erosion

Gaspé Municipal Update: Septic sludge, waterworks, Tourist Street and beach management 

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Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPE – The Town of Gaspé is addressing major infrastructure and environmental challenges, including sludge treatment, shoreline protection, beach management, and water supply. 

Septic Tank Sludge 

Gaspé is studying the possibility of treating some of the septic tank sludge in the future aerated wastewater treatment ponds in Rivière-au-Renard. 

The town sends its sludge to Chandler through an agreement with the Régie de traitement des matières résiduelles de la Gaspésie and to Matane when Chandler can no longer process it. 

“Perhaps we would be able to treat some of our septic tank sludge without any negative impact. At the same time, we could save on transportation costs to the Chandler and Matane sites,” Mr. Côté calculates. 

Sludge from the northern sector and end-of-season overflows could be treated in Rivière-au-Renard. If the studies are conclusive, Gaspé will ask the Quebec government if any assistance is available. 

Municipalization in 2015 remains a good move for residents, as their bills have been cut in half compared to private companies. 

Tourist Street 

Discussions are continuing between Gaspé and the Ministry of Public Security to convince the Quebec Government to protect the entirety of Tourist Street in the Anse-à-Valleau area. 

The Quebec government is proposing to protect a central area where the majority of the erosion is occurring. “If we don’t fully protect the bank, we’ll end up with erosion that will double, triple, or quadruple at the ends of the riprap. We’re shifting the problem. It’s a basic logic, supported by engineers and scientists, that we must install the entire riprap if we want to avoid problems later,” the mayor emphasizes. 

The town wants the Quebec government to pay 75% of the bill for protecting the entire area. The municipal council awarded a $644,000 contract to carry out the engineering work last June. Significant damage occurred following a violent storm in December 2016. 

Beach Leases 

Gaspé intends to sign a new lease with the Ministry of the Douglastown, Boom Defense, and Haldimand beaches for the summer of 2025. 

In 2020, during the pandemic, the beaches were overflowing with people who had no qualms about the environment. 

The Micmac Nation of Gespeg is also involved, “We worked with the Gespeg First Nation and the Ministry of Natural Resources to strengthen prevention efforts to facilitate beach maintenance and make life easier for people. But this is conditional on the lease renewal,” explains Mr. Côté. The Nation’s ancestral rights are taken into account in the leases to be signed, following a positive meeting with the band council. The leases would be for one year, in order to further deepen the partnership between the Nation and the Town of Gaspé. 

Water in Anse-au-Griffon 

Gaspé will have to rely on surface water collection to supply the water system in the Anse-au-Griffon sector. Groundwater research over the past several years has never yielded good results. The study will help find the best location to draw water from the river. “The Anse-au-Griffon River isn’t very far away. But where is the best location? How should we get our water, the best technique? That’s what the engineering firm in charge of the project must evaluate,” says Mr. Côté. 

A treatment plant will be necessary to treat the water. A few dozen homes will need to be served. “If we prorate the number of residents served versus government requirements and costs, there is obviously a distortion, but the bill is borne by all residents served in the greater Gaspé region,” says the mayor. A partnership with a private company was ruled out because the process would have been complicated. The mayor is eager to finally turn the page. 

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Agreement between Quebec and Maria to replenish the beach 

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Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

place for beach replenishment work to begin in May to protect Maria’s shoreline from erosion and coastal submersion. 

On March 10, the municipal council approved a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Transportation for part of the work aimed at protecting Highway 132 between the municipal beach and the post office. The project will also coordinate with beach replenishment for the commercial sector between the IGA supermarket and the Lady Maria residence. “The storm water outfall, manholes, and engineering work are included in the beach replenishment memorandum of understanding,” says Mayor of Maria Jean-Claude Landry. 

Furthermore, the mayor is confident that the final authorizations for the work will be obtained under the direction of the Ministry of Public Security for the commercial sector. 

“It’s coming in gradually, and we should have all the requests made before the work begins,” says the elected official.  The authorizations are expected before the scheduled start of construction in late May or early June, with work continuing through November. 

For the commercial component, the government of Quebec granted $9.3 million in June 2022, while the municipality will need to contribute $684,000 to complete the financial package.  “I won’t give any figures because we’re in a call for tenders, but it should be included in the budget,” noted the mayor. 

The construction zone will span approximately 2.4 kilometers. However, for the Rue des Tournepierres area, Civil Security has determined that any work would serve no purpose in protecting residents, since the long-term effects of a construction project would be non existent. 

