Côte-Nord generates $1 billion annual fiscal surplus for Quebec

A study by Aviseo Conseil reveals a significant fiscal imbalance in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec. Private companies in the region generate approximately $1.7 billion annually in tax and para-fiscal revenues for the provincial government. However, local municipalities, cities, and MRCs receive only between $742 million and $811 million in return through government transfers.

This creates a yearly surplus of nearly $1 billion flowing from the region to the provincial level. Micheline Anctil, interim president of the Assemblée des MRC de la Côte-Nord (AMRCCN) and mayor of Forestville, noted that while the economy is flourishing due to electricity, forestry, tourism, and mining, the region faces a persistent demographic decline. Anctil expressed concern regarding the lack of local reinvestment, which is necessary to maintain services and support regional development, especially as the workforce increasingly relies on commuters from outside the area.