Coming from the grouping of four towns in Bas-Saint-Laurent, the JAL has left its mark on the historiography and regional development of Quebec. Although it has managed to avoid closure, this region of the Lower St. Lawrence is still characterized by profound inequalities, despite the numerous government subsidies it has received over the past 45 years. The objective of this article is to identify the subsidies that have been paid to the JAL between 1971 and 2015 and to evaluate their impact on regional development. This inventory was carried out by examining newspapers as well as by considering grants obtained in the framework of rural pacts. Although their effects are difficult to measure, these subsidies have had little significant impact on the demographic level. On the other hand, they have probably helped to facilitate a shift from traditional to high-yield maple syrup production and, to a lesser extent, to build local capacities to respond to economic change.