Citizen groups unite to oppose four Legault government projects

Environmental groups held a sit-in outside Premier François Legault’s Montreal office Sunday to denounce government projects they say will harm Quebec’s ecosystems.

Citizen groups opposed to four separate projects of the Legault government have joined forces in hopes of making their voices heard.

Les Mères au front chapters from Montreal, the South Shore, the Lower Laurentians and Saguenay, along with the group Vigie citoyenne Port de Contrecœur, held a sit-in Sunday outside Premier François Legault’s Montreal office.

The joint protest was organized to denounce “the expansion of the toxic waste site operated by Stablex, the growth of the Port of Contrecœur, the destruction of natural areas by the Northvolt factory, and Bill 97, which sets out a new forestry regime.”

According to organizers, who held the event to mark International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, the projects share “an unprecedented destruction of biodiversity.”

They also denounced what they called the government’s “high-handed approach.”

“It’s divide and conquer. Evaluating projects one by one across Quebec makes it easier to minimize the cumulative environmental impact. What we want to show is that we are not disconnected citizen groups scattered across the province. We are united in protecting our environment and our heritage, which all Quebecers benefit from,” said Rebecca Pétrin, director of Eau Secours and a representative of the coalition opposing Stablex.

Pétrin said the growing number of projects being developed across the province shows that “protecting water, protecting the environment and protecting natural habitats are not being prioritized over economic development.”

“It’s when you put all the pieces of the puzzle together that you see the full scope of what’s happening,” she added.

Her view was echoed by Hélène Reeves, spokesperson for Vigie citoyenne Port de Contrecœur.

“This is an economic vision that ignores the current climate crisis. It’s a vision where forests are razed, wetlands destroyed and habitats wiped out. All of this also affects citizens’ quality of life, the quality of our air, the quality of our water. There are many common threads,” she said.

Like Pétrin and Reeves, Anne-Marie Chapleau, spokesperson for the Mères au front Forest/Caribou committee on Bill 97, worries about the long-term effects of these projects.

She said society is “living well beyond our means” and “encroaching on our biological capital and the life capital of future generations.”

“I’m a mother and a grandmother, but whether you are one by blood or by heart, we all share the concern that the world remains livable and viable for those who come after us. Conditions are being put in place that could prevent that, and it worries us greatly,” she said.

Still, Chapleau said she remains hopeful. She believes networking among citizen groups can help change the government’s course.

“My source of hope is seeing people of all ages mobilizing. If we stay at home crying or bury our heads in the sand, nothing will change. We have to gather, unite and work on these issues. There are many complementary ways of doing that, and I think it can make a difference.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. , 2025.