2023-08-02 11:29:44
The old Jort bakery smells strongly of the smell of dusty work. In a few months, the village of 300 souls, about thirty kilometers south-east of Caen (Calvados), will have found a new brand new business, a year after the closing of the last one. “One year is correct as a deadline,” smiles Mayor Jean-François Guillemot. Last September, the bakery had suddenly closed its doors. A new stage, for this town, in the flight of shops, which began in the 1970s.
But the town hall of Jort decided to defy fate. “We had pre-empted the walls and bought the premises, say the elected officials. In the meantime, we had solicited the baker from Morteaux-Couliboeuf (the neighboring village). “A godsend for Sarah and Yoann Fouret, who have been established for 11 years with their multiservice business: “There was this opportunity. The village elders say that the Jort bakery has always worked, that there is a lot of traffic”. Even though this dynamism seemed to have eroded a little in recent months.
Relais Poste, parcels, press
And while the takeover project was on track, the municipality got wind of an opportunity: a brand new public program to reclaim rural commerce. Jort’s project was selected, a first in the Calvados department. The village will receive 32,778 euros, which will “pay for the work” of the premises. The buyers will also benefit from a boost, of an amount still unknown. Sarah Fouret is enthusiastic, announcing “a nicer and more charming place”, thanks to the help that completes their investment. The couple will thus have two stores since they will keep the one in Morteaux.
As a result, the small village will have, from this fall, a multi-service grocery store, with fresh produce, bread depot, post and parcel relay and press point. A real asset for the elected officials of this locality where several families working in the area live: “We manage to maintain our population. There is a turnover and young people are moving in. With the micro-nursery, the nursery school and soon the trade, it is a whole. »
“You have to have ideas and keep informed of the existing systems”
Jean-François Guillemot, the mayor
Many villages face this commercial desertification. The example of Jort is a snub to this dynamic. “It was necessary to act, says Jean-François Guillemot, the mayor. You have to have ideas, luck, and also keep informed of the systems that exist”. The commercial reconquest program in rural areas, for example, has an envelope of 12 million euros for 2023. Enough to finance several projects of this ilk.
Jort took in the right car, for the relief and comfort of its inhabitants, tourists from its lodgings, without forgetting the residents of the surrounding villages, who had to travel several kilometers by car to fill their pantry.
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