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15/ 11 / 2008
The Northern Plan’s sustainable development component
The Northern Plan’s sustainable development component
Quebec's North: A new sustainable
development space
La Baie, November 15, 2008 – On this, the 11th day of the election campaign, the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party and Premier of Quebec, Jean Charest, announced his plan to create a new sustainable development space in Quebec’s North. The area north of the 49th parallel is abundant in natural resources and has immense energy, mining, and forestry potential. The Quebec Liberal Party proposes increasing the pace of economic development projects in the vast area covered by the Northern Plan, in a concerted, structured approach that respects the environment. In other words, economic growth in the North will not undermine protection of the environment.
“I am very pleased to announce today that 12% of the area in the Northern Plan will have protected area status as defined by international standards. This sets aside 70 000 km2 that will be protected from any type of development, a surface area 140 times the size of Montreal,” said Jean Charest.
“I am also announcing that within 38% of the area covered by the Northern Plan, only recreation and tourism development and the promotion of our natural heritage will be allowed. Thus, 50% of the Northern Plan’s area will be protected from industrial, mining and energy development. This represents a surface area equal to that of France devoted to the protection of the environment and to recreation and tourism,” he added.
By 2011, a Quebec Liberal Party government will create five new provincial parks to be among the largest in Quebec: Kuururjuaq, Guillaume-Delisle-et-à-L’Eau-Claire, Albanel-Témiscamie-Otish, Baie-aux-Feuilles and Assinica. The development of these parks will be a powerful lever in the expansion of ecotourism, adventure tourism, and activities such as hunting and fishing.
A Quebec Liberal Party government will protect 50 exceptional geological sites, excluding them from mining activity. These sites will be promoted so visitors can discover them. A Quebec Liberal Party government will also repair mistakes made in the past by focusing on restoring contaminated mining sites and enhancing the current program.
We intend to make this protected area an air purifier for the planet. We will create new carbon sinks in the Northern Plan area by establishing a new forest with 100 million trees over a five-year period, covering 100 000 hectares of forested land currently fallow. At maturity, this forest will capture 80 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually, the equivalent of 32 000 fewer cars on the road per year. This will be a major environmental project and a significant step forward for the planet, placing Quebec among leading nations in the fight against climate change.
A new Quebec Liberal Party government will also be committed to monitoring the Northern Plan area. We will create a first team of 30 inspectors devoted to protecting and controlling this area. This team will oversee the implementation of laws and regulations, and increase the number of inspections throughout this vast area. Facilities to measure and monitor the situation by water and air will better equip this team in a context of risk and adaptation to climate change.
“With these commitments, we are strongly affirming our desire and intention to equate development of the North with the creation of a truly sustainable development space. From now on, economic development and protection of the environment will be synonymous in Quebec’s North. It is my hope that other northern populations will look at us and say: ‘Let’s follow Quebec’s example!’” concluded the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party.
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development space
La Baie, November 15, 2008 – On this, the 11th day of the election campaign, the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party and Premier of Quebec, Jean Charest, announced his plan to create a new sustainable development space in Quebec’s North. The area north of the 49th parallel is abundant in natural resources and has immense energy, mining, and forestry potential. The Quebec Liberal Party proposes increasing the pace of economic development projects in the vast area covered by the Northern Plan, in a concerted, structured approach that respects the environment. In other words, economic growth in the North will not undermine protection of the environment.
A protected area the size of France
“I am very pleased to announce today that 12% of the area in the Northern Plan will have protected area status as defined by international standards. This sets aside 70 000 km2 that will be protected from any type of development, a surface area 140 times the size of Montreal,” said Jean Charest.
“I am also announcing that within 38% of the area covered by the Northern Plan, only recreation and tourism development and the promotion of our natural heritage will be allowed. Thus, 50% of the Northern Plan’s area will be protected from industrial, mining and energy development. This represents a surface area equal to that of France devoted to the protection of the environment and to recreation and tourism,” he added.
By 2011, a Quebec Liberal Party government will create five new provincial parks to be among the largest in Quebec: Kuururjuaq, Guillaume-Delisle-et-à-L’Eau-Claire, Albanel-Témiscamie-Otish, Baie-aux-Feuilles and Assinica. The development of these parks will be a powerful lever in the expansion of ecotourism, adventure tourism, and activities such as hunting and fishing.
A Quebec Liberal Party government will protect 50 exceptional geological sites, excluding them from mining activity. These sites will be promoted so visitors can discover them. A Quebec Liberal Party government will also repair mistakes made in the past by focusing on restoring contaminated mining sites and enhancing the current program.
A new forest with 100 million trees
We intend to make this protected area an air purifier for the planet. We will create new carbon sinks in the Northern Plan area by establishing a new forest with 100 million trees over a five-year period, covering 100 000 hectares of forested land currently fallow. At maturity, this forest will capture 80 000 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually, the equivalent of 32 000 fewer cars on the road per year. This will be a major environmental project and a significant step forward for the planet, placing Quebec among leading nations in the fight against climate change.
A team of inspectors devoted to monitoring the North
A new Quebec Liberal Party government will also be committed to monitoring the Northern Plan area. We will create a first team of 30 inspectors devoted to protecting and controlling this area. This team will oversee the implementation of laws and regulations, and increase the number of inspections throughout this vast area. Facilities to measure and monitor the situation by water and air will better equip this team in a context of risk and adaptation to climate change.
“With these commitments, we are strongly affirming our desire and intention to equate development of the North with the creation of a truly sustainable development space. From now on, economic development and protection of the environment will be synonymous in Quebec’s North. It is my hope that other northern populations will look at us and say: ‘Let’s follow Quebec’s example!’” concluded the leader of the Quebec Liberal Party.
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