Consultation on flyer distribution control

TC Transcontinental seeks to continue constructive dialogue with the City of Montréal to improve the Publisac’s current distribution system

MONTRÉAL, Dec. 05, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TC Transcontinental (TSX: TCL.A TCL.B), owner of the Publisac, is responding today to recommendations made by the City of Montréal’s Commission sur l’eau, l’environnement, le développement durable et les grands parcs (Commission on Water, Environment, Sustainable Development and Large Parks) regarding flyer distribution control on its territory, which were publicly presented this evening. 

“We are disappointed with the recommendations made by the Commission which are insensitive to the needs of the population, incoherent and unworkable,” stated François Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Transcontinental. “By recommending the opt-in, which would mean the end of the Publisac, the Commission is disregarding the will of the vast majority of citizens, merchants and local newspaper publishers who want its continuity, as well as the thousands of jobs that depend on it in Montréal and in the regions. At the same time, we are not surprised by these recommendations given the nature of debates at the Commission. It is unfortunate that the social and economic relevance of the Publisac ecosystem was not seriously considered by the Commission.”

“We hope that the City of Montréal will listen to all stakeholders and that it will not follow through on these recommendations,” added Isabelle Marcoux, Chair of the Board of TC Transcontinental. “We seek instead to continue a constructive dialogue with the City in order to collaborate towards our common objectives, namely reducing at source, optimizing recycling and the circular economy for paper, and creating a circular economy for plastic in Québec. In this sense, we would like to work together with the City to make the opt-out even more effective and better known. The entire process should follow a rational, objective and inclusive approach to develop public policies that are constructive and beneficial at all levels.”   

The “WHEREAS” (or “CONSIDÉRANT”) listed in the Commission’s document stand in contradiction to most of the recommendations. The Commission is being insensitive to the realities of the population, local newspapers, merchants and distributors. The incoherent and unworkable recommendations include one made to the weeklies to transform their business model into an unviable distribution model (newspaper racks in public places). Another example is to offer introduction sessions to digital tools within the library network which seems to want to force the transition to digital among those who still prefer the print format, and that is out of touch with Internet access issues faced by the most vulnerable.