their name tags to discuss why the people of Gaultois volunteer, why others do not get involved and what strategies are used by the various organizations to retain their membership. All groups presented ideas on how to improve the quality of life in Gaultois.  The results of these groups are now being analysed and will be used by the Town Council, the Gaultois Investment Corporation and the organizations themselves to plan for the future.

A light lunch, sponsored by MHA, Oliver Langdon and the FFAW, was then served to everyone at the close of the forum.  From all accounts, everyone came away feeling positive about the forum and looking forward to a bright future in Gaultois.  As Murray Engram sums it up, “We can do it, and we will do it!  If we all pull on the same rope, we will all make a difference.”

For more information about the Coast of Bays region, contact:
Tracey Perry, Executive Director
Coast of Bays Corporation
P.O. Box 310
St. Alban's, Newfoundland
A0H 1P0
Phone: 709-538-3552
Fax: 709-538-3627
E-mail: inquiries@coastofbays.nl.ca