People across the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region are speaking out against the CAQ government’s decision to build a 5.7-hectare surface parking lot rather than the multilevel parking garage that had been promised for the future Vaudreuil-Soulanges hospital.

Yesterday at the National Assembly, independent MNA Marie-Claude Nichols once again questioned the government about this decision, which stands in stark contrast to the principles of land development and environmental stewardship that the very same government has imposed on municipalities.

Strong public opposition to the surface parking lot

Nichols expressed frustration at the CAQ’s change of position in this matter. “This is not the first time that CAQ has broken one of its promises, but their irresponsibility never fails to disappoint,” she said.

“After some give and take on both sides, the government and local stakeholders had agreed on a multilevel parking garage. Our region is adamant in our stance: we don’t want to sacrifice our farmland to build a 1,869-stall paved parking lot spanning the equivalent of five football fields.

"That’s a full 23% of the total footprint of the lot where the hospital will be located and would undoubtedly become the largest heat island in the area. That’s entirely unacceptable in 2023,” she points out.

There has been mounting criticism of the CAQ’s decision in recent weeks. Advocacy group Mères au front has drafted a petition that will be presented to the National Assembly in November.

The Conseil régional de l’environnement de la Montérégie has stated that the environmental gains of a multilevel parking garage have been underestimated and that the long-term impacts on people’s health have not been factored in.

In a June 23 press release, Valérie Plante, the mayor of Montreal and president of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, indicated that “the spreading out of the parking lot runs counter to several core principles of land use planning. I’m confident that architectural and land use planning practices can be aligned as part of a more sustainable approach, which in itself is essential to good governance.”

These are but a few of the dissenting voices for this project, the mindset behind which hails straight from the 1970s. The government’s duty to set an example Nichols took advantage of question period to ask Suzanne Roy, the Minister Responsible for the Montérégie Region, and a former mayor and president of the Union des municipalités du Québec, how she could go along with her government’s decision to impose standards on municipalities with regard to land use planning, wetland protection and farmland stewardship.

This sentiment was echoed by Martin Damphousse, the current president of the UMQ and mayor of Varennes, in a recent open letter. Nichols feels strongly that “the government has a duty to set an example in terms of land use planning and environmental protection. The case of the hospital’s parking facilities is the worst possible scenario from a local development standpoint.”

The CAQ refuses to listen Nichols contends that the health minister’s dismissiveness in this matter and the silence of the MNA for Soulanges are indicative the CAQ’s utter lack of understanding and consideration of the area’s needs.

“I’m appalled that the CAQ is not more sensitive to the opinions of local stakeholders,” she added. “Instead of steering clear of the debate, the Member for Soulanges should be lobbying her fellow MNAs to put things straight. I implore her to step up and stand up for the interests of our region, rather than continue acting as the government’s mouthpiece.”

Nichols urges members of the public to go to the National Assembly website and sign the petition in an effort to sway the CAQ government to finally take local viewpoints into account.