Bank erosion in Verchères, Varennes and Contrecœur | “It’s not anyone’s responsibility”

Coralie Laplante
Tap

Anglican Buccaneer 100 years. She has been living in Vercures‌ since she was born. When she was very young, she recalled that children used to bathe in St. Lawrence water. Then the shores were covered with sand.

Received the centenary Tap On August 21 at his residence in extreme heat. A mixture of stones, gravel and cement protects his land from erosion, exposing the land to the whirlpools of waves.

The old woman sits in her green garden with Michaeline Lagarde, chairwoman of the Conservation Committee of St. Lawrence Banks. In January 2019 an initiative was created to ask the federal government to “accept its responsibilities”.

On August 19, Quebec’s Superior Court authorized $ 50 million in class action brought by Verchers, Warrens and Continental citizens against the Canadian government.

Since the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Coastal Protection Program was canceled in 1997, retaining walls built between the 1950s and 1970s have deteriorated, according to local residents. They believe that the waves generated by the transmission of commercial vessels in the channel will erode their land.

The federal government built the channel in the 1900s. According to Vertchers citizens, it justifies itself by saying that the river bed is Quebec’s responsibility.

The Chair of the Shoreline Protection Committee has written to many politicians and launched a petition in 2019 that collected 2,300 names.

A long process

Although Verchères residents are happy with the collective action, they fear the legal process will continue.

⁇ [Une action collective] Rarely settles within five years, and sometimes, extends beyond that ”, confirms M^E Olivier Lorende, the lawyer representing the residents in this case.

Some residents have decided to personally sue the government. One phase ended with a federal withdrawal and a friendly settlement.

“If everyone made their own solution, we would do nothing. We could not solve the problem,” said Diane Lalonde, a Vercore resident.

A few kilometers from M^{To me} Buchemin, the cut grows in the Michael Vaz plain from west to east. In the past, the stones covered the concrete blocks at the bottom of its retaining wall. In the spring of 2021, his wife Franకోois Crete observed that the rocks and boulders were gradually moving away.

The degradation of the wall is not yet critical for Mr. Vass. “There are people like us who can’t wait,” he says.

One of his neighbors, whose house was in danger of being cut, had to undertake the work himself at a cost of several hundred dollars.

“It’s not anyone’s responsibility,” Diane said.

Candidates want to act

Outgoing MP for Pierre-Boucher, Les Patriots-Vertuaries, Javier Barsalou-Duel, has been well aware of residents’ concerns for three years.

The Black Cubacois candidate held a public consultation on the subject in 2018. He first submitted a petition made by residents in Ottawa. With no response, Mr. Barsalou-Duval filed again in 2020.

“According to the answer we received [le fédéral], It’s just the impact of climate change, and he can do nothing yet, “the politician explained.” It’s really frustrating, “he said.

Xavier Barsalou-Duval wants to continue the pressure to resolve this issue. “It simply came to our notice then [vouloir financer] Defense work being carried out, ”he stressed.

“I believe cooperation with all stakeholders is paramount in this file. […] I am committed to bringing this dialogue to an appropriate solution for all, “Liberal candidate Louis-Gabriel Girard replied by email.

New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate Martin Leprohan said the Liberal government “seems to be stalling on this issue.”

“At NDP, for our part, we want to develop a pan-Canadian climate crisis strategy to help communities plan and adapt to climate change,” he explained in an interview. Tap.

The Conservative Party did not respond to interview requests from Tap. The Green Party candidate is not competing in this riding.