4 April 2024

09:00 – 10:35

Amphi 4

Michel de Laplante

Versatile, Michel de Laplante holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. A firefighter for over 27 years, he held the position of Captain before becoming Director, Fire Department and Public Safety for the Municipality of Saint-Michel-des-Saints part-time in 2018, then full-time in 2021, leaving his job as a wildlife protection officer to take on this challenge. Running the department of a small, relatively isolated municipality of 2,500 permanent residents that needs to be relatively self-sufficient, the search for low-cost, optimal solutions is part of her reality. Fueled by this type of challenge, he has set up, in collaboration with various regional stakeholders, a First Responder service, as well as an Isolated Environment Rescue service, which has joined forces with the Service d’urgence en milieu isolé (SUMI) de la Matawinie. Always on the lookout for new and innovative ideas.

Debate: Innovation Challenges: a tool for Quebec’s energy transition?

In the midst of the energy transition, industries and municipal organizations are looking to move away from fossil fuels and towards green energy. Is it possible to set up partnerships between these two sectors, with a view to sustainable development? Can the Innovation Challenges, led by Alliance Métal Québec for the Industrial Metal Fabrication (IMF) sector, enable them to accelerate this transition and break down the barriers? Innovation Challenges, initiated by Alliance Métal Québec, receives a grant from the MEIE as part of the Défis innovation Québec measure. Find out how local SMEs are rising to the challenge of developing products that currently don’t exist to meet the needs of municipal organizations. Join this essential discussion that will build bridges between these different realities.