Contrecœur Terminal Saga: When the Federal Government Cuts Corners and Circumvents Its Own Laws

Press release

Montreal, October 27, 2025 – The Société pour la nature et les parcs (SNAP Québec) is calling on the federal government to get its act together and resume the process of determining the environmental effects of the offsetting development project for the copper redhorse in the Verchères Islands, this time complying with the public consultation requirements provided for in section 86 of the Impact Assessment Act.

We also call on the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) to comply with the Species at Risk Act and take the necessary steps to obtain a permit under section 73 of that Act, considering that this offsetting project involves the destruction of another portion of the copper redhorse’s critical habitat.

“How can anyone seriously justify authorizing a project to offset the destruction of the copper redhorse’s critical habitat when it will itself destroy another part of the species’ critical habitat? To add insult to injury, this offsetting project has not even been subjected to proper public consultation, as required by federal law,” denounces Alain Branchaud, biologist and executive director of SNAP Québec.

This situation adds to APM’s recent decision to bypass municipal authorization procedures. Federal corporations such as the APM are not above the law. If the federal government does not remedy the situation, this project to expand the Port of Montreal in Contrecœur could well become its own Northvolt moment.

It is worth noting that 63% of offsetting projects carried out in Canadian aquatic environments had negative impacts, harming the species they were supposed to help.

“The copper redhorse is the only vertebrate species unique to Quebec, and our national fish is listed on the infamous IUCN Red List. Science, the precautionary principle, rigor, and a sense of responsibility must quickly be brought into this debate,” concludes Alain Branchaud.

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INFORMATION

Science Advice – Impacts of the Contrecoeur Port Terminal Expansion Project on the Copper Redhorse (March 2021)

CONTACT

Charlène Daubenfeld
Director of Communications
SNAP Québec
Cell : 514 378-3880
communications@snapquebec.org