(Quebec) Montreal dreamed of a “port bath” to celebrate its 375th anniversary. The project remained a dead letter and it is finally Quebec that will inaugurate a bathing area in its port this summer, just in the shadow of its old town.
Posted at 1:37 p.m.
“The idea of swimming in the Louise Basin in Quebec dates back to 1991. Let’s say it’s an old dream come true,” said Michel Beaulieu, spokesperson for the People’s Bathing Society.
The Port of Quebec announced Tuesday the creation of the Oasis project, a place that will revolve around swimming at the foot of Old Quebec. The space laid out in the existing Louise basin will offer several Olympic-length corridors (50 m) and an area for free swimming.
The water will be 9 to 14 feet deep, but life jackets will be loaned. Access will be free and the opening is scheduled for the end of June or the beginning of July.
PORT OF QUEBEC ILLUSTRATION
The Port Bath of Quebec will have several 50 m corridors, and a free swimming area.
The opening of this “port bath” is the result of decades of activism to restore citizens’ access to the shores. The opening in 2016 of a beach in the bay of Beauport, a more remote location, was a first victory for these aquatic activists.
“The Bay of Beauport was a first. Swimming in the river had been prohibited since the 1970s. In 2016, it was a big step forward,” recalls Michel Beaulieu.
“People kept thinking about the 70s and 80s when everything was going down the river. We have invested billions in Quebec to treat our water and we have seen the results of that. When people started swimming in the river at Beauport Bay, they realized that had changed. »
The man insists that he has not been informed of any cases of health problems since 2016. The water quality is also superior to the Louise basin compared to the bay of Beauport, notes Mr. Beaulieu.
“I think the main surprise for people who come to swim this summer will be the temperature of the water. They will find that the water is warm”, assures the spokesperson of the People’s Bathing Society.
“We are not in Tadoussac! he adds.
The Port of Québec wants to make the place a magnet for tourists and citizens. The idea is to build a bar and a restaurant. “This idea fitted very well with what we wanted to do and made it possible to enrich the summer offer,” indicated the CEO of the Port of Québec, Mario Girard.
An example for Montreal?
The concept of harbor baths is not new. Copenhagen inaugurated its own in 2003. It involves creating a place for swimming in a port. Quebec would be the first city in North America to adopt the concept.
In Montreal, the administration of Denis Coderre announced in 2015 its intention to develop a port bath at the Quai de l’Horloge. The idea had been taken up by Valérie Plante. But the City abandoned the project in 2020 because of strong currents there and port activities.
“It’s amazing the vision they have in Quebec,” exclaims André Bélanger, general manager of the Rivières Foundation, an organization that campaigns, among other things, for swimming in the city.
The Rivières Foundation is campaigning for the creation of a port bath in the Jacques-Cartier basin of the Old Port. To do this, the navy would have to be moved about 150 meters. Water quality is not an issue, insists Mr. Bélanger.
“It’s not that in Montreal we don’t have good conditions. The water is of good quality. It should be closed when there are overflows after heavy rains. It is estimated that it would be open 90-95% of the time,” he says.
The Old Port is managed by the Canada Lands Company. André Bélanger deplores the lack of consultation in the metropolis.
“What fascinates me is that in Quebec it was developed in collaboration with the Société des gens de bain, whereas we can’t even communicate with the people of the Old Port” , he said.