“The municipality is ensuring the protection of property and will support people,” he said. It’s difficult to predict what will happen next, but public services will be provided up to a certain limit. 

“Services will be maintained over time until it’s reasonable to do so. With climate change, we can’t predict what will happen in 10 or 20 years. Climate change will affect local residents,” the mayor explained. 

Approximately 53 residents live in the vacinity. Property owners could receive a maximum compensation of $385,000 to vacate the street.  Protecting this area was estimated to cost $41 million.  Last winter, three major storms severely impacted Pointe Verte residents. 

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Dredging is needed again at the Percé wharf 

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Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

PERCÉ – A new dredging session is planned this year at the Percé wharf. The Quebec Ministry of Transport says the work should take place towards the end of April to avoid delaying the start of the fishing season and the arrival of tourism activities. 

Since the plans and specifications are still being finalized, the exact quantities to be dredged remain to be confirmed. Unlike in previous years, the Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie Port Corporation will coordinate this operation in 2025. 

Regarding long-term solutions to prevent the fishing harbour from silting up, the ministry indicates that the hydro-sedimentary surveys, including raw bathymetry and topography data, will be analyzed by the engineering firm responsible for studies to design a sustainable solution for the Percé wharf. 

The ministry continues to actively seek a sustainable resolution to the erosion and silting problems. “The first step will consist of conducting specialized studies, such as a coastal marine hydraulic study, a coastal sediment transport study, an agitation and navigability study, as well as a comparison of scenarios based on a multi-criteria analysis,” the ministry wrote in an email. 

These studies are scheduled to begin in the winter of 2025. For the moment, there is no precise timetable for their duration due to the need for government authorizations. 

Dredging work at the Percé wharf costs between $350,000 and $450,000 annually. They have been necessary since 2021, following the completion of the wharf reconstruction in 2020, which was transferred by the federal government to the Government of Quebec. 

Furthermore, on the protective wall inside the fishing harbour that protects a SÉPAQ building and, to a certain extent, nearby rue du Mont-Joli, the ministry notes that the facilities do not belong to it. However, the ministry conducted emergency work in 2024 to protect the wall’s integrity. Rock was thus added behind the wall, in sections particularly exposed to the impact of waves and at risk for its stability. The ministry also plans to consolidate the front of the wall to prevent any subsidence. 

Since this work will take place in a coastal zone and a historic area, environmental authorizations, as well as from the Ministry of Culture and Communications will be required. 

According to the ministry, taking into account the time needed to obtain these authorizations and to finalize the plans and specifications, the stabilization work should be completed in 2026. 

“It is important to note that despite this work, one of the SÉPAQ buildings remains at risk during storms. Also, the loss of boardwalk equipment caused by waves during storms is a phenomenon that is likely to recur. However, it is not within the MTSM’s (Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility) mandate to ensure the maintenance of the boardwalk,” states the ministry’s note. 

The emergency work carried out behind the retaining wall cost approximately $240,000. Mayor Daniel Leboeuf expressed concern on the sidelines of the January town council meeting about the integrity of the structure. “The end of this promenade has been affected. Even the emergency work is starting to fail. We are losing large sections of it,” says the mayor. “We will have to see if we will not have to find another solution,” he suggested. 

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A beach replenishment will be necessary in Percé

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Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

PERCÉ – After noticing that the Anse du Sud beach will have to be replenished this year, Percé Mayor Daniel Leboeuf raised the issue with the Ministry of Public Security. 

The mayor noted work done in the 2010s, including the rebuilt promenade, and the beach replenishment which protects the promenade but it remains vulnerable in certain areas. 

“The emergency work carried out in the fall of 2023 made it possible to secure the promenade and other structures. Adjustment work was planned for 2024, but it happened at the beginning of the summer. There was a difference of opinion with what the Ministry of Public Safety was proposing and there were other incidents,” explains Mayor Leboeuf, referring to, without saying so, the resignation of former Mayor Cathy Poirier. 

“From one point of view, it was a good thing because, before Christmas, we had a few high tides that encroached on the recharge and the promenade is close to being in danger. We will need it done in 2025 and discussions with the Ministry of Public Safety have begun,” he says. 

In 2023, a massive recharge had been done, even going so far as to practically eliminate developments carried out in 2017. 

“It’s a bit of trial and error. We identified a few places where we would need to add more,” explains the mayor. 

