The opposition to the Quebec tramway began to present in court, Monday morning, its argument to derail it. According to her, the City is flouting the rights of its population by going ahead with its “destructive” project. For government lawyers, opponents flirt with conspiracy by alleging, without proof, that the Caisse de depot and the government are involved in a multi-billion dollar conflict of interest with Alstom.
For the request led by the citizen organization Québec Mérite Mieux, the tramway is a “deception” woven with “lies”, “bad faith”, “conflict of interest” and a general denial of democracy. For the defense, the opponents present an argument full of “allegations that feed conspiracy theories” against the government, the media, the City of Quebec.
The first witness called at the bar, Dorys Chabot, presented the legal action brought against the City as the battle of David against Goliath. On the one hand, the City provided with lawyers and “unlimited means”. On the other, “just people of heart who want to save their environment” and condemned to “beg” to block a tramway “destructive for humans, for life”.
“We appear here on our knees, hands behind our backs, gagged,” she told Judge Clément Samson of the Superior Court of Quebec at the start of the trial. For this citizen who will see the tramway running at her doorstep, the City is preparing to ransack more than 5,000 trees, including 125 classified as “remarkable”, and to “irreversibly” destroy the fruit of a lifetime of work by upsetting the livelihood of traders.
“There is only you who can save the trees, the natural heritage, the living environments, the businesses”, underlined Mme Sculpin. In his opinion, Quebec needs a structuring transportation network, but must above all listen to the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE), author of a report which recommended reassessing the options discarded by the City in favor of the tram.
The government’s lawyers raised several objections to the citizen’s testimony, deeming her certain remarks inadmissible by the court. “I want to know what these people have in mind to spend time and money […] to assert their rights, replied the magistrate. These people have the right to express themselves. »
Cross-examined by prosecutor Gabrielle Ferland-Gagnon, Dorys Chabot admitted that a petition frequently mentioned during her testimony, 32,000 people strong against the tramway, brings together signatories from Canada, France, New York, and even from Panama. “I think ecology should be everyone’s concern,” retorted the witness.
“Conspiracy Theories”
Quebec lawyer Mérite Mieux, Mr.e Guy Bertrand, argued that the government had dismissed the opinion of the BAPE because of a conflict of interest between the Caisse de depot et placement du Québec and Alstom, the only bidder currently in the running for the construction of the tramway trains.
According to Me Bertrand, the State had “the hand in the wringer” since the Caisse had invested several billion dollars to acquire 18% of the shares of Alstom, the French giant which acquired Bombardier Transport.
Judge Clément Samson quickly rebuffed the lawyer. “Being at the Caisse de depot et placement, I didn’t see it coming. I am not sure that the Government of Quebec will allow allegations of conflict of interest that have not even been proven. »
Government lawyers accused the petition of harboring conspiracy theories. “First, there is no question of conspiracy, protested Me Bertrand. I have never said that word and I never will. »
However, he stressed on several occasions that “lies”, “deceit” and “bad faith” had marked the development of a “crooked” tramway.
Another spokesperson for Québec Mérite Mieux, former journalist Donald Charrette, testified afterwards. He insisted on the “financial abyss” on the horizon and on the “human drama” which is played out behind the expropriations. “We take away their land from citizens, we take away their garden without them having too much recourse,” he laments. There are people who rebel. »
More details will follow.