CIRADD and Collectivités Zéro Émission Nette Gaspésie launch Future Exploration Workshops to imagine our future.
Future Exploration Workshops will be held from March to May 2025 throughout the Gaspé Peninsula to enable participants to project themselves in 2050. The Gaspé population is invited to actively participate in the region’s socio-ecological transition by registering for the free workshops that are open to everyone.
These workshops are organized as part of a project dealing with resilience in the face of climate change based on transitional scenarios for the Gaspé Peninsula. The project, initiated by Collectivités Zéro Émission Nette Gaspésie (CZéN Gaspésie), is led by CIRADD, and supported by Natural Resources Canada’s Climate Resilient Coastal Communities (CCRC) Program.
The workshops: imagining the Gaspé Peninsula of tomorrow together!
Open to all, these workshops will offer the entire population, including vulnerable groups, a valuable opportunity to get actively involved in building a common vision for the Gaspé Peninsula of tomorrow. Participants will have the chance to picture themselves in a prosperous, resilient, united and green future for the region. The discussions will help partakers to identify challenges and collectively reflect on solutions for our region.
- Free of charge—90 min.
- Facilitated in French and English
- No prior knowledge is required
Based on scientific data, the Future Exploration Workshops will allow participants to dive into different possible scenarios for 2050. Following the workshops, CIRADD and groups of experts will gather and analyze the various results and visions shared during the different meetings and elaborate a common vision of the Gaspé Peninsula that will support the creation of a transition plan for the region.
“When we work together, we achieve great things. These workshops are a great opportunity to come together, dream together and build a common future, firmly rooted in shared facts and desires. Every action we take today has and will have an impact on the present and on the future. We have the power to build a stronger, more united and richer Gaspé Peninsula right now. Every idea, every voice counts in this collective process.” —Arielle Paiement, project manager at CIRADD.
The project also pays particular attention to climate change adaptation and social justice. In fact, in the face of climate change, the Gaspé Peninsula must think outside the box to find solutions that will help everyone to adapt to new realities.
“The impacts associated with climate change are already being felt environmentally and economically in every single region of Canada, including in Quebec. That is why this federal government is acting now to help our communities and our economy prepare for and protect against the threat of climate change. CIRADD’s project funded by NRCan’s CRCC program will support the vital long-term, community-based work to keep people safe now and into the future.”—The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.
“Climate change can have devastating impacts on our environment and our communities. This investment will help communities in Quebec adapt to and mitigate future climate-related challenges. By working collaboratively, we will be able to manage the growing threats of climate-related disasters.” – The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Member of Parliament for Gaspésie–Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine
About CIRADD
CIRADD is a social innovation research centre specializing in sustainable territorial development. It supports businesses, organizations and municipalities in their innovation projects and challenges mainly in four areas: land use and development, community vitality and well-being, adaptation to social and climate change, and sustainable recreational tourism. Affiliated with the Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles, the centre is part of the CCTT Network and Tech-Access Canada.
About Collectivités ZéN Gaspésie
Collectivités ZéN Gaspésie (CZéNG) is a collective that was formed in 2022 and mobilizes 14 regional partners from diverse backgrounds. CIRADD has been one of the partners since the beginning of the process. CZéNG is one of eight active CZéN in Quebec. These territorial initiatives stem from the Feuille de route pour la transition du Québec vers la carboneutralité completed in 2020 by the Front commun pour la transition énergétique du Québec.
