Hudson-to-Oka ferry owner says bureaucratic nightmare making for choppy waters

CTV Montreal: Ferry owner sounds alarm The owner of the Oka to Hudson ferry said the waterway needs to be dredged to ensure smooth sailing.

The owner of the ferry between Hudson and Oka said he’s been stuck in a bureaucratic nightmare while trying to ensure smooth sailing for his passengers into the future.

Claude Desjardins said that sediment has been building up near the Hudson dock for years, which has made docking extremely difficult. While in the past he’s taken as many as 2,200 cars per day on the 10 minute trip, that number has been growing due to construction on the REM light rail system causing stoppages on the Deux-Montagnes commuter train line.

“The sediment goes into the channel so it gets, year after year, shallower and shallower,” he said. “The important thing is just to do maintenance of the channel. We have to remove sand just to keep the way clear.”

Desjardins said he’s been trying to get the docking areas cleaned out for years but with 10 federal and provincial government agencies responsible for dredging in the province, he’s been bounced between all of them while trying to solve the problem. He said the best time to dredge is during the fall as water levels are low.

“Right now, it shouldn’t be a big job and the important thing is to do it earlier so it doesn’t become a big job,” he said. “We know it’s always going to come so there’s no need to wait and wait and wait.”

However, should the job get to the point where 5,000 square metres of the river bed needs to be dredged, that would trigger the necessity for an environmental impact study, which would come with further delays and a higher cost.

The approach to the dock was last dredged in 2005. At the time the provincial government recommended re-doing the work every 10 years. But Desjardins believes that with the passing of time and changing of governments, those recommendations have been forgotten.

“It’s almost like everything is forgotten,” he said. “Nobody takes into consideration the recommendations that were put out and we’re starting all over again. Responsibilities have been denied and that’s the worst part. It’s not a productive way to handle the situation.”

Dejsardins said that with 14 years now having passed, the ferry has hit the bottom of the waterway more than once.

“When it’s the worst situation the boat just stops, it can’t get to the ramp,” he said. “In that situation we have to push back the cars to remove some weight from the front.”

Despite all the delays, Desjardins said he’s optimistic the job will get done.

“We’re ready for it. We just need to have the people get their act together. It has to be done.”