Liberal MP Christine St-Pierre was hopeful that the CAQ government would put the greenhouse demolition project at the former Quebec zoo on hiatus, especially considering that more than 14,000 people have signed a petition to save it.
• Read also: [EN IMAGES] Old Quebec zoo: the demolition of the greenhouse begins
“Faced with all this, we probably said to ourselves that the government will think twice before proceeding,” reacted Ms. St-Pierre, disappointed to see the start of the demolition work.
According to her, it would have been possible to find a new vocation for this building inaugurated in 2002 and abandoned four years later.
Photo Chantal Poirier
Christine St-Pierre. Liberal MP
“Waste”
“We are throwing $ 14 million in the garbage. In today’s dollars, it’s around $ 30 million. It is a waste. It’s a total mess. We are faced with people who do not want to listen and who are closed. […] It is absolutely terrible. “
“The pandemic has taken a lot of energy and it looks like the government is taking advantage of that to do its little things backwards and take actions that are damaging,” she added.
Ms. St-Pierre does not hesitate to even speak of a “lack of leadership”.
The CAQ defends itself
On the side of the Coalition Avenir Québec, we defend ourselves by saying that previous governments have had the opportunity on many occasions to settle the matter, but that nothing has been done in this direction. Since 2006, several calls for proposals have been made without success.
“The maintenance costs of the abandoned building are significant and there is no question of the School Service Center assuming the costs, because that would reduce the services offered to the students,” said Florent Tanlet, press secretary to the Minister of Education. ‘Education, Jean-François Roberge.
We know that the site will host a secondary school, an elementary school and sports facilities to meet the needs of the population.
Minister Jonatan Julien, deputy for Charlesbourg, assures us that this natural site will be accessible to the public. “This is a concrete project for the population who will be able to benefit from it after 12 years of inaction by previous governments,” he said through his press secretary.