This year, the subject of trees will be impossible to circumvent on the path that leads to the town hall of Quebec. Partly because of the tram project, but also because of the effects of pandemic containment.
“The place of trees in the city is a subject of high sensitivity,” said Jean Rousseau, leader of Democracy Quebec, one of the five candidates for mayor. “With the pandemic, people have reclaimed their neighborhoods on foot or by bicycle. There is a desire to acquire green networks, green spaces. The environment and the trees are a major issue. “
In addition to Mr. Rousseau, four people are in the running to succeed Régis Labeaume: Marie-Josée Savard, from Team Marie-Josée Savard; Jean-François Gosselin, from Quebec 21; Jackie Smith, from Transition Quebec; and Bruno Marchand, from Quebec strong and proud.
Nature, a central theme
This week, Bruno Marchand pledged to reduce by 60 to 70% the number of trees that must be felled to make way for the tram.
A total of 651 mature trees must be felled as part of this project valued at $ 3.3 billion, including 186 on Boulevard René-Lévesque; this is one of the major irritants that undermine the social acceptability of the project. An online petition to save these trees is also on the verge of reaching its target of 25,000 signatures. “Thank you for supporting the preservation of these irreplaceable trees,” write its authors. Let’s not kill the beauty of the world. “
“The citizens are talking to us about it, it’s incredible to what extent the trees are invited into the electoral campaign”, observes Jean-François Gosselin, of Quebec 21. According to him, Bruno Marchand’s proposal is unrealistic. “They have no choice but to shoot them. A tram in urban integration, that’s what it does. […] The only way to keep some of the trees is to remove traffic lanes. To save trees and motorists, Mr. Gosselin therefore suggests abandoning the tramway project and investing in his light metro project, the VALSE.
Marie-Josée Savard, for her part, does not see how we could reduce the number of cuts. “If we have a tree that is cut, it means that we really cannot do otherwise,” she said, stressing that the City relied on expert opinions to estimate the number of trees sacrificed. . “I think we went to the maximum. We trust science. “
She too has noticed how the canopy has become politicized in recent years. “In my first term, in 2009, that sensitivity was much less present. As responsible for land use planning in the Labeaume administration, she says she had to acquire the equivalent of a forestry diploma in order to master this issue.
For her part, the fifth candidate, Jackie Smith, of Transition Quebec, is far from indifferent to the question. The name of his party says it all: his priority is ecological transition. She has already spoken out in favor of reducing traffic lanes along the streetcar track rather than cutting down trees.
Upcoming debates
Mme Smith also proposed this week to create a mobile squad that would prevent cars from parking in bike lanes. When asked about this proposal, the other candidates had little to say.
For the time being, candidates are concentrating on their own agenda and not discussing those of others. The real debates are yet to come.
However, we had a foretaste this week of what to expect when Bruno Marchand said he was open to the imposition of a special tax for properties located along the tram route. The proposal was denounced en bloc by Mr.me Savard, Mr. Gosselin and Mr. Rousseau, who all argued that they were not going to increase the tax burden on citizens. In what showed signs of a decline, Mr. Marchand announced the next day that there would be no tax, but that he wanted to evaluate a royalty model similar to that of the REM Montrealer.
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