The only festival to hold the BNQ 9700-253 level 3 classification for eco-responsible events!

Since 2017, in collaboration with the LEG (Les Événements Gaspésiens), the La Virée Trad festival has been recognized by the Normalization office of Québec as part of the certification in responsible event management (BNQ 9700-253). In 2022, we moved from level 2 to level 3 (out of 5) of this certification. And we always aim higher!
Here are some examples of our actions:

  Environnement

• The festival has implemented a sustainable development action plan until 2025 which allows us to improve year after year.

• The festival is making efforts to reduce and offset its greenhouse gases. The 2023 edition of the La Virée Trad Festival directly emitted 2,700 kg of CO2, which is offset by the annual tree planting. For the 22nd edition, 100 caraganas will be planted in collaboration with the City of Carleton-sur-Mer. We also purchase carbon credits each year with Planetair in a portfolio of Gold Standard certified GHG reduction projects.

• The presence of a green brigade allows us to achieve around 50% recovery in the management of residual materials (recycling, composting and deposits).

• We have completely eliminated bottled water and single-use plastic cups in festival bars and food concessions. To do this, we are installing on the festival site five large water jugs on stands with pouring spouts intended for filling and we are offering Ecocup-style glasses or other returnable containers in several places on the site.

• We carry out numerous awareness campaigns to encourage festivalgoers to use sustainable mobility (collective transport, cycling and carpooling). In 2024, the festival will introduce free shuttles allowing sustainable and safe travel from Matapédia to Paspébiac.

• We favor the establishment of eco-responsible dressing rooms for artists (reusable dishes, water fountain instead of bottles, bulk food, Quebec alcohol, revalued surplus, etc.).

• Use of LED lights, collection of used batteries, distribution of surplus food among volunteers.

  Économie

• Local purchasing is part of the DNA of the La Virée Trad festival. Every year, we bring together around sixty biofood producers and artisans from Gaspésie in our public market. The public market allows the development of our living heritage, essential to the consolidation of an identity and a strong sense of belonging, carriers of sustainable development.

• The local catering service on the site is provided by the La Mie Véritable bakery and pastry shop in Carleton-sur-Mer (in collaboration with Gaspésie Gourmande) which uses more than 75% Gaspésie products and nearly 20% of the products certified organic.

• We choose suppliers who are mostly from Gaspésie. Approximately 75% of our suppliers' branches are in the region and nearly 70% are located less than 100 km from Carleton-sur-Mer and the same goes for 60% of our suppliers' head offices. Rigorous compliance with budget forecasts and Scalable economy with the festival promoter, a dual-mandate broadcaster (broadcast of shows all year round and festival) which is itself a social economy organization.

• The festival operates in inter-organization cooperation. We collaborate with several organizations in the field for certain aspects of programming (Gaspésie Gourmande, Center d’artistes et Vague, Écomusée Tracadièche) and to achieve our sustainable development objectives.

• The economic benefits of the festival are estimated at more than $700,000 in the area with an off-season event that extends the tourist season.

  Social

• Maximum 90 (festival promoter) has a Code of conduct, ethics and professional conduct set up by the board of directors and adopted by the different teams and members of the organizing committee.

• For three years, we presented pre-festival school dance evenings for several hundred students from secondary schools in the region.

• Circulation and influence of our living heritage with programming focused on cultural practices from our traditions: music, traditional dance and song, tales and legends, traditional arts and crafts, talks, workshops.

• Maximum 90 is part of the CAL initiative (Leisure Support Card) which allows the companion of a person living with a disability to obtain their show ticket free of charge.

• The festival participates in the “Lueur“ program which aims to counter human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation.