A translation by Judith Turcotte.
Environment and nature remain for me, and for a large part of the population, a priority that we feel strongly about. My thoughts become disorderly when the requirements of economic development become necessary even if we have to sacrifice part of our environment. When such a situation occurs, I would like that all the parties involved demonstrate transparency and honesty in their approach. The expansion of the Port of Montréal at Contrecoeur is a good example.
We learned last week that two environmental organizations contested the permit granted by Ottawa to the Port of Montréal for its expansion at Contrecoeur. These two organizations, The Society for Nature and Parks, Québec section (SNAP Québec) and Le Centre Québécois du droit de l’environnement (CQDE) are trying to stop the project. Why now? The project has been known since the end of the eighties when the port carried out the purchase of lands with a land reserve for an expansion of the port. The two organisms who objected could have taken action a long time ago and their intervention, so late in the project, casts doubt in my mind. The chosen moment maximizes the impact on the media. I have the impression that they are trying to justify their existence.
The Contrecoeur project aims at increasing the capacity of the harbour to handle containers. This project is the largest project in the history of the Montréal Port Authority (MPA). The project will be undertaken on a site of 468 acres, nearly ten times the area of the Olympic Park. Without a doubt, this project is justified from an economic point of view, however, what about its impact on the ecosystem and the residents’ quality of life? The project involves many environmental concerns.
The work on the site started last year and the Montréal Port Authority (MPA) commits to respect 387 environmental conditions imposed by the federal government. These conditions include the planting of 40,000 plants, trees and shrubs to compensate for the disappearance of 20,000 trees and the implementation of protective measures for various species of animals: the improvement of water quality for the copper redhorse (chevalier cuivré), the development of artificial nest boxes for the swallows and construction of three condominiums for the bats.
The Port of Montréal assures us that an environmental impact study has been conducted covering numerous aspects such as traffic, aquatic and land environments, maritime transport and the impacts on neighbouring communities. A study has been undertaken but the construction of the Contrecoeur terminal raises concerns about the preservation of the local ecosystems. The project is necessary but it is also necessary to ensure that the planned impacts be monitored and minimized.
To do so, and to address the population’s preoccupations, a team was appointed to ensure that the environmental conditions demanded by the federal government be respected. The question that worries me is about the composition of the team. We find representatives from the civil security of the municipality of Contrecoeur, a team from the Port of Montréal, experts in environment and an urban planning and the environment manager of Contrecoeur. Who in this team is not in a conflict of interest? They are, either employed by the city of Contrecoeur or by the Port of Montréal. It is definitely not an independent committee.