(English follows)
La Tribune, le 2 mars 2019
Article par Denis Dufresne, éditorialiste
L’intention de la municipalité de North Hatley d’aller de l’avant avec un projet immobilier d’envergure en zone inondable « 0-20 ans » apparaît surprenante et risquée en raison des événements météorologiques des dernières années, dont les inondations printanières record du printemps 2017 au Québec. D’autant plus que le consensus scientifique veut que les manifestations climatiques extrêmes ne soient pas près de se résorber sur la planète.
Le maire Michael Page a confirmé à La Tribune qu’à la suite de la levée du moratoire gouvernemental de 2017, qui interdisait la construction en zone inondable dans plus de 200 municipalités québécoises, North Hatley espère obtenir cette fois-ci une approbation de Québec.
Il faut rappeler qu’il y a deux ans le promoteur Richard Laliberté avait fait part de son intention d’ériger un immeuble de 200 unités d’habitation dans la zone inondable « 0-20 ans », où la construction est habituellement interdite. La MRC de Memphrémagog avait élaboré un plan de gestion de la zone inondable, mais le projet avait été contrecarré par le moratoire gouvernemental.
À l’époque, nombre de citoyens et d’experts s’étaient inquiétés de l’impact visuel du projet et des risques d’inondation, alors que plusieurs municipalités de la province étaient aux prises avec des crues catastrophiques qui ont coûté des centaines de millions $ à l’État québécois.
Lors d’une consultation publique tenue en avril 2017, l’organisme Bleu Massawippi avait fait valoir que rien n’autorisait un plan de gestion pour la zone inondable située au coeur du village. Un citoyen, Michael Grayson, avait tenté de démontrer cartes à l’appui que certaines données utilisées dans les calculs étaient erronées.
Le maire Page soutient que le projet tient compte des changements climatiques et comporte des normes sévères pour la construction. Il affirme que les choses ont évolué et « qu’on n’est plus à la même place aujourd’hui ».
Peut-être, mais la réalité des risques liés aux événements météorologiques extrêmes, elle, ne change pas. La multiplication des sécheresses, canicules, incendies de forêt et inondations des dernières années témoigne d’une modification du climat en raison d’une augmentation de la température sur la terre.
En octobre 2018, Blair Feltmate, directeur du centre INTACT sur l’adaptation aux changements climatiques de l’Université de Waterloo, avait déclaré à Radio-Canada qu’« au Canada, les inondations seront la principale manifestation du dérèglement climatique ».
On comprend North Hatley de justifier ce projet par la nécessité d’augmenter ses recettes fiscales, mais a-t-on évalué tous les risques et a-t-on les bonnes données pour mesurer ceux-ci?
La Fédération des municipalités du Québec presse le gouvernement de lancer des négociations en vue d’un nouveau pacte fiscal pour diversifier les sources de revenus des municipalités. Cela est nécessaire et urgent car les municipalités sont prises dans l’étau du développement immobilier pour augmenter leurs revenus.
À cet égard, on ne peut blâmer directement une municipalité comme North Hatley ou les promoteurs : tous agissent selon les règles du jeu actuelles avec la bénédiction des ministères responsables de l’aménagement du territoire. Il en va de même avec les normes et règles de construction et de reconstruction en zone inondable, tout comme pour les exigences imposées aux promoteurs immobiliers.
À la suite des inondations du printemps 2017, le gouvernement Couillard avait fait part de sa volonté de revoir tout cela. Où en est-on aujourd’hui? Le député d’Orford, Gilles Bélanger, qui souhaite que son gouvernement tienne une commission parlementaire sur ce sujet, a une occasion en or de passer à l’action avec le dossier de North Hatley.
Les nouvelles réalités climatiques dictent la prudence et des normes plus sévères. À défaut, nous allons répéter les mêmes erreurs et continuer de payer collectivement lors de catastrophes.
La Tribune, Sherbrooke March 2, 2019
Editorial by Denis Dufresne
Translated by Michael Grayson, with permission of La Tribune
North Hatley’s intention to go ahead with a major building project in a 0 – 20 year flood zone appears surprising and risky in the light of weather events in recent years, including record floods in the spring of 2017 . Moreover, scientists agree that extreme weather events are likely to be the norm for the future.
Mayor Michael Page confirmed to La Tribune that following the lifting of the moratorium imposed by the government in 2017, which prohibited building in flood zones in over 200 Quebec municipalities, North Hatley hopes now to get Quebec’s approval.
It should be remembered that two years ago the promoter Richard Laliberté announced his intention to build more than 200 residential units in the 0 – 20 year flood zone, where construction is normally forbidden.
