Testimonial of Amélie Marcotte, Owner of the Company Tam

TAM is a company that specializes in the manufacture of tents and teepees. Already at a very young age, Amélie Marcotte drew her models and made clothes by hand, then by machine. Thirsty for new experiences and learning, she came to travel the territory by canoe in the summer, then on snowshoes in the winter. These trips forged her as a person and as an artisan. She began to make her own tents, eventually launching the TAM company in La Motte. In this video clip, she tells us about what sets the region apart and what makes her want to stay there.

Transcription

What stands out in this region is the fact that we live so close with the Indigenous communities and with the Algonquin and Cree Nations; they are really close. For me, it is a great advantage to have them so close, because, well, proximity is much more practical: it’s more convenient to pick up tents, to do business with them… all of this! And well, nature is all around us here. So… Of course, the majority of my client base is not in Abitibi-Témiscamingue… But still, it’s important for me to stay here in Abitibi…because of things like this… but you know, I like doing this in Abitibi… of course, nature is near, for me too it is easier to go out and pick up logs, the forest is right there!

Words to describe Abitibi-Témiscamingue, its nature… I’d say balance, because everything is here! I mean, the less we interfere, the more nature balances itself. Here in Abitibi we’re lucky to have large and wide spaces, nature, so the balance is more natural. And… after that… a very generous nature also. When you start doing research on plants, trees, every plant has their function, to heal, to build stuff : it is quite generous, when we think about it, and when we are interested in it!

When people from Abitibi welcome you, it’s pretty special! If you travel a bit around Québec and then come back to Abitibi, you’ll see people are very welcoming and generous. That is what defines us, I think! And, even if you’re beside the greatest landscape of the world, if you can’t share it with someone… That someone is going to miss something. I think it is really important this beauty is shared with people. And well we are in Abitibi, it just so happens there are a lot of beautiful people here! (laughs)

To view the full testimony (in French), click on this link. (note : start at 14 min 30 s).