Eventually! There will be speed regulations for motorboats on the Richelieu River. The four municipalities concerned – Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu and Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu – have adopted a draft amended regulation which will be submitted to Transport Canada . The regulation is the result of a compromise with marina owners and is quite complex. Basically, it ensures that:
- The speed of motorboats is limited to 10 km/h within 50 m of the banks, everywhere on a 20 km stretch of the river;
- Certain more fragile areas are prohibited for motorboats;
- In other fragile areas, the speed is limited to 10 km/h and it is prohibited to practice water sports;
- Elsewhere, speed is limited to 50 km/h and water sports are prohibited on weekends between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
A reasonable compromise
Of course, we would have preferred adoption of the previous regulation which would have limited speed to 10 km/h everywhere. Also, it would have banned the practice of motorized water sports which are harmful to the Richelieu River. Municipal elected officials have decided otherwise and we believe this is an excellent first step.
In the letter of support that we sent them, we mentioned our position in favor of the amended regulations. Banning motorized water sports in breeding areas of endangered species will help protect their habitats. By limiting navigation to 50 m from the banks, we will reduce erosion of the latter. And finally, by prohibiting the use of wakeboards during certain hours on weekends, the regulation takes into account the issues of cohabitation between the different users of the Richelieu River.
An attempt by NAUTIQUE QUÉBEC to derail the process
The pressure was strong on elected officials. Having the interests of boaters to defend, NAUTIQUE Québec tried everything to scuttle the amended regulations: an insert in the local newspaper, a request to the MRC to hold a consultation table – which would have led to having to restart the process. In short, a categorical refusal to support the amended regulations.
On January 27, 2022, Nautisme Québec made a formal request to the MRC so that the latter organizes a consultation table. This request was rejected by the MRC. From our point of view, this was essentially a delaying tactic by Nautisme Québec aimed at stopping the regulation.
There were inaccuracies in this position and a misunderstanding of the democratic decision-making process. Furthermore, NAUTIQUE Québec has confused two very different concepts: a consultation and an consultation.
Consultation is an obligation of elected officials
In the present situation, this consultation was indeed carried out. Contrary to what Nautisme Québec suggests, Transport Canada requires that consultations take place with stakeholders and the population. It is therefore false to claim that Transport Canada does not require the agreement of citizens and the nautical world. If the agreement of the nautical industry was required to adopt a regulation, this would be equivalent to giving a right of veto over any decision taken by a municipal council. In this case, the amended regulations were the subject of public consultations as well as private meetings between elected officials and NAUTIQUE QUÉBEC. Elected officials have heard the grievances of Nautisme Québec. Some were accepted, others were rejected, which led to the amended regulations.
Consultation is a negotiation between actors who exercise decision-making power
The consultation that Nautisme Québec is talking about is based on the idea of a negotiation between civil society actors to decide on a project which could be submitted to elected officials, whose role would then be limited to “approving” without discussion, a form of rubber-stamp. We then talk about negotiations and negotiations between the actors to arrive at a compromise: you give me this, in exchange for which I give you that.
However, when everyone arrives with their list of requests formulated based on their own interests, we end up missing the essential: what is best for the protection of the river and for cohabitation between its users?
For four years, elected officials have been consulting, listening, discussing. They decided to submit a regulation to Transport Canada that does not suit NAUTIQUE Québec, which does not want any limitations for motorized boats. Either. This is their position. On the other hand, Nautisme Québec maintains the illusion that it was not consulted even though it was.
Today, a regulation has been adopted and this is an important step forward. Better: all the municipalities on the Richelieu River now want regulations. The discussions are only just beginning.
Cover photo credit: Sûreté du Québec / Sorel Tracy Magazine