MRC Memphremagog had prepared a floodplain management plan (Plan de gestion), but this plan was thwarted by the government’s moratorium. At the time, many citizens and experts had expressed concern over both the size of the project and the flood risks. Catastrophic flooding in a number of municipalities in 2017 cost the Quebec Government several hundred million dollars.
At a public consultation held in April 2017, Blue Massawippi argued that nothing could justify a management plan for the flood zone in the heart of the village. A citizen, Michael Grayson, tried to demonstrate with the support of maps that some data used in the plan were wrong.
Mayor Page argues that the project takes climate change into account and sets severe construction norms. He claims that things have evolved and “that we are no longer in the same place today”.
Maybe so, but the reality of the risks associated with extreme weather events has not changed. The proliferation of droughts, heat waves, forest fires and floods in recent years testifies to a changing climate linked to an increase in Earth’s temperature. In October 2018, Blair Feltmate, Director of the INTACT Centre (Adaptation to Climate Change) at the University of Waterloo, told Radio-Canada that in Canada the main consequence of climate change will be increased flooding.
While we can understand North Hatley justifying this project by its need to increase tax revenue, we must question whether all the risks have been evaluated and if we even have the necessary data to do so.
The Federation of Quebec Municipalities urges the government to start negotiations for a new fiscal pact which would diversify the sources of municipal revenue. This is urgently needed because municipalities are caught in the vice of real estate development to increase their income.
In this respect, we cannot directly blame a municipality like North Hatley or the promoter: each is acting according to the rules of the game as sanctioned by the ministries responsible for regional planning. The same goes for the norms and laws governing building or rebuilding in flood zones, and for the requirements that developers must meet.
Following the spring floods of 2017, the Couillard government expressed its intention to review its rules and policies in this respect. Where are we today? Gilles Bélanger, MNA for Orford, hopes to see the creation of a parliamentary commission on this issue. The case of North Hatley presents him with a golden opportunity to act.
The new realities of climate change require prudence and stricter norms. Otherwise, we will simply repeat the errors of the past and continue to pay out huge sums collectively when catastrophes strike.
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When Mayor Page was asked to explain his comment, “On n’est plus à la même place aujourd’hui.”, he replied, “It means that if we get the go ahead from the government the project that will be presented in a public consultation is no longer the project that Mr. Laliberte had proposed in that late August presentation a few years back.”
I and many other critics of the condo plan in the flood plain are very perplexed by Mayor Page’s responses regarding this project. The municipality participated fully with MRC Memphremagog in the formulation of the Floodplain Management Plan (Plan de gestion).
This plan opens the door to the construction of 210 condo units in 3 buildings, two of them on 4 floors and one (closest to the lake) on 5 floors. Two of these buildings would also contain substantial commercial space. In addition, a 3 floor commercial building, with apartments on the upper floors, would be built behind existing buildings on Main Street (including the site of the old mill building, which would be demolished).
This corresponds pretty closely to what Mr. Laliberté has been demanding all along … with minor adjustments. For example, the Town had given him the green light in 2014 to build 230 condos. However, the new commercial building is an add-on to the original proposal.
The Plan certainly paves the way for a shopping centre (“Promenade North Hatley”) in addition to condos and apartments. I hate to think of the traffic chaos that we would have to endure …. but, in any case, faced with impossible parking requirements, the whole project would have to be cut down by at least 50%.
The Town refuses to reveal any details of the PPU (Programme particulière de planification … Special Planning Program), until the Management Plan receives government approval. Why should we believe the Mayor’s assertions that we will be pleasantly surprised when, if ever, we see the PPU. Why should it differ in its scope and size from what the Management Plan spells out?
North Hatley tax-payers have so far contributed about $250,000 to promoting this project: through a series of floodplain maps, various other studies, the PPU, legal fees and Town staff salaries.
After a very pleasant 18 month break from this highly controversial plan, due to the Couillard government’s moratorium on construction in flood zones, here we go again.
Hopefully, the new government will take the prudent approach to forbid construction in all areas prone to flooding.
There are other ways and places to build new housing in North Hatley. What we urgently need is a forum to discuss the future of North Hatley and how residents would like to see it develop.
Additionally, when asked when the public might have a chance to see and comment on the revised project, Mayor Page replied, “At this point there is no need to discuss it as we don’t know if anything at all will be possible.
“Providing we get some sort of go ahead only then would it be appropriate to put a PPU on the table and citizens will then be able to voice their opinions.
“That’s the purpose of the consultation as I’m sure you are aware of. As the old expression goes let’s not put the cart ahead of the bull.
“.. don’t worry everything here is under control despite of what our starving local journalists would love to stir up.”
I encourage followers to read “Les deux maires ouverts” and “Bélanger a fait des heureux”, both in the March 6th edition of La Tribune, both by Jean-François Gagnon.
– Brian Merrett