WC131 JulyAugust 2023 - Magazine - Page 19
More recently, in June 2017, the Act
respecting the conservation of wetlands and
bodies of water was adopted and amended
several laws. The amendments introduced
by this legislation aimed to strengthen the
protection of Quebec’s water resources,
empowering municipalities to identify in
their land use plan any zone where land
is subject to particular constraints for reasons of environmental protection of wetlands and bodies of water, among other
things.4 It also intensified the obligations
of RCMs with regard to the management
and protection of their regional wetlands
and bodies of water plan.5
Intensified municipal investment
On March 21, 2023, the Minister of
Municipal Affairs presented Bill 16,
An Act modifying the Act respecting land
use planning and development and other
dispositions. Bill 16 intensifies the powers
of municipalities not only in land-use
planning but also in the management and
protection of water resources through
certain key changes:
Empowering municipal bodies (RCMs
and local municipalities) to include in
their land use and development plans
(LUDPs) objectives and measures to
ensure the protection and availability of
water resources.6
Empowering municipalities to prohibit
any work or use of an immovable property that would create needs exceeding
the capacity of a water supply, sewer, or
water purification systems or result in
insufficient water resources or deterioration of their quality.7
Enabling the Minister of the Environment, Fight Against Climate Change,
Wildlife, and Parks to enforce more
stringent regulations. Specifically, if
public bodies (metropolitan communities, RCMs, and local municipalities)
have LUDPs that do not provide adequate protection for wetlands and water
bodies, or if these plans risk overloading
the capacity of water supply, sewerage,
or wastewater systems, the Minister has
the authority to require these entities to
revise their plans accordingly.8
While Bill 16 is not yet enacted, it
represents a continuation of Quebec’s trend
toward municipalities assuming a more significant role in managing water resources.
By empowering local governments to make
crucial decisions regarding water resources, Quebec attempts to better ensure the
sustainable use and protection of its water
resources for future generations.
For further reading visit watercanada.net
ja23resources/
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WATER C AN ADA • JULY/AUGUS T 2023
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