The Magdalen Islands are experiencing the effects of global warming more than ever, and the archipelago hopes to soon obtain the necessary funding to prepare for what awaits it in the years to come. In interview at DutyMayor Antonin Valiquette is however clear: the crisis will impose “difficult choices”, and it will not be possible to preserve the entirety of this symbolic territory of Quebec’s maritime landscape.
“We must accept the idea that the Islands will transform. We will not be able to protect everything,” he explains, referring to the multiple threats weighing on this region located in the heart of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Global climate disruption is causing a rise in sea levels, a decline in the ice cover that protected the Islands against the effects of winter storms and a likely increase in the strength and frequency of hurricanes that move north to strike the archipelago.
Antonin Valiquette also recalls that storms Dorianin 2019, then Fiona, in 2022, caused serious damage, in addition to offering a glimpse of what awaits the island community in the coming decades. At the height of the passage of Fiona, a tide of more than two meters above sea level led to very significant coastal submersion in the sectors of La Grave, Chemin des Chalets, La Pointe de Havre-aux-Maisons, La Pointe de Grande -Entrance and docks of the archipelago. The exceptional waves which broke over the cliffs also took with them, in certain places, several meters of coastline.
The mayor also emphasizes the risks for the only road link which connects all sectors of the archipelago. “With the recurrence of increasingly strong storms, we don’t want to get caught with a break in the road network. If Route 199 is cut, we are talking about the road link, but also Hydro-Québec and telecommunications infrastructure. » If the rupture occurred between Havre-aux-Maisons and Grosse-Île, “we could find ourselves with more than 1,000 citizens isolated and plunged into darkness. This is not an option,” he emphasizes.
Adaptation
In this context, the municipality of Îles-de-la-Madeleine is focusing more than ever on adaptation, argues Mr. Valiquette. “We have enough studies that show us that we must adapt to climate change. It’s a secret for no one. The Islands are struggling with climate change, but this is true elsewhere in Quebec. We must therefore plan and prepare, to avoid being completely unprepared at the time of events. »
The City is currently taking steps with the Legault government to obtain the necessary funding to carry out work on dozens of sites designated as vulnerable to coastal erosion and submersion. An “intervention framework” on 85 sites was presented in September, at the request of the Quebec government, following a funding request for $80 million submitted in 2020.
“The amount is likely to be higher, because we are now three years later. But we will reveal the details once the procedures are more advanced with the Quebec government,” underlines the mayor, welcoming the provincial involvement in the matter.
A decree was adopted in November to exempt future work from the environmental assessment procedure that would normally be required in such a situation. In their analysis of the case, government experts recognize that “it is very likely that Route 199 will be damaged or that the safety of people will be threatened by future storm events.”
Does the government intend to provide the Îles-de-la-Madeleine with the amount necessary to carry out urgent repair and prevention work? “Helping communities and preventing risks linked to climate change are a priority for our government,” responds the office of the Minister of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, Benoit Charette.
The minister’s office adds that the government has already injected $120 million into Quebec “in projects aimed at combating coastal erosion”, a phenomenon that also affects Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspésie and the North Shore. . A “coastal erosion and submersion project office” was also set up to “support” the regions and municipalities.
“Difficult choices”
Despite the investments demanded by the Madelinots in order to preserve their territory, the mayor has no illusions. The repercussions of the climate crisis will require potentially difficult decisions in the coming years. “There will be difficult choices to make in the future. We must therefore prepare as best as possible, so that the choices to be made are less heartbreaking in the near or more distant future. But it is clear that we will not be able to save and preserve everything on the Magdalen Islands with multi-million dollar projects across the archipelago. It’s not possible,” he admits in an interview.
Mayor Valiquette cites the example of moving or demolishing buildings, such as houses or businesses. “This is something that should not be ruled out,” he said, emphasizing that this type of decision “upends life plans” within a community already very “concerned” by the consequences of global warming. “The challenge we have, in the Islands, is that we have no hinterland. The small size of the territory does not allow us incredible mobility for important infrastructures,” he adds.
In addition to being a living environment for just over 13,000 people, the unique and magnificent setting of the Magdalen Islands is a very popular tourist destination in Quebec. Antonin Valiquette therefore wishes to preserve both the community and the attraction for visitors. “We are capable of developing the territory in the most efficient way possible, but it is an issue that must be thought about very seriously. It is part of our daily life, to manage the territory according to climate change. »
The elected official, however, remains optimistic. ” At valiant heart nothing impossible. We have resilient citizens and we are a dynamic community that produces wealth in Quebec. The Magdalen Islands are not about to disappear. We adapt and face challenges, but we can find innovative solutions to better protect ourselves. »