La néoruralité au Québec : facteur présentiel d'enrichissement collectif ou source d'embourgeoisement ?

The aim of this paper is twofold. First, drawing on the work undertaken on components of local economies based on externally generated residential development, we seek to examine how the presence of neo-ruralites has revitalized the economy of the village of Saint-Mathieu-de-Rioux, a rural municipality in Quebec undergoing a process of neoruralisation. Second, we seek to determine the sustainability of the strategy based on attracting such residential development to enhance the territorial development of Saint-Mathieu-de-Rioux, particularly in terms of the community?s attractiveness, which has been both a source of population growth and recreational and touristic visitation. The interest of this case study is based on the fact that it focuses on the effect of neorurality, one source of population growth, in a peripheral municipality considered for long as a "losing" community, at least according to the criteria Benko G. and Lipietz A. (1992) used to identify the conditions for "winning" regions. Research shows that the presence of special attractions within the territory of Saint-Mathieu-de-Rioux and their development has contributed to the attraction of new populations. The impacts of this neorurality are varied: improvement of infrastructure and buildings, increasing land values, general beautification, and revitalization of village governance and social and community life. These elements undoubtedly have contributed to the attractiveness of the territory. This makes it a "winning" territory. But a number of negative effects have also been identified, particularly in relation to the environment and social cohesion. In fact, the neorurality observed in Saint-Mathieu-de-Rioux seems more like a process of village gentrification rather than new economic development consequent on the presence of new populations as has been observed in a number of other local economies. Moreover, environmental deterioration resulting from neorurality has already begun to affect the attractiveness of the village. Thus, in the case studied, it appears that the strategy of local development through the establishment of productive systems cannot be completely replaced by a strategy aimed at attracting new populations.