“This is the short story of our great adventure,” said Dundee’s Mayor Linda Gagnon on May 17, as she welcomed visitors to the town hall and the municipality’s newly installed automated convenience store.
Gagnon explained that it was a comment made by a passing citizen, noting the municipality really needed a depanneur, that got the ball rolling. She and Director General Marc Michot convinced the council to let them investigate some possibilities. Eventually they landed on a newspaper article about the LIB Dépanneur, an automated self-serve convenience store in Saint-Léandre.
“This seemed realistic and achievable to us,” she said. “But of course, nothing comes for free.” By chance, the idea coincided with the introduction of new funding for devitalized communities at the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent. The municipality received $100,000 through the Fonds Régions et Ruralité (FRR) – volet 4: Soutien à la Vitalisation et à la Coopération Intermunicipale program, in partnership with the Ministère des Affaires Municipales et de l’Habitation.
This covered most of the costs associated with purchasing the automated distribution machines and fridges, as well as necessary renovations to the town hall to accommodate the new store. The municipality contributed an additional $10,000 to the project.
“But a municipality can’t run a business,” said Gagnon, while explaining how it came to be that members of the Dundee Historical Committee agreed to manage the store.
“The automated convenience store is helping Dundee shed its image as a ‘food desert.’ But above all, it is rallying the community around a constructive project and fostering a sense of belonging. That is the most important aspect of this project,” Gagnon said, while thanking all those involved in the initiative.
Gagnon, who is not seeking re-election this fall, added that she can leave with her head held high after achieving several major projects aimed at uniting her community.
The convenience store stocks a little bit of everything, from condiments to prepared meals, and snacks. The historical Committee is working to include as many local products as possible, and there is a suggestion board where locals can request additions to the products currently on offer.
Residents can request a key with a $10 deposit to access the store at any time. The store is open to the public during regular business hours, with extended hours this summer from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.