A draft regulation limiting the speed on a section of the Richelieu River to limit the environmental impacts caused by navigation could be abandoned under pressure from boat owners.
In the wake of their protests, Transport Canada last week asked the new mayors of the four municipalities affected by its draft by-law, which had yet been published in June in the Canada Gazette, to reiterate their support by Friday.
This by-law would establish a 10 km / h limit in 2022 over a 20 km section in the area of the municipalities of Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu and Saint- Marc-sur-Richelieu, and would prohibit the practice of wakeboarding in the same area (wakeboard), which generates significant waves.
The measure aims to improve the safety of the various users of the Richelieu River, but also to slow down bank erosion, improve water quality and protect the habitat of various species, including the Copper Redhorse.
The portion of the river targeted by the draft regulation corresponds “almost exactly to the critical habitat” of this unique fish, found only in Quebec, wrote Fisheries and Oceans Canada in a letter of support for the draft. regulation.
Currently, the Richelieu River is the only stream where breeding activities are confirmed for this species.
extract from Fisheries and Oceans Canada letter
“Too draconian”
The nautical community is opposed to the draft regulation because it is “too draconian”, explained to Press the president and owner of the Saint-Mathias marina, Patrick Picard.
“We agree that on weekends, some boaters lack good citizenship, that certain areas should have speed limits [et que certains bateaux plus gros] should be limited, but putting everyone in the same basket, we do not agree, ”he said.
He fears that such a by-law will only “shift the problem” elsewhere on the river and affirms that the sewer overflows of several riverside municipalities as well as the leaching of agricultural land by rain are more damaging to the watercourse than the rivers. watercraft.
The owners of marinas, who say they have not been consulted, have embarked on a tour of the municipal council meetings of the four municipalities concerned which are being held this week to express their opposition to the draft by-law.
These municipalities have asked Transport Canada to allow them 30 days to respond, believing that the one week delay does not allow them to make an informed decision, explained to Press the new mayor of Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Jonathan Chalifoux.
Everyone agrees that something must be done for the river, [mais] the deadline we had was too short, we must go through the file, consult our world.
Jonathan Chalifoux, Mayor of Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu
“Boat highway”
The entry into force of the by-law could be delayed by a year if municipalities reiterate their support for the by-law by Friday, or even several years if they withdraw their support and a new by-law must be drafted, if worries the Bloc member for Pierre-Boucher — Les Patriotes — Verchères, Xavier Barsalou-Duval, who led the file.
The “first case” that the mayors of the region had told him about after his election in 2015 was the ” far west on the river ”because of the noise, the erosion, the lack of good citizenship of certain boaters and the consequences on the environment, he recalls.
In 2017, a “long and tedious process” followed which led to this Transport Canada draft regulation, after letters to the citizens of the municipalities concerned and public meetings attended by around 100 people.
We must come to conceive of the river other than a race track and a wave pool, which have consequences for the environment and the banks. We must act responsibly.
Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Member of Parliament for Pierre-Boucher — Les Patriotes — Verchères
The Association of residents and friends of the Richelieu, which includes owners of boats “responsible”, is sorry to see that the regulation for which it campaigned is “in danger”, told Press its president, Michel Leduc.
“If the mayors do not sign as is everything that has been prepared in the past in the rules of the art, if they do not have the political courage in terms of the environment as they said in the campaign election, I find that a shame, ”he said.
The Rivières Foundation, which deplores the fact that the Richelieu has become “a motor boat motorway”, calls for the adoption of the regulation, told La Presse its general manager, Alain Bélanger.
“It would be a first in Quebec, that’s why it’s important,” he explained, stressing in response to criticism from boaters that a regulation can always be “modulated” to allow exceptions.
Transport Canada did not respond to questions from Press at the time of this publication.
12
Number of special-status aquatic species found in the Richelieu River watershed, including the copper redhorse, eastern sand darter and olive hickorynut
Source: Fisheries and Oceans Canada