François Legault recognized the importance of “thickening” cities and “limiting” the proliferation of cities during the opening ceremony of the Assises de l’Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ), while his government advised to mandate of the “moratorium” on this model of territorial development. However, he defended the need for projects that promote the region’s economic development, such as the controversial Quebec-Lévis tunnel project.
The Prime Minister had earlier claimed $ 320 million had been invested by his government to decontaminate land considered strategic in various cities in Quebec, a way of reuse the soil instead of littering at to accept companies in the fields of the future .
Not surprisingly, the Prime Minister was quick to turn to the third link project, which was criticized from all sides as an incentive to urban sprawl.
We have big ambitions for Quebec said the Prime Minister. Yes, there is a part to be done in densification. But we need to make sure that we continue to develop the Chaudière-Appalaches, we need to continue to develop the regions.
If we want people to ride public transport from Lévis to Québec, downtown to downtown, we can’t ask them to ride the grand tour said the Prime Minister, criticizing the location of the two existing bridges, glued on top of each other .
The mayor of Québec, host city of these meetings ofUMQ, says it agrees with the government’s desire to occupy and develop Quebec territory. However, he considers that the 3rd link is inconsistent with this goal.
Occupying territory does not mean people live in a space to go another 50, 100 km to work there or do what they have to do in their personal lives. said Bruno Marchand in a press scrum.
He also has serious reservations about the environmental impact of the project, at the time that there was a quickness to act to combat climate change.
” When we say we want to rebalance the Chaudière-Appalaches east to the East, it is not something that currently works with the logic of reducing our greenhouse gases. No one scientist can agree with this. “
His Lévis counterpart, Gilles Lehouillier, does not believe the third link project contradicts the government’s goal of densification, which he supports.
The 3rd link corresponds to the capacity limit that we no longer have. The idea of the 3rd link, it should not be forgotten, is to connect existing highways and promote transportation between the two coasts. he argued.
In the matter of territory, the mayor of Lévis however has the opinion that it is better for the Legault government to publish its government’s orientations in terms of land use planning before the next election. These orientations guide MRC in developing their development plans and the municipalities in the design of their urban plans.
The Legault government will soon unveil a land use planning policy, but the orientations supporting it will not be adopted before 2023, i.e., after the next election.
Promote housing construction
In his speech in Quebec City, Premier François Legault also promised to legislate quickly to expand the right of first refusal of municipalities, allowing them to seize land or buildings as a priority in the construction of social or affordable housing. . .
Currently, only the City of Montréal has such power.
We will give you the right to first refusal of land in your municipalities at the end of this session. he promised.
The Prime Minister needs to act very quickly to achieve this goal, as there are only three weeks left before the June 10 postponement.
In a possible second mandate, he also undertakes to oversee through the legislature the expropriation process conducted by municipalities.
Source: Radio-Canada