Between emergence and reality

Twenty-five years ago, tourism was just emerging in our region. Although tourism had been around for some time, the economic impact it would have today was still in emergence, a presentiment. The term tourist itself was even somewhat negative, as some people used it to describe certain characteristics: slightly lost, detached from local reality, disrespectful of the established order...

The Bureau du tourisme et des congrès de Sutton (BTCS) was founded following the emergence of a lack of communication between local stakeholders and visitors. From it emerged a structured method of distributing tourism information; the construction of an observation platform on the site of the former grist mill that has led to the development of Godue Park; the publication of Le Tour; the establishment of tourism events such as the “Folie des sucres”; and the support of other activities and resources like the Coupe des Amériques and Parc d’Environnement Naturel de Sutton (PENS).

An impressive list of volunteers invested much energy into the BTCS, which was eventually replaced by the current Corporation de développement économique de Sutton. Today’s community thrives because of the initial and unrelenting commitment of such as Bellavance, Bergeron, Boulanger, Clerk, Cottin, Gossage, Hill, Johnston, Martin, Paquette, Potvin, Sylvestre, VanHa... Together these people built a bridge to span the distance between emergence and reality. Now the commitment continues under the governance of others so that whatever emerges from this reality may be pursued properly to reach the next reality.

Our landscape, culture, nature and sports have long existed, but their value has not always been what it is now. The economic value of culture, for example, is emerging, as is the value of our region’s history, of conservation, recycling, organic farming, walking... These values, in emergence at this time, will bear fruit in the future.

This issue of Le Tour (24-4) deals with the subject of emergence and invites its readers to become aware of what is emerging in their surroundings and in current events.

Happy reading!

Denis Boulanger

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