It is a very beautiful boat launch, which gives access to a river where fish, birds, turtles, frogs and mammals abound. Only problem, it is reserved for residents of the municipality. Still happy. There are accesses that are strictly reserved for local owners.
Posted at 11:30 a.m.
Access to public water bodies has been problematic for many years. However, the situation continues to worsen.
“Just this year, we are talking about a good fifteen municipalities which have prohibited access to non-residents or which have imposed excessive prices”, deplores Francis Girard, vice-president of the Association of sports fishermen of Quebec.
This association has joined other organizations, such as Canot Kayak Québec, Nautisme Québec and the Fédération de voile du Québec, to write an open letter to Premier François Legault to demand fairer access to public bodies of water. .
“The situation has really deteriorated,” continues Mr. Girard. There was the whole effect of the pandemic, which brought some people back to sport fishing. People froze. Cities have probably seen an increase in traffic. This led them to put in place restrictions or new regulations. »
These restrictions have often had a domino effect. When people came up against a restricted access, they went en masse to another access, causing high traffic… and prompting the municipality to introduce restrictions in turn. And so on.
There is another problem, the privatization of the banks, says Pierre Marquis, general manager of Canot Kayak Québec. Municipalities let developers develop all lots along water bodies.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, PRESS ARCHIVES
Even for a simple kayak, it can sometimes be difficult to find access to water.
“There is a pecuniary advantage in developing the banks, it brings in taxes,” he notes.
The problem is that we don’t save space to maintain access to water.
This raises the whole question of social equity: a middle-class family, which cannot afford a cottage on the edge of a body of water, finds itself excluded. Or has to pay very high access fees.
For an average family, paying $50 a day to get off a boat is not a lot to ask if you only go there once. But it is if you go there every week.
Francis Girard, vice-president of the Quebec Sports Fishermen’s Association
Some places offer an annual sticker of $300, $400 or $500. The bill goes up quickly if you do not want to be limited to a single site.
“Eventually, we can spend $1,000 to lower our boat in two or three places, deplores Mr. Girard. This is where the issue of accessibility gets tricky. »
He reminds us that in principle, public bodies of water in Quebec, namely lakes and watercourses, belong to everyone.
“When you’re a resident, you own land on the edge, but you don’t own the body of water. »
A few years ago, the Association of Sports Fishermen of Quebec filed an appeal to invalidate the by-laws of the municipality of Ivry-sur-le-Lac which seriously restricted access to Lake Manitou. The case did not progress.
“With the pandemic, it was put aside, the hearing was postponed,” laments Mr. Girard.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Some lakes are accessible, others not.
The signatories of the open letter to the Prime Minister, grouped under the name Collective for equitable access to water bodies, suggest a few solutions, starting with the imposition of a moratorium on riverside municipalities on any change related to the access to water bodies.
“It’s about making these decisions and thinking together about suitable, lasting and fair solutions. »
Even if Quebecers favor free access, users of bodies of water should still expect the payment of certain fees.
“Of course, infrastructure has to be financed, notes Pierre Marquis, who advocates a dialogue with the municipalities. But there should be some standardization of fees and no abuse. »
One solution would therefore be to set up a network of access ramps in Quebec, financed in part by membership fees.
“It would be a bit like the Fédération des clubs de motoneigistes du Québec,” says Francis Girard. Members pay $500 per year to have access to all trails in Quebec. »
The money is redistributed in part to local clubs who must use these sums to mark and maintain the trails. In the case of access to bodies of water, municipalities could thus use part of the subscription fees to maintain the infrastructures.
“There are several possible solutions,” says Francis Girard. None of them is a magic bullet, but it’s always better than decisions made by municipalities, often without real public consultation. »
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