Chorus Frog Habitat | The Supreme Court ordered Longueuil to suspend its work

Quebec’s High Court on Friday ordered the city of Langue to immediately suspend work on vital habitats of endangered species.

Eric-Pierre Champagne
Press

Judge Guylaine Baugé therefore ruled in favor of the two environmental groups, which demanded that the Boulevard Béliveau extension be suspended, which would “change the wetlands in the project area”. These are essential for the chorus frog, which has the status of an endangered species in Canada and is vulnerable in Quebec.

In a statement, Longueuil indicated that it would respect the 10-day interim injunction.

The site was approved by the Quebec Ministry of Environment under simple compliance notices, which are less regulatory than requests for ministerial approval. Quebec did not take into account, however, that the wildlife opinion of the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks (MFFP) was not in favor of the project submitted by the city.

Recall that on October 22, the Quebec Center for Environmental Law (CCQDE) and the Quebec Division of the Society for Nature and Parks (SNAP) filed a petition for an interim injunction to stop this legally appointed work. Important habitat of that species.

In a decision taken Friday afternoon, Judge Baugé “ordered the suspension of defendant Ville de Languele and its staff, representatives, agents, subcontractors and any person acting in its name or on its account.” Jobs until November 8, 2021 at 5 p.m. ”

Failure to order a suspension of work for 10 days will result in the court ruling that “the frog’s important habitat will be irreparably damaged, resulting in endangered species.” ”

“Despite the improved level of work, this decision provides a relief to the tree frog in the absence of action from various levels of government,” said CQDE Director Genevieve Paul. “The ball is now in the court of Canada’s Minister of Environment, who must begin the process of ordering the protection of the species’ important habitat in Langue. Says.

For its part, within the framework of this project, “there is always a concern to find a balance between two objectives: the need for work to protect the environment on the one hand and, on the other hand, the safety of the environment, the safety of citizens and the reduction of traffic in the area.”

Promise of Steven Gilfield

At the same time, the SNAP Quebec and the CQDE have filed a lawsuit in federal court, recommending that the Federal Environment Minister approve an order to protect the species in Langue and its habitat in Ottawa.

A similar request was made in 2014 by Nature Quebec and SNAP, urging former Environment Minister Leona Aglukka to recommend a decree to protect the species and its habitat in La Prairie, south of Montreal. . Following that, the federal court severely reprimanded the former Conservative minister and then gave him six months to recommend an emergency order, which was finally accepted in 2016 by Justin Trudeau’s new Liberal government.

During the last federal election campaign, the new Environment Minister Steven Gilbelt promised that the future Liberal government would protect endangered species across Canada using the mechanisms provided for in the Endangered Species Act (SARA). “We have already intervened in 2016 with an emergency order. So if the past is guaranteed for the future …” he declared. Press.

In addition, several documents were obtained Press Quebec has known the importance of this field for the chorus frog since 2003. In a letter dated March 20, 2003, the Quebec Ministry of Environment wrote to the city of Langue “not in favor of replenishing wetlands and relocating fragile and threatened species.”

On April 14, 2003, he wrote to Quebec City, “The progress of your project and the wetlands will be surrounded by extensions of Belivo and Roberwall Boulevard.