An anonymous group claims "vandalism" has been perpetrated on the Northwold site

An anonymous group claims to have “sabotaged” the site of the future Northwold factory. In a news release on Monday, activists say they hammered nails to prevent the trees from being cut down. The company confirmed the activist's gesture on Monday evening.

“We took the initiative to counter this deforestation by inserting iron bars and nails into the trunks of trees threatened by factory construction. While they have minimal impact on tree health, they pose a significant risk to heavy machinery,” the group said in its message.

This type of action, which damages logging equipment, has already been used by environmentalists in Canada and elsewhere in the United States to stop logging. However, we did not specify the number of trees targeted or the segment of the site targeted.

The group says it wants to “weaponize the forest”, while describing the battery component factory project as a “destructive project” for biodiversity. “We must attack the weak points of this machine to crush the species. We will vandalize equipment, block construction sites, harass elected officials on professional wages. The environmental movement must redouble its intensity,” he underlined in his message.

He also condemns the public financial support given to the scheme, linked to “car culture” at a time when “public transport companies are facing budget cuts”.

“We confirm that individuals have trespassed on the site to insert nails into about ten trees, creating a health hazard for workers and neighboring communities, while recovery of these trees is impossible,” he said. Monday evening. 8,000 trees have to be cut on the land.

banned

The tree-cutting and wetlands destruction at the site was halted last week after the Quebec Environmental Law Center filed a request for a temporary injunction. The organization has called for a halt to the work sanctioned by the Legault government.

In its request for a temporary injunction, we highlight the Legault government's refusal last year to undertake a real estate project on the same site.

Experts from the Quebec Ministry of the Environment justified their decision by emphasizing the land's rich biodiversity, the essential nature of natural environments for the region, and the “impressive diversity” of fauna on the site. Data provided Duty The ministry reports that there are 21 particularly threatened or vulnerable species. At least 142 species of birds frequent the site, some of which are threatened.

The trial, which was scheduled to take place last Friday in a Montreal court, was adjourned until 9 a.m. Tuesday. Northwold has promised it will not resume felling before 3pm on Tuesday.