Vaudreuil-Dorion council is asking the provincial Ministry of Health and Social Services to provide additional funds to build either an elevated or underground parking structure instead of a surface parking lot for the Vaudreuil-Soulanges hospital. 

A resolution was presented during the bi-monthly council meeting on June 5 and was unanimously adopted by Mayor Guy Pilon and the eight councillors to proceed with the request.

Pilon said the option of having either an underground or above-ground parking structure were included in the original plans that were presented and accepted by the city in February 2019.

The entire project was designed in accordance with the sustainable development goals that were announced by the ministry at that time as well as the regional and municipal planning and regulatory documents, according to council.             

The city added its resolution is based on facts that 'prove beyond any doubt' that the decision to build a surface parking lot goes against existing municipal, regional and provincial environmental policies.

The surface parking lot will have 1,869 parking spaces on 5.7 hectares of land, the equivalent of more than five football fields. It also comprises 23 percent of the total land area.

"Creating this kind of heat island on the hospital site is completely illogical," said Pilon. He added that Health and Social Services Minister Christian Dubé is contradicting his own recommendations when it comes to the environment.

"When the provincial government announced funding for urban green initiatives in 2021, Dubé said, and I quote: 'In cities, because of the urban heat island phenomenon, it gets even hotter during heat waves and the health risks are greater. We need more green spaces in our urban areas if we are to act effectively against this danger,'” said Pilon

The mayor added that the ministry in 2019 also emphasized "the design criteria for the new hospital would introduce best practices with regard to sustainable development, in order to minimize the ecological footprint of the new infrastructure, and that a LEED certification would be among the criteria.'

The ministry said it implemented cost reduction factors to justify its decision to abandon plans for an elevated or underground parking structure. The addition of a parking structure would have added three percent to the current $2.6 billion construction budget.

"We know it costs more to build an elevated or underground parking structure. This is the choice the city made for our municipal hub. It's in accordance with regulations and to respect best practices in terms of sustainable development," said Pilon.

"It's also the choice for new multi-unit buildings. At the time when permits were issued, the government made a commitment to develop proposals for an elevated parking structure. This about-face is inconceivable and unacceptable," he added.

Pilon added that building a large paved surface parking lot without any concern for the environment is unacceptable for a project of this magnitude.

ReNew Canada recently released its annual report outlining Canada's 100 largest infrastructure projects currently underway in the country. The future Vaudreuil-Soulanges hospital is ranked 29th according to its construction budget.