The Ministry of Public Safety will assume the bulk of the costs, with a game plan expected by the end of January. Meanwhile, emergency repairs to the old promenade wall inside the fishing harbour, done last year, will need to be redone. The Ministry of Transport has been called in to address this portion. 

“The end of this promenade has been affected. Even the emergency work is starting to fail. We are losing big chunks of it,” says the elected official. “We will have to see if we will have to find another solution,” he says. 

Organizational diagnosis 

The Town of Percé has commissioned an organizational diagnosis to assess its municipal administration, following a report published last year on its operations. A contract worth $63,256, with the possibility of reaching $70,000 with various amendments, was awarded to the firm GO RH. 

At the January 14 municipal council meeting, some citizens questioned this expense, asking why the work was not done internally. “One of the problems we have to face is the shortage of municipal officers. The director of urban planning has left, the clerk has retired, and the municipal inspector is not in the office. It would be asking for extra work from the remaining employees for a human resources specialist approach,” explains the mayor. 

Using specialists who have experience could be beneficial for the Town of Percé. “They have seen other things and can find ways for us to operate more efficiently and perhaps even with a more reasonable budget. We found that it was a good investment,” he states. 

The town plans to meet with the firm in the coming days to define the schedule and the mayor hopes to submit the report by the end of the year. 

Even though the Commission had not made it an obligation, this exercise was strongly suggested. “When the school principal recommends that we line up and enter the classroom, we obey,” says Mr. Leboeuf 

Petition in support of Mr. Émile 

A petition to support the relocation project of Fumoir M. Émile de Percé has collected 634 signatures and has been submitted to the municipal council. 

The ten existing jobs, the strengthening of the agritourism economy, supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs, the international recognition of the product and its local pride are cited in support of the request. The petition, initiated by the employees, was submitted by co-owner Cathy Poirier to the elected officials. 

The company had requested a zoning change to allow a larger building at Anse-à-Beaufils, which was refused in December. 

“I would ask you, Mr. Mayor, if you could sit down with the council again to discuss the situation. The project will respect the district of the sector in its architecture, its attractiveness, etc.,” argued Ms. Poirier. 

In the event of a positive response, Ms. Poirier added that a building permit would be required, which would allow for all the elements to be detailed in accordance with an amended by-law. 

The council has accepted the petition. 

In December, the request filed by Alain Méthot consisted of amending the zoning by-law in the Anse-à-Beaufils sector to increase the maximum occupied surface area from 250 square metres to 420 square metres to allow for the installation of a smoking room on the street in Bonfils. 

The company’s objective was to bring together its facilities on Highway 132, rather than maintaining activities on Chemin d’Irlande. 

The council’s rejection of the zoning change was perceived by Ms. Poirier as a form of revenge, as she had resigned from the municipal council in July following several months of tension with certain council members and ongoing issues at the town hall. 

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Gaspé: First step in reconfiguring York Boulevard West in the Sunny Bank sector

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Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Quebec Ministry of Transport (MTQ) has issued a call for tenders for the redevelopment of York Boulevard West in the Sunny Bank sector of Gaspé.

The ministry wants to carry out the first step, which is the environmental impact study of the project, necessary to rebuild the road. In June 2022, the Sunny Bank Flood Committee won a class action against the Ministry of Transport (MTQ) and the court ordered it to carry out corrective work to maintain an adequate level of service for a flow of 600 cubic metres/second over the next six years and to build a river flow measuring station within two years.

The ministry had already committed during the proceedings to undertake about $8 million in roadwork to improve the situation within six years.

In a project notice filed with the Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks for the “Redevelopment of York Boulevard West in the Sunny Bank sector in Gaspé” last fall, the MTQ detailed each of the upcoming steps for the construction site.

The ministry is aiming, in particular, to replace the bridge currently characterized by an opening of 11 metres by a bridge with a 60-metre opening as well as to dig and widen a secondary arm of the York River over 200 metres long and 54 metres wide upstream of the planned bridge.

In addition, the road embankments will be widened over 300 metres where there is a hydric environment due to the road being raised by 0.5 metres, and the ditch will be reprofiled over 400 metres along the eastern side of the Sunny Bank Street intersection.

A 70-metre long ditch and the construction of a new six-metre wide culvert are also in the plans, along with the replacement of four other culverts.

In its notice, the MTQ also proposes three other solutions as part of the impact study. The first option is the complete removal of all road embankments and the relocation of the road four kilometres upstream in a less dynamic part of the York River.

