Municipalities that find it necessary to regulate speed or close all or part of navigation on the lakes in their area can do so much more quickly through a change in federal law.
Posted at 7:19 p.m.
The growing number of personal watercraft and motorboats has many citizens concerned about the health of lakes, water safety and noise levels. Previously, residents and municipalities who wanted to act faced difficulties because Transport Canada and Ottawa were responsible for shipping.
In a telephone interview with La Presse on Thursday, the Minister of Finance Marie-Claude Bibeau, who has taken this issue under her wing as MP for Compton in Estrie, explains that the Minister of Transport can now quickly publish a decree to support a decision made in a municipality regarding shipping was caught.
In concrete terms, this means that municipalities that want to restrict shipping on waters in their area can quickly hope for a favorable decree from the Minister of Transport if they have proven that the health of the lake or the safety of navigation is at risk, then a municipal resolution is passed .
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, LA PRESS ARCHIVE
Marie-Claude Bibeau, finance minister and MP for the Eastern Townships, persuaded Ottawa to ease the burden on municipalities that want a say in navigation on the lakes.
“The municipalities in my region [qui présenteraient un dossier maintenant] “I can hope for a ministerial decree by next summer,” explains Minister Bibeau.
The minister notes that Ottawa retains jurisdiction over shipping, but once “a community has had the courage to pass a resolution,” “we can reasonably expect that the minister [des Transports] issue the decree without delay”.
Because the municipalities are “best placed to make their decision”.
Ms. Bibeau explains that she “took up the torch” on this issue after being strongly challenged in 2015 by “the very effective presentation” of eight lake associations in her region, the Eastern Townships (some of which are struggling with invasive species). .
“I then committed myself to doing everything I could in this matter, without knowing what I was getting myself into. »
What ultimately attacked them was the Merchant Marine Act, which was designed primarily for navigation on the St. Lawrence River and which today still regulates both PWCs and small boats on many of Canada’s smaller lakes than larger vessels by sea .
Transport Canada recognized that the current process was too lengthy and complex. Better yet, he recognized that not only nautical safety issues but also environmental aspects needed to be taken into account.
“It was already there [dans le règlement]but in very small font, and Transport Canada never implemented it,” specifies Ms. Bibeau.
“Canadians deserve to have a say in regulating their waterways. Today we are accelerating the process for local communities,” said Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez.
With this announcement, Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge, who is also involved in the matter, believes Ottawa is reaffirming its commitment “to our citizens and our communities” and ensuring that the population “has a greater say in how “That’s possible.” to use the right to sail on the lakes, which are basically free, you have to decide on access.