A young 17-year-old entrepreneur from Sainte-Luce, in Bas-St-Laurent, is enjoying flourishing business success at the height of the summer tourist season.

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Charles-Olivier Soucy wanted to offer a service that did not yet exist as of last year. “There was such a strong demand that I had to buy other materials, rejoices the young athlete. I am a resident of Sainte-Luce and I observed that there was no rental service, but that people were asking for it,” said the owner of Plein air Sainte-Luce, who was motivated by the lack of outdoor activity.

His equipment rental business fills a real need.

Paddle boards, electric scooters, kayaks and fat bikes are offered to citizens every day, from June to the start of the school year.

Back in force for a second year, Charles-Olivier wanted to improve his offer by collaborating with a company from Rimouski. "I'm really happy because they agreed to lend me fat bikes for the summer season," confirmed the Rimouski resident, who was seeing a craze for cycling.

For the young man, this is only the beginning in the business world, he who would like to make the leap into this field at the University.

A company that receives praise

“We are really proud. Young people as involved as him in tourism development, it's beautiful. We hope it will continue for a long time, ”said the mayor of the municipality of Sainte-Luce, Micheline Barriault.

The entrepreneurial spirit is felt elsewhere in the region, while it is the return of a program that allows young people to quickly learn about work. “From an early age, we want to instill entrepreneurial values ​​in them. We want to show them how a business works and teach them autonomy, leadership and motivation,” explained the coordinator of the Estivaliers au travail program, which brings together young people aged 13 to 17.