After brief stops in the urban planning departments in Gatineau and Maniwaki, Mélanie Auger, an architectural technologist, decided to bring her creative dream to life by going into business in the Gatineau Valley eight years ago when she founded Concept et Consultation, Mélanie Auger.
Originally from Gracefield, she took an architectural technology course at Cité collégiale. Like many graduates, she was hired by the Gatineau urban planning department. A few years later, she took a similar position with the Maniwaki urban planning department. “I wanted to come back to my region because I feel good here. I really enjoyed my first few jobs, but I felt that I wasn’t putting my creative side to use as much as I’d have liked. And I must admit, I wanted to be my own boss.”
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A homecoming of sorts
Thanks to her company, she has taken on numerous challenges that she has been waiting for during her professional life. Her main customers, who are in the residential, vacationer and business sectors, often want to redo their facade or retrofit the interior of their business.
“Eight years ago, I saw a need for my services. The market is quite active in our region, and I’m meeting a demand,” she said. “I quietly built a name for myself along with a clientele. Word of mouth is my strong suit along with building contractors.”
“THE MARKET IS QUITE ACTIVE HERE, AND I’M MEETING A DEMAND”
The Maniwaki clientele opens doors to other markets
The most impactful project, which brought her a great deal of notoriety and clients, is unquestionably the completion of plans to do a complete redesign of the Resto-Pub Le Rabaska in Maniwaki. “It’s the best challenge I’ve had. I was involved in the entire process right from the get-go, and I had a free hand in bringing my proposal to fruition. I brought a bit of the chalet style of Tremblant to Maniwaki. The results were spectacular with the cathedral ceiling and the mezzanine.”
This strategic project gained her exposure via the social media. This also brought her some clientele from elsewhere in the Outaouais. Many vacationers, due to the pandemic, are looking for a makeover of their cottage or even new plans to rebuild. “I’m given a free hand in many projects, such as the choice of ceramics, colours and even furniture. My passion is incorporating wood from our region, which represents us so well. It’s really cool.”
A STRATEGIC PROJECT THAT GAINED HER EXPOSURE THROUGH THE SOCIAL MEDIA
The Gatineau Valley was her only choice when it came to launching her business.”
When she decided to start her business, it was clear in her mind that she would be settling in the Gatineau Valley. “My family is here, and our region has far more to offer than is the case in an urban setting. We’re on the outskirts of Gatineau-Ottawa and have all the essential services that enable companies to succeed. I urge people to come to our region, which offers an exceptional lifestyle in a natural setting complete with outdoor activities. For example, it’s easy to go snowshoeing after work. It’s ideal for my family and for all families.”
As for the future, she has plans to expand and combine services with a colleague. This has been shelved due to the pandemic but could take shape in the coming months. One thing is sure – the human dimension will be a priority if the project comes to fruition. In the meantime, she hired two architecture students the past two summers, which is normally a very busy season due to vacationers.
“WE’RE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF GATINEAU-OTTAWA AND HAVE ALL THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT ENABLE COMPANIES TO SUCCEED.”
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