4. Conclusions
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4.1 Renewal
The predominant concern expressed on the Lower North Shore during this study was the question of renewal: how to enhance the vitality of the community so that youth see a future in working and living in the place they grew up. This is especially a challenge for the English-speaking communities of the Lower North Shore due to their remote and isolated location, and their dramatic socio-economic upheaval stemming from the collapse of the fishery. In addition to increasing the number of English-speaking youth that stay in the area for the long term, the Lower North Shore communities described community renewal (leadership, volunteers, capacity) as being a key part of assessing vitality.
4.2 Services and infrastructure
Although service was an important element in the health and social services vitality model, access and availability as well as basic infrastructure such as transportation and communications, were common concerns throughout the four sectors chosen by the Lower North Shore communities. These were not just related to access in English but also to local availability of any kind without having to take a plane to Québec City or Montréal. The vitality model for the Lower North Shore speaks directly of the need for significant investments in services and infrastructure that other regions take for granted.
4.3 Economic development
While economic development is important to all communities, the English-speaking communities of the Lower North Shore have come very close to losing some of their communities simply because there are no jobs to be had at all. The region faces the massive challenge of rebuilding its economic base, a task made difficult by the fact that many geographic and economic links are with Newfoundland and Labrador, and some communities are almost entirely English-speaking and isolated socially and politically from the rest of Quebec. The vitality model elaborates the important elements that need to be addressed to develop the regional economy for the long term.
