The Coasters Association is a non-profit organisation which was formed in St. Augustine in September of 1990 and founded in La Tabatiere in February of 1991. They represent the anglophones, francophones and natives, all languages and all cultures. The Coasters is composed of a group of volunteers (called the Board of Directors), representing every community on the Coast from all walks of life. The Board of Directors assist with identifying issues and implementing programs that affect the daily lives of our communities. Financial backing is received from Canadian Heritage.

• to protect and further the interests of the population of the LNS
• to encourage the development, and to study and document the development of and changes in, the population of the LNS
• to recognise and stimulate public and private interest and concerns
• to assure that the population receives adequate services and communications of all kinds to be a resource for citizens and organisations interested in helping improve : education, health & social services, transportation , employment & economic development, language issues, communication, tourism, youth, heritage and cultural, etc.
• to publish events occurring within the milieu to facilitate and promote participation in multicultural events, and to encourage greater participation in Quebec society

Since it was first founded seven years ago, Coasters Association contributed much to the development of the community. Some of our accomplishments were:

• Researches and obtained funding for several projects in the interest of the community:
• Health & Social Services-Seniors, Handicapped, General Services Regional Community radios- CFTH, CJAS, CFBS, with the hope of implementing a regional radio network Tourism Development, produced 3 reports, Organized the first tourism conference, produced a booklet Discover the LNS, presently creating a Tourism guide
• Setting-up access to internet, first site in St. Augustine produced a Web page for the LNS
• Published annual Coastar and coastal directories
• Transportation-cheaper rates, especially for students attending post-secondary education
• Fund raising activities for the veterans, youth, etc., produced a cookbook
• Various education programs aimed at retaining youth on the Coast, including youth forum (November/97)

Coasters met on numerous occasions with governmental officials, Regional, Provincial and Federal to present our concerns and propose ways for improving the Coast.

Coasters work closely with the Quebec Community Network across the Province and work on joint issues to try and have better services for the population of the Coast, compared to the rest of Quebec. Coasters provide a wide range of services, despite the cutbacks in governmental funding, transportation, weather, geographic and communication difficulties, etc.

Coasters membership have increased from 1903 to 3452, clearly indicating that we must be doing something right; members are from off the Coast, as well as on the Coast. It is with great pride that we look back on the Coasters history and realize it has served and continues to serve our community well.