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Nouvelles

What is the NORDICITY?

It is an identity, a culture, an economy.

It determines the personality of the northern territories close to the Valdorian and regional community. It personifies a great physical and relational proximity with a northern boreal territory that identifies itself not only with the north of Quebec and Canada but also with the Scandinavian and Russian countries and the Asian countries bordering them.

Val-d’Or has always been an actor in the social and economic development of Northern Quebec and Canada. Its businesses and institutions have always had a great facility to evolve in the northern context and on a sparsely populated territory.

Photo: Jean-Philippe Richard 2014

Historically, Val-d’Or has witnessed the birth and development of James Bay and the mid and far north. The city served as an operational base for the aviation and road transport sector at the time.

Among the major players of the time were Nordair, Québécair, First Air, Canadian North, Valpiro, Brazeau Transport, Val-d’Or Construction, etc. These companies were among the pioneers of the economic boom of the time.

The Inuit territory was not left out. The federal government’s Food Mail program served the entire northeastern part of Canada from Val-d’Or.

The protection of the Canadian and North American northern territory

At the strategic military level, NORAD used Val-d’Or as a military base for the air defence of the Canadian North and Far North.

The geopolitical events of 2022 and the development of the northern sea passage allow us to believe that the protection of the northern territory is still an important issue for Canada and North America.

Development of the Cree communities and James Bay 

Some of the major past and current citizens of Val-d’Or are the Cree Health Board, Cree School Board, Cree Development Corporation, SODAB, Cree Energy, etc.

This past of northern development has left legacies, as much on the economic, cultural and social levels. Val-d’Or is home to the Centre de transit minier nordique (CTMN), a player in the northern mining world; Valpiro, a Cree airport services company; Petronor, a Cree company that is Suncor’s energy partner; Kepa Transport, a Cree carrier serving northern Quebec; Air Creebec, an airline company serving Cree territories; Vieux Comptoir Construction, a Cree builder in Wemindji; UQAT, a First Nations Pavilion, a university training institution dedicated to First Nations; Native Friendship Centre, a social support institution for the First Peoples; Cree Patient Services, Cree Aid Services of the Val-d’Or health network; UQAT Distance Education, a distance education service developed for Northern Quebec; the Secretariat for Economic Alliances, Cree Nation Abitibi-Témiscamingue, a business networking organization; two hotel, the Quality Suite and the Microtel; etc

It makes Val-d’Or a player in the economic and social development of territories known to the first peoples.

Northernness is part of the Val-d’Or DNA

Val-d’Or cannot dissociate itself from its northern experience. Through its mines and its forestry sector, its construction industry, it has exploited and developed the boreal territory from day one.

The city has innovation developers adapted to the boreal reality. The Novinor Innovation project is a tool for innovation of our northern expertise through two niches: Northern logistics and data connectivity in isolated areas. Our future will be shaped by a dynamic and open present on collaboration, cohabitation.

Jean-Yves Poitras, Industrial Commissioner