The Fondation Rivières and its swimmers are reminding us once again this year, during the traditional Grand Splash, that the waters of the St. Lawrence River represent a collective treasure that is of inestimable value to the population. About a hundred people jumped into the river on Thursday at noon at the Old Port of Montreal for this annual meeting aimed at raising awareness among Montrealers and political decision-makers about the issue of public access to natural water.
“We really aim to open a dialogue with the Old Port of Montreal. We have always been very assertive and direct in our approach, but this year, we are changing our stance,” said André Bélanger, general director of the Fondation Rivières, just before jumping into the water at the Jacques-Cartier quay.
The Foundation’s goal: to give Montrealers back access to the river, the river that we watch from a distance without even being able to dip our toes in it, when the view is not obstructed by containers from port activity. Gathered together and laughingly declaring that they were “doing their civic duty by jumping in the water,” the swimmers included families and groups of friends of all ages.
Vicki Grondin, city councillor for the borough of Lachine, also took the plunge for a fourth time, reiterating the City of Montreal’s ambitions to quickly allow people to swim, recalling in passing that Montreal is an island surrounded by water.
Quality water, when can we swim?
According to the Fondation Rivières, the water quality is also suitable for swimming. The organization conducts numerous water quality analyses each year. In light of the results, the organization considers that 57 locations, scattered around the island of Montreal, would be perfectly suitable for swimming. This is the case of Aimé-Léonard Park, where there is little current and the water quality is very good. In 2023, the City of Montreal also published a report from the Aquatic Environment Monitoring Network (RSMA) in which 68 sites were deemed suitable.
After the failure of the Pointe-aux-Trembles beach and the abandonment of the Quai de l’Horloge project, Mayor Valérie Plante’s administration is now encountering many obstacles in the development of a swimming dock at Parc de la Promenade-Bellerive. “The City will have to be more agile. The new access to the water in Beloeil is a great example to follow in terms of speed of procedures,” notes André Bélanger.
Is the vision of a Montrealer swimming freely in the river a fiction? The beaches of Verdun and Jean-Doré have proven otherwise in recent years, but this may remain the exception to the rule for a long time to come, if recent difficulties are any indication.
Suzie Miron, former councillor in the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough and instigator of the swimming project at Parc de la Promenade-Bellerive in 2019, laments the administrative delays surrounding the creation of safe swimming areas in this neighbourhood. “It’s really a shame for the population of the Island of Montreal. I sincerely hope that it can be done one day. Not everyone has the chance and privilege of having a cottage and being able to get out of the city. Promenade-Bellerive is easy to access, and the water quality is very good despite the opinion sometimes conveyed.”
In an emailed response, the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough reported that soil contamination is the only thing currently slowing down the project. [U]A soil and sediment characterization study was carried out, including the collection of samples to determine whether or not contaminants were present. The results of this analysis were sent to the Regional Public Health Department [DRSP] in order to establish what measures should be put in place, if necessary, to mitigate the risks to the health of bathers in the event of the presence of contaminants in the soil or in sediments.
André Bélanger wonders why the DRSP was involved in the process six years after the start of the process, and not from the beginning.