Clearcutting by Hydro-Québec in two protected forest areas in Nicolet: “We don't know”

Corridors of five to six meters of wood – and in some places even ten meters – were felled in two forest blocks of Quebec's first private nature reserve in an urban environment.

The worst damage is especially on the rue du Bocage and behind the cathedral. Vegetation has been severely cut to remove the base of the power line that runs through the site to reach the popular arts center.

Ironically, tree protection, cutting is prohibited and work has been done very close to signs clearly indicating that this is an eco-zone.

A second irony in this case is that the second walkway begins in the Saint-Joseph area of ​​the nature reserve – on the other side of the Boisé-des-Sœurs-de-l'Assomption – very close to the building where it is logged. The Center-to-Quebec regional directorate of the Ministry of the Environment should, in principle, have issued the authorizations.

Hydro-Québec actually cuts down a birch tree there for its line, which then goes to the Gas IH yard. Areas of trees along the fence behind the Jean Coute pharmacy, the Jean-l'Arcevque residence and veterinary hospital, and the former Nimaluke and Ultramar service station were significantly cleared.

Emergency-Environmental Arrest

The work was received with surprise in the city of Nicollet, where residents alerted municipal officials, who immediately called in an emergency-environment levy. “We have had no comment as of today,” Nicolette Mayor Genevieve DuBois said.

The latter, the Department of Urban Planning informed Hydro-Québec already in May 2023 that it must obtain a certificate of authorization from the Ministry of the Environment before continuing to have wooded areas located in the protected area.

“We didn't know, especially the environmental corridor that Boise-du-Séminaire is part of that we announced. It's a bad thing. Time.”

— Genevieve DuBois, mayor of Nicolet

Especially since the city of Nicolet had its hands tied when it intervened in the Boisé-du-Séminaire. We have to think about the damage caused by the wind storm of November 1, 2019, which brought down numerous trees and caused power outages for almost a week.

“After that, there was a lot of damage to the wooded area and the city, including the Ministry of the Environment, needed continuous authorization to remove branches and trees that were dangerous to pedestrians,” recalls Genevieve DuBois.

Being a nature reserve, trees cut down then cannot be removed like those cut down by Hydro-Québec in the past weeks. According to the agreement's strictest safety conditions, they must actually be on site to decompose and enrich the soil.

Hydro-Québec acknowledges its mistake

On the part of Hydro-Québec, we ask for a lack of communication to explain that the work was carried out without authorization from the Ministry of the Environment.

“It was an internal error. Pruners were tasked with controlling vegetation to improve the quality of this line, but they missed that it was a wooded area protected under the Ministry of the Environment,” spokeswoman Annie Beaudoin said.

“It's a combination of a lot of internal teams. Everyone's doing their job, and unfortunately, for that area, there was a shortage.

— Annie Beaudoin, Communications and Community Consultant

The state-owned company still wants to remedy the situation by reforesting the cleared corridors. It plans to submit development proposals compatible with the network in the coming weeks.

Again, since this is an intervention in a protected wooded area, Hydro-Québec must obtain the necessary authorizations. “There will be a discussion with the Ministry of Environment in this case,” the spokesperson assures. These should always be proposed in conjunction with the City of Nicollet.

An idea that was still well received by the city of Nicollet. The power line in question in particular is one of great importance. The same one that was damaged near Quebec's National Police Academy in November 2019 led to long rehabilitation delays.

With the trees and dust now fallen, the mayor wants to carry out appropriate development so that the next municipal councils do not restore such a situation in 15 or 20 years.

“They showed us things they had done elsewhere. They are more shrubs. There's still biodiversity there, but it's no longer fast-growing trees,” he maintains.

“The next step will be to adapt to the environment of the natural reserve and the line above that,” agrees the mayor. It's compensation because we only want them to cut trees.”

Bad memories

This story commemorates the cutting down of mature trees by another government official in October 2018 based on the Quebec Ministry of Transport (MTQ) service center on rue Mgr-Lafortune. .

Work that had the effect of tearing apart the privacy of a dozen families who, despite previously living with a border of mature trees planted some forty years ago, found themselves with a breathtaking view of machinery and stored materials.

Although it's a different context, when a subcontractor who widened sides on Highway 30 ended his contract by “cleaning up” behind houses, Mayor de Nicolet admits there are similarities.

Although about forty trees were planted along Louis-Frèsette Boulevard, this work was done without consultation with the city of Nicollet, which was already sensitive to forest matters.

“When we cut the vegetation screens, it sure doesn't grow back in two months. It takes years to find what was there before. It's a bit of a shame,” says Meyer. .