The provincial government has no consideration for people in the Vaudreuil region after it broke its promise to build a parking structure for the new Vaudreuil-Soulanges hospital, said Marie-Claude Nichols, the independent Member of the National Assembly for Vaudreuil.

"I am deeply disappointed with Health and Social Services Minister Christian Dubé's decision and I'm not the only one," said Nichols.

"The City of Vaudreuil-Dorion also cannot stomach the fact that 5.7 hectares of farmland will be sacrificed to build a huge parking lot which will create one of the biggest heat islands in the region," she added.

Nichols comments were directed to Dubé during the final question and answer period of the current parliamentary session before summer break last Friday, June 9.

Dubé recently announced the government would abandon plans to build either an aboveground or underground multi-level parking structure in favour of a 5.7 hectare surface parking lot with 1,869 spaces, the equivalent of just over five soccer fields. 

The minister added heat mitigation measures would be put place including the planting of trees, perennials and flowers.

Nichol's comments concur with similar statements made last week by Vaudreuil-Dorion Mayor Guy Pilon and Patrick Bousez, the Prefect for the MRC Vaudreuil-Soulanges, who also asked the province to reinstate the original plans. 

Nichols' motion also asked the government to respect the original tiered parking plan in order to limit sprawl and the heat island a surface parking lot would create.

The majority-led CAQ government rejected Nichols' motion. "I thought when they realized the impact this decision would have on our region and the environment, they would change their minds, but didn't.  They amended my motion instead to make it meaningless," she said.

Monetary savings over environmental concerns

The cost of building an aboveground or underground parking structure represents three percent of the total cost for the new hospital, a small part of the budget that could have made a huge difference for the environment, according to a statement from Nichols.

Nichols said Dubé declared he wants to cut the hospital budget at all costs. "Choices were made during the project selection process. When we arrived at the business case, everyone was very transparent," said Dubé. 

"The projects that were presented and the building's structure meant we had the space to have the parking lot and that made a huge difference in terms of cost and scheduling," Dubé added.

For Nichols, the government's stance on the parking lot shows it's more concerned about 'money instead of the environment'.

"Premier Legault may try to show he's ready to invest more for climate change, but when it comes to adopting preventive measures, he doesn't deliver and that's really disappointing," said Nichols.

"And when Minister Dubé tells me perennials will be planted in the parking lot as a mitigation measure, that's an aberrant statement," she added.