Working forthe Islands
Portrait
Working forthe Islands
PortraitWhat I hear door to door, and what I'm committing to do for the Islands.
The challenge: The Islands depend on their marine resources to develop, yet this sector holds too small a place within Quebec's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ).
The challenge: With an aging population, the Magdalen Islands archipelago already depends on foreign labour to grow, and will depend on it even more in the near future.
The challenge: Requests for help with basic necessities have surged on the Islands recently, and the current socio-economic context makes us fear this situation will persist.
The challenge: Maritime transport remains our only road link to the mainland.
I had the idea of making short little capsules, right up to the election. And if you send me comments, questions, even ideas — why not?
A native of the Magdalen Islands, Gil Thériault spent his childhood there.
As a teenager, he set off to discover other corners of Canada and began learning English. He went on to study at Cégep de Sainte-Foy before completing a bachelor's degree in public communications at Université Laval.
He returned to the Magdalen Islands for several years, during which he threw himself into the community's momentum — founding Sofilm, a parallel film series, running the Club Vacances des Îles (now La Salicorne), and playing an active role in creating events such as the Contes en Îles storytelling festival and Circus Arts Week.
He then worked across several professional fields and cities around the world, until his passion for travel and discovering others led him to visit more than fifty countries, sharing that passion through his photography and writing.
After a long stay in Turkey, where he found love, Gil moved back to the Magdalen Islands with his wife to care for his father at the end of his life. In doing so, he reconnected with his native island and decided to start his own family there.
Driven by a search for professional purpose, he became a passionate advocate for Islanders' right to make rational, sustainable use of the fishing resources that surround them and drive their economy.
First known for his travel writing, he continues to be invited onto national and international stages — this time for his thinking on wildlife resource management.
Over the years, Gil Thériault has published several books, and his next one will bring together years of reflection on the polarizing issue of the seal hunt.
He recently ran for and was elected municipal councillor, and also joined the Canadian Rangers to serve his community even further.
The former globetrotter now raises his two daughters, Ada and Mila, in the house where he grew up, together with his wife, Ezgi.
In person, over coffee, or with a group of friends — request an appointment and Gil Thériault or his team will get back to you.
Request a meetingGil Thériault or his team typically responds within 48 hours.
Éditions du Radar, 2017
La morue verte, 2012
Éditions de l'Homme, 2011
Lanctôt Éditeur, 2002
Broquet, 1996
Official party text, reproduced as-is — separate from Gil Thériault's own commitments.
Build more, faster, for everyone: 100,000 new housing units per year. Refund 36% of the QST on the purchase of a new house or condo, combat homelessness, preserve and expand services in the regions, and involve the regions in determining their capacity to receive immigrants.
Supporting our SMEs: tax cuts, less red tape, and protecting our jobs in the face of tariffs. Lower taxes for SMEs and reduce their administrative burden, promote business succession, promote local purchasing by the Government of Quebec, facilitate trade with other Canadian provinces, and bring SMEs and educational institutions closer together.
TeleHealth: provide quick access to an online healthcare professional anywhere in Quebec. Set up a telehealth platform, improve public transportation, modernize our forestry system, and expand cell phone coverage to the entire territory.
Learn, create and go far: modernize student financial aid, compensate for internships completed in the public sector, make reading a national priority, fight illiteracy, and protect school field trips as well as funding for school books and libraries.
Summary of the commitments published by the Quebec Liberal Party. Full platform: plq.org
Request a meeting, or give a few hours before October 5.
→ Learn more about Gil Thériault