The 1970s definitely marked an entire era when disco balls, bell bottoms and urban sprawl reigned supreme in an era of collective recklessness where anything was possible. But 50 years later, we are still grappling with a remnant of that era that has definitely aged badly: the method of financing municipalities.
In recent years, there has been no shortage of public discourse in favor of the protection of the natural environments that protect our biodiversity and the agricultural land that feeds us and circulate abundantly! The Government of Quebec has long been advocating (and rightly so) the importance of limiting the loss of natural and agricultural environments. However, the reality on the ground works against these objectives. At the time of writing these lines, destroying a wooded natural environment or agricultural land with a view to carrying out development there brings more to a municipality than their protection, because of an entry of taxes and a land valuation resulting from another time.
The lure of land gain unfortunately still has a bright future ahead of it and, sadly, the municipal paradox is more alive than ever. What message are we collectively sending to our children?
With the loss of more than 9,500 hectares of agricultural land alone between 2016 and 2021 (not counting natural or wetland environments), the observation is clear: the existing safeguards (CPTAQ, Ministries of Municipal Affairs and the Environment, for name only those) are not strong enough to counter local fiscal pressure and limit urban sprawl in order to adequately protect our environments. Although a new generation of elected municipal officials is more committed than ever to the protection of our territory, the observation remains that the protection of natural and agricultural environments is essentially a political choice. Municipalities that do their homework deserve financial recognition for their choices. On the other hand, what to do with the municipalities that perpetuate the era of recklessness?
In its National Policy on Architecture and Land Use Planning, the Government of Quebec invited “all stakeholders to be the driving force behind a genuine collective project in favor of the creation of sustainable living environments”. As municipal elected officials, we take this outstretched hand today. Our position is unequivocal: as long as the destruction of natural environments and agricultural land pays more than their protection, municipalities will always be faced with heartbreaking choices, to the detriment of the quality of life of our citizens and, above all, of future generations. . It is time to act for them.
* Co-signatories: Christine Beaudette, Mayor of Boisbriand; Julie Boivin, Mayor of Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines; Julie Bourdon, Mayor of Granby; Jean-Pierre Charron, Mayor of Saint-Julienne; Joé Deslauriers, Mayor of Saint-Donat; Martin Dulac, Mayor of McMasterville; Josyanne Forest, Mayor of Saint-Jacques; Paul Germain, Mayor of Prévost; Alain Goyette, Mayor of La Visitation-de-l’Île-Dupas; Normand Grenier, mayor of Charlemagne; Michel Jasmin, mayor of Saint-Calixte; Guillaume Lamoureux, Mayor of La Pêche; Germain Majeau, mayor of Saint-Esprit; Patrick Massé, Warden of the MRC Montcalm; Pierre Mercier, Mayor of Saint-Roch-Ouest; Jonathan Moreau, Mayor of Saint-Apollinaire; Philippe Pagé, Mayor of the Canton of Saint-Camille; Ghislaine Pomerleau, Mayor of Saint-Liguori; Liza Poulin, Mayor of Blainville; Julie Pressé, Mayor of Fortierville; Michel Ricard, Mayor of Saint-Alexis; Adam Rousseau, Mayor of Saint-François-Xavier-de-Brompton; Mathieu Traversy, Mayor of Terrebonne; Véronique Venne, Mayor of Sainte-Marie-Salomé