THE INDEPENDENTS: Quebec’s rural specialists

By Ruby Pratka

AFTER ATTENDING UNIVERSITY in Sherbrooke, Nathalie Gagnon briefly thought of making a career elsewhere. But the Saguenay native never forgot her roots, was drawn back to her hometown of La Baie, where she’s remained for the past decade.Gagnon is now director of marketing and communication at DéryTelecom, a telecommunications company specialized in rural services. Since 2016, she has been part of the quartet of co-owners, along with longtime Déry employees Éric Banville, Cédric Tardif and Bryan Godbout. In a region that has long been defined by its company towns and large industrial conglomerates that have built and supported cities, DéryTelecom,...