The recent history of the destruction of a wetland in Trois-Rivières highlights a crucial debate that deserves close scrutiny. This natural area of more than 10 hectares, once rich in biodiversity, is in the process of being transformed into an extension of an industrial park, a decision supported by the town hall of the city. The justifications are economic, mainly oriented around tax gains related to real estate development.
To understand the nature of what is at stake here, we should revisit this quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “We only know the things we tame. The importance of wetlands in our ecosystem is, in fact, often misunderstood and neglected.
These environments are real natural sponges. They play a key role in regulating floods, reducing their risk and severity in urban environments. Their natural filtration capacity also contributes significantly to improving water quality, among other things, by eliminating nitrates, phosphates and heavy metals.
More so, they provide critical habitat for many wildlife species, including some that are threatened and endangered. They are therefore crucial for the maintenance of biodiversity. These environments are also extraordinary carbon sinks thanks to their ability to absorb and capture CO2, which enables them to contribute to the fight against climate change. Finally, they help to cool urban areas, thus mitigating the effects of “urban heat islands”, which I frequently tell you about.
We then understand that their destruction is not without consequences. Contrary to the claim of some, it is not by financially compensating or replacing the destroyed area elsewhere that we will make up for this enormous loss for the territory. A destroyed natural environment cannot be replaced, because it is an essential link in a complete natural ecosystem. Its disappearance comes to break a balance built for decades, even centuries.
We can still understand the temptation for a city to consent to its elimination in favor of a real estate project, whether residential, commercial or industrial. I have repeated it several times, the shortfall of local governments is chronic, especially as their responsibilities increase as the crises escalate. The diversification of sources of income is essential if we want to reduce bad temptations such as the destruction of natural environments, whatever they may be.
It is important to emphasize that the destruction of a wetland entails public investments to compensate for the loss of its role in stormwater management, in particular by adding urban infrastructure which will require maintenance at a high cost. , unlike the extinct wetland. This vicious circle of real estate development in territory without infrastructure has a significant cost on public finances and is never profitable.
However, it is unfair to put the blame entirely on the elected officials who give their approval to a harmful gesture such as this. As I mentioned, underfunding and the lack of capacity to diversify revenue sources are chronic within local governments in Quebec. Solutions to find sources of income are scarce to meet the growing needs in cities. In this regard, we understand the cry from the heart of the mayor of Trois-Rivières, Jean Lamarche.
On the other hand, what must be found are other solutions than this destruction to help local elected officials. Both financially and in terms of land use planning. Merely criticizing and blaming is not constructive. However, we will recognize that we can no longer accept or even tolerate the disappearance of a natural environment of such value for the future of the planet in a context of climate and biodiversity crisis. For the future of the world, for the survival of species and for our collective capacity for resilience, it is quite simply a gesture of insane brutality!
First of all, it is obvious that the Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks must reform its Act respecting the conservation of wetlands and bodies of water as quickly as possible by giving it more of teeth. Then, the desires expressed by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to put an end to real estate developments in areas without existing infrastructure must also materialize quickly.
However, it would be counterproductive to put in place such constraints without giving more financial means to local governments. Let us remember that it is only because of the dependence on property income that local elected officials must still reluctantly accept to give their authorization to actions that are in contradiction with our commitments to fight against the climate crisis.
The destruction of a wetland is a heartbreaking loss, a reality that has become sadly common in Quebec. We must take steps to tame our wetlands and learn to measure their priceless value. Above all, we must take action to protect these precious areas for future generations.
CEO of the Institute for Urban Resilience and Innovation, professor and associate researcher, François William Croteau was mayor of Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie.