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e-3748 (Environment)

E-petition
Initiated by Roy Grégoire from St-Ignace de Loyola, Quebec

Original language of petition: French

Petition to theGovernment of Canada

Whereas:
  • The St. Lawrence Seaway is a vital economic driver for Canada;
  • The tonnage of ships in the St. Lawrence Seaway is increasing and the federal government has undertaken dredging operations;
  • The federal government cancelled the shoreline protection program in 1997, divesting itself of the responsibility to maintain the riverbank protection works it built;
  • Erosion along the banks of the St. Lawrence is an ever-growing concern for the environment, municipal infrastructure and the safety of citizens and their property;
  • The banks of the St. Lawrence are fragile and crumbling due to erosion and inadequate infrastructure that has deteriorated over time and has not been maintained by the government; and
  • Municipalities along the river need financial support to address this issue and make the necessary changes.
We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to implement a shoreline protection program for the St. Lawrence River and take the necessary steps to counter erosion and safeguard the environment, for example, by regulating the maximum speed of vessels based on vessel type and by creating and maintaining shoreline protection works in order to establish a relationship of trust and collaboration between the federal government, users of the Seaway and shoreline communities, and that everything possible be done to limit the effects of seasonal flooding, while ensuring that water levels are managed appropriately.

Response by the Minister of Transport

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Omar Alghabra

Transport Canada is aware of erosion of the St. Lawrence Seaway and is collaborating closely with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and other partners, to address this issue by way of the St. Lawrence Action Plan.

Concerns have been raised about the effect of vessel traffic, as well as vessel speed, on erosion along the banks of the St. Lawrence. 

Shoreline erosion is a complex phenomenon caused by several natural factors, including ice, wind waves, currents and highwater stages. The shoreline’s nature is also a factor to consider. As these issues are not within Transport Canada’s mandate, the department does not have a program or funding to directly address shoreline erosion related to these factors. Monitoring of the situation is a combined municipal, provincial and federal government responsibility.

The following measures have been implemented:

  • Transport Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard, issues navigational warnings for the safe speed of vessels navigating the St. Lawrence Seaway.
  • The “Notice to Mariners 27A: Guidelines for the transit of large beam vessels and long vessels in the Quebec-Montreal section” and the “Sustainable Navigation Strategy for the St. Lawrence” provide a list of guidelines and measures taken by the Government of Canada to mitigate vessel wake by means of: 
  • Applying voluntary speed reduction measures between Varennes and Île-des-Barques and at the mouth of Lac Saint-Pierre; and,
  • Continuous monitoring day and night of ship speed. The compliance rate with this voluntary measure is approximately 99 percent.

These two aforementioned publications can be found via the Government of Canada Publications webpage: https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2020/mpo-dfo/Fs151-4-2020-eng.pdf and https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/mpo-dfo/Fs154-34-2004-eng.pdf.

In terms of actual funding, there is an initiative called the Community Interaction Program, implemented as part of the St. Lawrence Action Plan, which helps carry out projects to reduce shoreline erosion through revegetation and shoreline restoration. Information can be found on our website at: https://tc.canada.ca/en/programs/community-participation-funding-program

 

Response by the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Mike Kelloway

The Coast Guard is committed to ensuring accessible and safe waterways through different operations, like dredging, which secures minimum water depth. Protecting shoreline structures against erosion does not fall under the purview of our department’s mandate.

Her Majesty in right of Canada does not own any shoreline protective structures along the St Lawrence River, including those she would have erected under any federal program. In addition, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans does not currently manage any program relating to shoreline protective works.

The structures were built for the sole benefit of the land owners and property owners, who are responsible for the associated upkeep and ongoing maintenance.

Shoreline erosion is a complex phenomenon that results from many natural factors, beyond passing ships, including ice, waves caused by wind, currents and tides.

Open for signature
December 10, 2021, at 12:29 p.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
March 10, 2022, at 12:29 p.m. (EDT)
Presented to the House of Commons
Yves Perron (Berthier—Maskinongé)
June 3, 2022 (Petition No. 441-00512)
Government response tabled
August 17, 2022
Photo - Yves Perron
Berthier—Maskinongé
Bloc Québécois Caucus
Quebec