Yesterday, Nemaska Lithium held a day of meetings and exchanges with the regional socio-economic community at the Auberge Godefroy in Bécancour. In the presence of the Mayor of Bécancour, Ms. Lucie Allard along with MPs Marie-Louise Tardif and Donald Martel, this important event brought together more than 70 socio-economic stakeholders from the Centre-du-Québec and Mauricie regions.
As part of its social integration process, Nemaska Lithium has held more than twenty meetings over the past year with local and regional stakeholders in the Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec regions to listen to their concerns and answer their questions. The day of exchanges thus took place in this context.
It was an opportunity to present and improve the socio-economic measures planned to foster the establishment of the Nemaska Lithium plant in its environment and within the battery sector in Bécancour.
Listening to the community
The day began with a presentation by an Investissement Québec representative and the Executive Director of the innovation zone of the Vallée de la transition énergétique. Its aim was to provide the context for the Nemaska Lithium project. Thematic panels followed, addressing the issues of employment and training, community services and human resource initiatives to better attract and retain the workforce. The afternoon was dedicated to participatory workshops stimulating the emergence of creative ideas and solutions on the themes of employment, training and the living environment. The day ended with a networking activity aimed at facilitating collaboration between the various stakeholders in the community and maximizing the project’s positive spinoffs.
Quotes
“The consultation of local communities, the way we listen, and the continuous improvement of our project are part of Nemaska Lithium’s DNA. This day was an important step in the social integration process of our plant to be built in Bécancour. The strong participation of the people who were present testifies to the community’s interest in our project. We are thrilled by our exchanges and the enthusiasm generated by our project, both here in Bécancour and in neighbouring municipalities.”
-Denis Isabel, Vice-President, Sustainable Development, Nemaska Lithium
“I salute the proactivity of Nemaska Lithium which, by organizing this community consultation, is sending a signal regarding its desire to engage with the community on our territory. Twenty days ago, the City of Bécancour initiated a mobilization of socio-economic stakeholders. Its objective is to ensure a better coordination of initiatives aiming to facilitate the development of the battery sector on our territory. This day of discussions allowed me to present the progress of the concrete actions that the City is implementing to tackle the challenges of labour, sustainable development and housing head-on. It is by working together that we will ensure the success of this major economic project that will definitively change the history of our region and make its mark in Quebec.”
-Lucie Allard, Bécancour Mayor