Mr. Chair, members of Parliament, distinguished guests, committee staff, good afternoon.
My name is André Villeneuve, and I have had the privilege and honour of serving as mayor of the magnificent municipality of Lanoraie since November 7, 2021. As my allotted speaking time is short, I will get straight to the point.
During the last municipal election campaign, an important issue was raised, namely the erosion of the riverbanks, and for good reason: for years, people have been signing petitions and questioning the federal government on this subject, but nothing is done. They feel like they are fighting their own government, when they should be able to count on it instead.
As soon as I took office, I sent a letter to the owners of the 368 properties along the river to gauge the extent of the problem. The response from the riverside residents was not long in coming. Nearly 100 properties are currently affected, to varying degrees, by erosion. You have photos of one of these properties. I will be distributing the originals of these photos later on, and if there are any questions, I will be happy to answer them. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, and you have three.
In this letter I sent to the owners, I wrote: “As the municipality is, by definition, a local government, it is only natural to offer you support in your possible steps if this proves necessary.” Well, yes, it is necessary. Whatever level of government we are in as elected representatives, our duty is to listen to our fellow citizens and ensure that justice is done. When we see properties, land and homes threatened with disappearance, people at risk of losing their life's work and their safety compromised, yes, it is necessary.
That is why I am here today before you, to bring their voices inside these walls and to appeal to you not only on behalf of the citizens of Lanoraie, but on behalf of all citizens who are being hit hard as the victims of this phenomenon.
In my opinion, the only way for you, members of the committee, to resolve this situation is to answer a fundamental question: does the federal government have a responsibility for this phenomenon of shoreline erosion or not? To ask the question is to answer it. Yes, the federal government has a responsibility. It is high time it admitted it and shouldered its responsibility.
In this regard, the scientific literature is unequivocal: the erosion of the banks of the freshwater portion of the St. Lawrence is a natural phenomenon accentuated by human action, according to the St. Lawrence Action Plan. According to the same source, the wake produced by ships is often considered to be the cause of shoreline erosion. In addition, the main factors causing shoreline erosion are variations in water levels caused by water control structures, such as dams, dikes and canals. Another erosion factor is the effect of waves produced by passing ships, again according to the St. Lawrence Action Plan.
Why all these interventions? In reality, they are aimed at allowing the circulation of larger and larger ships, with increasingly heavy loads, and more numerous. These are countless interventions in the river that have been authorized by the federal government for over 100 years.
During the 19th century, between Montreal and Quebec City, the St. Lawrence River was adapted to the ever-increasing needs of commercial navigation, according to Technical Report RT‑141. Today, this continues, from dredging to dredging, from dam to dam, through the installation of the reversoirs on the Sorel islands and the booms at Lanoraie and elsewhere, not to mention the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway year-round. The list of human interventions is still very long.
Ladies and gentlemen members of the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, the case is made, in my opinion: the responsibility lies with the federal government. Now we must act to allow the citizens affected by this man-made scourge to continue to live safely along the majestic St. Lawrence River. First of all, we must ensure that the federal government finally takes on its responsibilities, that is by re-establishing a support program against shoreline erosion, a program that will take into account all stages, from diagnosis to the execution of the work, including authorizations, design and, of course, funding.
These measures are necessary. Citizens cannot do it alone. The federal government has a duty to act. Citizens expect no less from their government and its leaders.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your attention. I am available to answer your questions, if any.