Revitalization of areas: “City doubled in value”

The number of people choosing to settle in parts of Quebec is “absolutely crazy,” said Victoriaville Mayor Antoine Tardif.

“The standard land value of the city of Victoriaville was 4 billion 3 years ago. It has crossed just over 8 billion. The value of the city has doubled,” he mentioned during a visit to LCN.

In fact, according to the latest data from the Institute of Statistics of Quebec, these sectors, once shunned by many Quebecers, are now experiencing a real renaissance.

“I believe people realize that the quality of life in this area is unmatched. The cost of living is very affordable,” he noted.

This significant population migration from large centers has been positive for smaller municipalities, according to Mr. Tardiff, who has seen young people return and immigration boom in his city.

“Victoriaville is approaching the 50,000 population mark much faster than expected. Annually, we welcome between 250 and 300 new residents. This number is expected to double from 2021,” he said.

The new challenge, according to the mayor, is meeting these new demographic expectations.

“People who come to us from Montreal are used to public transportation. So, they have expectations about public transportation,” he explained.

According to him, municipalities further away from the main centers are allocated only 6% of the provincial budget, despite having 30% of the population of Quebec.

Other affordability issues have arisen with population growth.

“When we talk about the value of homes, the average value in Victoriaville is certainly $250,000. We are at $325,000,” he explained.

Watch the full interview in the video above.