By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
Five new regional sectoral development agreements totalling $4.6 million were announced Thursday by the Table des MRC de l’Estrie (TME), with representatives from the Quebec government and regional organizations present to highlight what they called a “major step forward” for Estrie’s future.
Unveiled at Sherbrooke’s Quartier général de l’entrepreneuriat, the agreements align with Quebec’s 2025–2029 strategy for regional vitality and will support initiatives in five key areas: economic development, social and community development, transportation, environmental transition, and gender equality.
“These agreements reflect our vision for regional development,” said Saint-François MNA Geneviève Hébert, speaking on behalf of the provincial government. “They show how solutions must come from the ground up and reflect local realities.”
Each agreement is co-funded and co-managed by multiple provincial ministries and regional organizations, with the TME playing a lead coordinating role. Monique Phérivong Lenoir, president of the TME, emphasized that the projects emerged from deep collaboration across all nine MRCs in the region.
“Estrie is a region that knows where it’s going,” said Phérivong Lenoir. “These agreements reflect our ability to unite across mandates and borders to act collectively. Our region is rural and urban, multilingual, diverse, and close to the U.S. border—our challenges are complex, and our solutions must be too.”
