Sainte-Adèle, April 8, 2022 – Desjardins Group has pledged $3,126,380 to support 10 key socioeconomic development initiatives across the Laurentides region.
"The GoodSpark Fund supports grassroots projects that make a real difference for communities," said Guy Cormier, President and Chief Executive Officer of Desjardins Group. "These projects are very different, but they have one thing in common: they all help improve quality of life for local residents. The initiatives supported by the GoodSpark Fund also help entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses by providing a whole host of resources they can use to reach their goals."
Since its creation, the GoodSpark Fund has contributed over $7 million to projects in the Laurentides region.
Here's a list of projects the GoodSpark Fund has supported in the Laurentides region since 2021:
Centre sportif Pays-d'en-Haut, Sainte-Adèle ($1,000,000)
This recreation centre features a semi-Olympic swimming pool, a leisure pool with water games, aquafitness area and lazy river, and an indoor NHL-size ice rink. A community space with different rooms and areas is also in the works. The opening is scheduled for summer 2022.
ERRE Ecomobility, Rivière des Mille-Îles ($621,380)
The Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles has partnered with local communities to offer a unique program that lets everyone explore the river's natural habitats and the history of its banks. Visitors will be able to rent equipment like kayaks and bikes and tour every corner of the area. There will be about 15 stops at new access points along the river to highlight local sights in the riverside municipalities of St-Eustache, Boisbriand, Bois-des-Fillion, Rosemère and Laval.
Connexion Laurentides – Espace d'accélération et de croissance, Mirabel ($350,000)
This organization serves businesses of all sizes in the Laurentides' 8 regional county municipalities. It's a gathering place that promotes synergy, reflection and collaboration between businesses, schools and the government. Connexion Laurentides fosters collective intelligence and advocates for working together to promote economic development. The organization's mission is to accelerate the growth of businesses in the region by tapping into local resources.
Quartier général de l'audace, Saint-Jérôme ($300,000)
The Quartier général de l'audace is part of the local CEGEP. Its goal is to become a regional business incubator and transform the entrepreneurial community by focusing on individual business owners, their potential and their personal development with experiential learning, mentorship and joint risk taking. Services will be available at their new location in downtown Saint-Jérôme in the fall of 2022.
Carbo Saules, Sainte-Sophie ($240,000)
This project oversees the planting of willow trees on contaminated soil in the municipality of Sainte-Sophie. The combination of the soil, microorganisms and willows helps reduce the volume of wastewater effluent in the ground.
La Maison de l'Entrepreneur, Mont-Laurier ($215,000)
This project provides local multi-stage support to entrepreneurs trying to buy or sell a business. Support is provided by professionals trained in business succession from participating Community Futures Development Corporations. There are 3 Laurentides regional county municipalities involved: Antoine-Labelle, Laurentides and Pays-d'en-Haut.
Société de l'autisme des Laurentides, Blainville ($150,000)
This organization's goal is to support people with autism and autism spectrum disorders and their families. It develops respite care and leisure services for them. With support from the GoodSpark Fund, the project will expand the respite care centre in Blainville and add more services.
La Cuisine – Espace collectif Laurentides, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts ($100,000)
The idea behind this project was to develop a shared kitchen space for businesses and organizations working in the food processing industry because there was no such facility yet in the area. La Cuisine is a culinary incubator that meets MAPAQ hygiene and safety standards. Users can prepare their products, test new recipes and refine their market, host cooking workshops or organize culinary events. Users can reserve the space by blocks of hours, meaning they don't need to pay for and install their own kitchens.
La Route des Arts, Lachute ($90,000)
La Route des Arts is a showcase for artists in the Basses-Laurentides region. Through its gallery in downtown Lachute, the organization supports the arts and community development and hosts activities and workshops that appeal to both French- and English-speaking clienteles.
Synergie Économique Laurentides, a circular economy project focused on industrial plastics ($60,000)
This organization helps businesses find ways to recycle or reuse small volumes of orphan materials. The project aims to set up a circular economy value chain between industrial businesses that use plastics, such as bale wrapping and boats.