A well thought out strategic plan will enable a community to focus its development, to create partnerships between its leaders and to mobilize them around regional priorities. A planning session  serves as a valuable tool and reference for all who have an influence in the development of the community. For this and other reasons, this planning phase proves to be essential and expected.

Planning has become a tradition embedded right at the core of the MRC. We are now in our fourth quinquennial planning session. The Colloquium of Demography in 2000 was held midway after the preceding 1997 session. This proved useful in analyzing the situation since 1997 and also for preparing the 2002 conference. For its part, the 2002 planning session made some changes in the way of new sectoral delegates. We hope that these changes will allow the region as a whole to adapt to the new socio-economic realities.

The MRC’s territory has gone through some considerable transformations since the last forum held in 1997. We assisted in the fusion of Compton in 1997 and consequently with the integration of St-Malo with the MRC in 1998. In 1999, Coaticook fused with the municipalities of Barnston and Barford. Finally, in 2002 the town of Waterville was added to the MRC. All these changes have had some significant effects on most of the activity sectors.

• The Industrial sector has a new, stronger and more dynamic industrial base.
• The Tourism sector is developing more agricultural and open air attractions.
• The Educational sector has observed the increase of private institutions and the repartitioning of the region into three school boards.
• The Municipal sector has been confided by the government to accentuate the region’s dynamic occupation.
• The Health and Social Services sector has continually adapted to meet the evolving needs of the MRC.

Once again the community rose to the challenge and we give our great thanks to the members of the administrative council of the Coaticook SADC and to the CLD of the MRC of Coaticook as well as to the members of the various municipal councils for their support in the successfull Forum 2002. The success of the Forum goes back to all those having participated in the various stages. Their mobilization and input are essential to the validity and success of the entire process.