The second option is the complete removal of all road embankments and the construction of a multi-span bridge.

The last scenario, which could have a considerable impact, involves expropriating all residents in the flood zone.

According to the preliminary project schedule, the environmental impact study, a BAPE review, and obtaining the environmental decree should be completed by the fall of 2027.
In the preliminary project schedule, the environmental impact study, a BAPE and the environmental decree should be completed by fall 2027, with the environmental impact study being the first milestone in the process.

The pre-project study, concomitant with the environmental impact assessment, is scheduled for completion in spring 2028. The final preliminary design study is expected to be completed by spring 2029.
This will be followed by plans and specifications to vacate the rights-of-way between spring 2029 and spring 2032, with final authorizations to be obtained in spring 2033. The tendering and awarding of the contract will take place in spring 2033 for construction slated for summer 2033 and fall 2034.
The Ministry is not ruling out the possibility of completing the project by 2035.

Between the judgment rendered in June 2022 and the final work schedule, at least 12 years will elapse.
The road, rebuilt in 1977 which connects the Sunny Bank and Wakeham sectors, slows the flow of the York River.

Previously, it was a road at water level and, during floods, the river would overflow onto the roadway.
Raised by 1.5 metres in 1952, it was noted that the road partially blocked the river’s flow.

In 1977, the road was raised by two metres, making water evaluation even more difficult. The 2010 flood was the straw that broke the camel’s back. From December 13 to 15, 2010, approximately 246 millimetres of rain fell on Gaspé. Residents filed their lawsuit in 2013 and the court authorized it in 2015. Since its reconstruction in 1977, floods have occurred in 1977, 1980, twice in 1981, 1983, 1997, 1998, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2017.

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Highway 132 erosion: no decree until 2026 for action

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – It will be 2026 before Quebec adopts a decree related to the Intervention Program for the Protection of Infrastructures Against Coastal Hazards by the Ministry of Transport (MTQ).

Studies have been underway since 2021 to protect, among other things, Highway 132 in the Gaspé Peninsula from erosion and coastal submersion.

Due to climate change, the ministry predicts that in Lower Saint Lawrence and the Gaspé Peninsula and the Magdalen Islands, 139 kilometres of roads will be vulnerable to erosion, and 176 kilometres will be susceptible to submersion.

In the project notice filed in July 2021, the ministry noted that recent events highlighted the need to ensure road user mobility and carry out preventive interventions. The document estimated 273 vulnerable coastal sites in the long term.

The impact study which has been in progress for nearly three years, is expected to be submitted by the end of the summer, according to the Ministry of Transport, which will indicate when the document will be available.

A series of procedures will follow before Quebec adopts the decree. Thus, the documents admissibility must be reviewed by the Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks and the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) will also examine the document.

Once these two steps have been completed, the report and recommendations will be analyzed by the government, and the Ministry of Transport expects the decree to be adopted in 2026.
Routine interventions by the ministry, such as repairs to retaining walls along Highway 132 on the north side of the Gaspé will continue normally.

Every new project will have to be the subject of requests for different ministerial authorizations by the MTQ.
On the north side of the peninsula, specific issues related to the inhabited areas near rivers, access difficulties due to the topography with cliffs, high exposure of the coasts to winds and waves and the road’s dependence are the main factors in the reflection.

On the south side, *mariculture exploitation, the concentration of salmon rivers and maintaining water access are highlighted in the planning. The impact study will allow for segmenting sites according to the vulnerability and the planning of the required work.

Once the decree is adopted, several steps will need to be completed for the new intervention sites.
The feasibility studies should take between four and 16 months, followed by design studies lasting 12 to 36 months, plans and specifications for 12 to 36 months and the construction.

With a decree adopted in 2026, the work for the new structures would, at best, only begin in 2028 or 2029.
Consultations are still underway for the vast project, which has been divided into four sub-regions: Lower Saint Lawrence, Northern Gaspé Peninsula, Southern Gaspé Peninsula and the Magdalen Islands.

The link for submitting comments can be found on the ministry’s website. In an interview in early 2023, the former territorial director of the Transport Ministry, Yves Berger, indicated that riverbank erosion would be the biggest transportation issue in the Gaspé Peninsula over the next 25 years. He indicated that this issue would require “major investments”.

Projects are being prepared for both the northern and southern sides of the peninsula. Mr. Berger indicated that in recent years, $20 million has been invested to address climate change.

*mariculture – a type of farming in which fish or other sea animals and plants are kept or grown for food.

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