Caravan in Forestville: Crying from the Heart to Avoid Deportation

A couple from Forestville on the North Shore is trying to convince Quebec to leave their trailer year-round at a campsite in the Forestville ZEC, as it has been for more than 15 years.

In 2003, Nancy Therrien and Danny Langelier chose to invest more than $55,000 to obtain written authorization from ZEC de Forestville to leave this trailer at their campsite year-round.

“We, at that time, when we got power in 2003, we built this trailer because it was required in the ZEC contract at that time. We built it at Maisons Ouellet in Rivière-du-Loup. This is like our retirement dream for my husband and I,” said the Forestville resident.

But that expensive ZEC deal fell through in 2016 after the province tightened regulations around campsites in restricted zones.

“What makes it more urgent this year is that a decision will be made in a few days, maybe a few weeks at the most,” said Nancy Therrien, who fears she will soon receive a notice from Quebec to withdraw her trailer.

Those who claim to have respected ZEC’s requirements at the time felt aggrieved, especially as they believed they would not be able to recoup the money invested by selling the trailer.

“The principle is that we have authority, we are committed to all aspects. We are not cheaters, far from it, we did everything we had to do in the rules of the art as they say,” defended Forestvilois.

The couple has not ruled out taking legal action against Forestville-based ZEC and will pursue legal avenues if there is no deal.

“But I don’t agree to be forced to sell and leave my trailer when I have the right and to invest,” Nancy Therin fumed.

Via email, the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks wrote on Thursday that it was unable to answer questions from TVA Novelles because they were related to the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources.