As a passionate about outdoor sports, the territory of Amos-Harricana is the ideal place to play outside: in the same day I can go paddle boarding, mountain biking and rock climbing. The territory is full of little jewels such as Mont-Vidéo that make my life as a mother and a nature lover fulfilled!

After having fled the war twice in Syria, we decided to take refuge in Lebanon. Life was not easy; work was not very accessible, and it was very expensive to live there. One day, a cousin of mine, Father Fadi Atallah, called us from Ottawa to tell us that he had found sponsors for us to come live in Quebec. We landed in Montreal on May 18, 2018. From then on, a couple was waiting for us to take the plane with us to Abitibi. When we arrived in Amos, 5 families welcomed us and had prepared everything: house, clothes, toys, etc. It was difficult to leave our family in Syria, but we realized at that moment that we already had a new family here. Every day someone would ask us if we needed anything. We quickly learned French to facilitate our integration into the job market. Obviously, the culture is not the same here, but we have adapted. I was incredibly surprised to find a job only 1 month after our arrival while speaking very little French. The first year was difficult for Taline because she was at home with the children. Once she was employed, things were much easier. The welcome, the warmth of the people and the fact that we had a contact person made our integration here much easier. Also, the kids love school and the snow!  When you realize that the kids are happy, that you have a good job, friends, you think, okay, we’re happy here.

Why Amos? Why not Quebec City? It was a long debate between us! Our arguments were equivalent on both sides: family, friends, leisure. The difference? A beautiful pharmacy where we were welcomed by a mentor who was willing to make room for us and who taught us how to care for people as if they were members of our family. And to do that, you must know the people. How? By becoming involved in our community, in the same way that this same community had taken care of me since my childhood by supporting me in everything I did. This place of choice had managed to win my heart and to create those precious memories to bring me back here. We quickly realized that the opportunities to get involved and give back are endless, but most importantly, enjoyable. The people here are creative and dynamic. I learned, in Amos, the importance of a good network of contacts and he, Guillaume, knew how to appreciate it right away by being easily integrated and welcomed. Now, he introduces me to people at the grocery store!

The quality of life in Abitibi is truly unrivalled.  The proximity and accessibility of services, the human warmth, the wide-open spaces and the good job opportunities are all reasons that guided my return to the region. The job security and opportunity for advancement are key factors that have made it attractive to establish a practice here in Amos.  Working in the region pushes us to surpass ourselves, develop certain skills and bring out our resourcefulness to take care of our patients from A to Z, always with a view to offering a complete and quality service.

The territory of the Abitibi MRC offers us the possibility of access to many outdoor activity sites. Who can finish work and be on the water in their kayak 5 minutes later? People who live in Abitibi!

After spending more than 10 years in the engineering field where I spent my days behind a computer, I wanted to find a job related to my desire to be autonomous, closer to nature and to have a less stressful life. My spouse and I chose Abitibi because it allowed us to join our 2 sectors of activity (geology and forestry). We took the risk of going to a region that was certainly more isolated but with advantages that could suit us (forest, lake, calm, etc.) And I can tell you that when we arrived in Abitibi, we were not disappointed! We have found this lifestyle here in addition to people who take the time to know you. Everyone told us that winter was difficult; yes, there is snow but all the winter activities available allow you to enjoy this period. So here we are, I’ve been in Abitibi for almost 2 years now, I have a job where I spend most of my time in nature, a life that is less stressful than the one I had in Montreal, a house on the shore of a lake… In short, it’s a win-win for us!

The development potential, due to the price of land and its availability, was easier in Abitibi. The accessibility to large areas, which allows more efficiency in the fields, and to good quality land, where there are not many rocks, are assets that guided our choice to settle here.

Soil analyses, very low in phosphorus, also allow for quality forage production. The solidarity between the producers is very present, there is no feeling of unhealthy competition between us.  A nice expression to illustrate this is “You don’t want to buy your neighbor; you want a neighbor.’” The number of shows, festivals and activities in the area is impressive.  There are many lakes and rivers for swimming and other activities, while the sports facilities are of particularly good quality and offer many possibilities for children.