On this Quebec maritime day, the Société de développement économique du Saint-Laurent (SODES) wants to highlight the environmental shift of the maritime industry towards the St. Lawrence to raise public awareness of the essential role of this industry, and demonstrate its responsible approach. in order to protect and enhance our river.
Let us recall that when announcing Quebec’s new maritime vision last June, Minister Chantal Rouleau declared in particular “focusing on the importance of reconciling environmental protection and economic development”. This is a step in the right direction, because it forces us to question our responsibility towards the many ecosystems of the river.
The First Nations called it Magtogoek and our ancestors, the sea. Whatever its name, all agree to qualify it as majestic. The St. Lawrence River is a gigantic gateway to America. A formidable development tool for Quebec, it is also the path that opens us to the world. A true living bridge that connects the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, from the source to the sea, it has supported the economic and socio-cultural activities of coastal communities for millennia, and millions of people unconsciously derive their subsistence from it.
The St. Lawrence has long aroused the interest of discoverers, navigators, geographers, historians, painters, poets and, for less time, that of politicians and scientists of all kinds – biologists, engineers, planners .
If it seems today to be the object of all the attentions, it was regretted that the St.Lawrence, dominant element of our landscapes, our history, our heritage, our economy and our culture, was neglected, insufficiently studied and often abused. Let us remember the disastrous results of research and analyzes on its sanitary condition in the 1970s. In fact, it was then impossible to know the number of municipalities and businesses obtaining water from the St. Lawrence, or even pouring their wastewater into it.
Obviously, and fortunately, the situation has greatly improved. Today, several organizations make it their daily concern. Not a day goes by without the St. Lawrence being in the media. Politicians have heard calls from citizen organizations, researchers and local officials. Many laws and regulations have been adopted to protect the river and its banks, and it is now the object of much care and attention. We must contribute to sustainable development that promotes ecological integrity, respect for the environment in economic activities, community involvement and enlightened, concerted and integrated management of the river.
Find balance
It should be remembered that numerous and meritorious initiatives have been taken over the past two decades to restore the river to its integrity, its place and its roles in the collective life of Quebec. On March 23, 2010, the National Assembly of Quebec unanimously adopted the following motion: “That the National Assembly of Quebec confirm, through official recognition, its vision of the St. Lawrence as a national heritage to be protected, developed and to be enhanced, in accordance with what our National Water Policy recommends. ”
As a central component of its geography, the St. Lawrence is part of the collective heritage of Quebec. It has always been a determining factor in the penetration of the territory, its population, its enhancement, its development. It is a place of identity for Quebeckers. It is Quebec’s basic natural resource, a renewable resource that must be managed with a view to sustainability. However, the life and sustainability of the river depend on a skilful balance between the needs linked to its different uses: recreational, habitat, economic and protection of natural environments. The river belongs to everyone, but it does not belong to any group or to anyone. Therefore, finding this balance is no small task. But it is an individual and collective obligation.
By recognizing the efforts and concrete actions of the maritime industry in connection with the St.Lawrence, the people of Quebec illustrate their concerns and expectations for the protection and enhancement of the St.Lawrence and expects them to main users of the river are pursuing a responsible approach.
As the biologist Claude Villeneuve wrote in his book The river of the great waters : “We must invest today all our efforts so that Magtogoek becomes again for our children the river of the great waters, generous of its benefits. Let us also know how to broaden our action so that the fate he has known is not that of the entire planet. ”
* This text is a short summary of Mr. Déry’s conference as part of Quebec Maritime Day, October 26, organized by the Société de développement économique du Saint-Laurent.
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