The City of Vaudreuil-Dorion has been found guilty of violating the Environment Quality Act (EQA) in connection with riprap work in wetlands and water bodies during the 2019 floods. 

Between April 29 and May 31, 2019, the city carried out riprap work in wetlands and water bodies, on the shoreline and littoral of Lake of Two Mountains, without first obtaining authorization from the Ministry. 

“Considering the failure of the Ministère's agents to respond, and by virtue of the emergency powers granted to it under the circumstances, the Ville de Vaudreuil-Dorion had no other means than to react to ensure the sustainability of Chemin de l'Anse by carrying out temporary, controlled riprap work on the shoreline,” explained the Ville de Vaudreuil-Dorion by e-mail.

The City was fined $20,000 and must also reimburse the applicable fees and contribution, for a total of $35,150.

The City has accepted the offer of the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) to settle the dispute out of court, “without any admission of liability whatsoever and for the sole purpose of avoiding the costs in legal professional fees and human resources related to a trial and the vagaries of judgment, since the City is convinced of the merits of its emergency response to the spring 2019 flooding”.

A reminder of the facts

During the 2019 floods, bank erosion was so severe in places that the Town feared for the integrity of road infrastructure and riverside properties, particularly on chemin de l'Anse.

“In fact, there are 107 built and inhabited properties on chemin de l'Anse, seven on rue Albert, six on rue privée St-Denis and five on Brasseur, all of which are accessible only via chemin de l'Anse. At the most critical points, between civic numbers 39 and 305, there was less than four metres between the road shoulder and the static water level, and even less than two metres in windy conditions. If Chemin de l'Anse were to subside, the entire area and its properties would have been isolated by land, with consequent damage to the properties feared. The town also feared that its water, sewer and stormwater pipes would be affected,” adds the municipal administration.

It was against this backdrop that an advisor from the Direction régionale de la sécurité incendie et de la sécurité civile de la Montérégie et de l'Estrie of the Ministère de la Sécurité publique contacted the Urgence-Environnement department of the Ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs to report the situation, so that the city could be guided and react quickly to the situation, which threatened the public safety of an important part of the city, as shown by the DPCP's evidence.

Environmental Control ensures compliance with environmental legislation for the well-being of citizens, by verifying the conformity of activities that may cause damage to the environment. In the event of non-compliance, it takes all necessary steps to ensure that the law is respected.