Woodland threatened by deforestation: A fence is erected next to James Awad’s house

In December 2021, the city of Terrebonne installed a fence near land owned by controversial Sunwing flight operator James William Awad to protect a forested area threatened by deforestation.

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“The City of Terrebonne put up a $75,000 (tax payer’s money) fence to block my access road to the back of my property and hired a 24 hour security guard to drive me crazy. 24 and seven days a week to make sure I don’t destroy the fence,” Mr. Awad wrote on his Twitter account Friday.

Contacted by QMI Agency, the city of Terrebonne confirmed this evening that it has installed a $100,000 fence at the back of its Biodiversity Corridor, a 650-hectare site intended to preserve wildlife and flora.

“The reason we do this is to protect the natural area. It was a place for the citizens of the city of Terrebonne, then we noticed that there was illegal deforestation in the area,” explained Stephanie Benard, city communications advisor from Terrebonne.

Vandalism was observed in this area on the edge of the Bois-des-Filion municipality behind the Place du Coteau residences. According to the city, the decision was prompted by the cutting down of several dozen trees on August 3.

“The intention is not to limit access to citizens, but to ensure its protection. It is regrettable that the city had to take these extraordinary measures to preserve a site that belongs to everyone,” city director general Serge Villandre said in a press release.

Land boundary markers were destroyed and fence posts were damaged, requiring Terrebonne to hire an outside firm to monitor the site at night during the work.

Any act of vandalism is a misdemeanor, which can result in fines and jail time in some cases, the city said.

Recall that James William Awad made headlines in early 2022 when he operated a charter flight to Mexico that sparked controversy because health measures were not respected.

These are the 44 fines Transport Canada has issued to 39 passengers on the flight on Dec. 30 for violating regulations on vaccination and mask wearing. .