On Tuesday, January 23, some 120 people took part in the first edition of Horizons économiques, a day of conferences organized by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Vaudreuil-Soulanges (CCIVS) and presented by Développement (DEV) Vaudreuil-Soulanges. 

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In addition to the business community, a number of dignitaries were in attendance, including Soulanges MNA Marilyne Picard, Vaudreuil MNA Marie-Claude Nichols' political attaché Mélanie Maranda, Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC Prefect Patrick Bousez, Île-Perrot Mayor and Deputy Prefect Pierre Séguin, and Les Cèdres Mayor Bernard Daoust. 

Representatives from DEV Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Cégep de Valleyfield and several regional organizations were also among the guests.

A total of six conferences and a panel discussion on the circular economy and ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria punctuated the day, which concluded with a networking happy hour.

"With Economic Horizons, we wanted to highlight our role as a rallying force and our leadership at the Chamber of Commerce. We've grouped the various presentations we hold throughout the year into a single day, with a single theme, to enable us to discuss all the topics that will be addressed, rather than holding them on different days," emphasized CCIVS General Manager Mathieu Miljours.

For his part, Patrick Bousez, Prefect of the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges and Mayor of Rivière-Beaudette, stressed the importance of the MRC in Quebec's economic landscape. "The MRC is strategically positioned on a national scale with highways 20, 30 and 40. 75% of Quebec's trade passes through Vaudreuil-Soulanges. This is an important fact to remember. I'd like to thank Minister Fitzgibbon for coming to see that the MRC is at the heart of the Quebec economy, and that we want to contribute even more to this economy."

"DEV is proud to be part of the event. As a generator of regional values, it was only fitting to be a presenter of Economic Horizons 2024. Economic development issues are crucial, and I'm confident that this event will help us make business decisions that will contribute to our growth and the region's dynamism," noted DEV's Director of Planning and Regional Issues, Philippe Roy.

Among the speakers at the Centre multisports André-Chagnon for this first edition of Horizons économiques was the Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon.

He spoke to the audience about the various programs put in place by the Quebec government to support entrepreneurs and businesses, and about the future of Quebec. Among other topics, he discussed digital innovation, the Privacy Act and carbon neutrality in transportation and business.

Charles Milliard, President and CEO of the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec, also spoke. He addressed the issue of immigration and the workforce, providing an overview of the current situation and suggesting possible solutions.

Pierre Cléroux, Vice-President, Research and Chief Economist at the Bank of Canada, was also among the guest speakers. Mr. Cléroux highlighted the current economic situation not only in Canada, but also in Quebec, and presented some projections for the coming year. 

Emna Braham, Executive Director of the Institut du Québec, and Véronique Proulx, President and CEO of Manufacturiers et exportateurs du Québec and Senior Vice-President, Policy and Public Affairs, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, presented the results of a recent study on issues facing the manufacturing sector.

The issue of the circular economy and ESG criteria was addressed by a panel moderated by Lorraine Simard, CEO and co-founder of Comité 21, and featuring Alexandrine Huot, Industrial Advisor at the Bureau de la normalisation du Québec, Danny Raymond, Director of Multifeutre du Québec LTÉE, Audrey Patenaude, Creative Director, Production and Senior Associate Architect at MDTP Atelier d'architecture, and Charles Bourbonnais, CEO of Polymos.

Digital transformation, a major issue if ever there was one, was widely discussed at the Industrie 5.0: l'humain comme pilier de la transformation numérique conference given by Jean-Philippe Raîche, Strategy and Development Associate at Proaction International.

Finally, the construction of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges hospital could not go unmentioned.

The region's most important project was discussed by Pomerleau project manager Michel Leblanc, Paul Mayrand, general manager of the project office for Société québécoise des infrastructures, Philippe Gribeauval, CEO of CISSS de la Montérégie-Ouest and Martin Ouellet, director of major infrastructure projects at CISSSMO.

"The success of this first edition of "Economic Horizons" makes it a flagship event for the CCIVS, and a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the importance of rallying the region's vital forces in an event that has nothing to envy similar to what is being done at the provincial level," concluded Mr. Miljours.