Canada/Magdalen Islands at the forefront of climate action
The Communauté maritime des Îles is one of the first municipal administrations to request Québec's assistance in implementing its climate plan. It is submitting 27 projects totalling $9.8 million to the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation.
The Magdalen Islands municipal administration is submitting this impressive program for funding from Québec, as part of the very first call for projects under the Accelerating Local Climate Transition program.
This provincial program has a five-year, $500 million envelope to help municipal organizations adapt to climate change. No less than $50 million will be distributed under this first call for projects, which closes on October 25.
The 27 projects submitted by the Communauté maritime des Îles are linked to climate change adaptation, climate transition and greenhouse gas reduction.
They stem from priorities identified in the 2017-2025 Energy Strategy and the Coastal Erosion and Flooding Intervention Frameworktwo municipal documents that have already been approved by Quebec City with a view to developing a more comprehensive climate plan.
The needs are even greater than those presented in this first program," admits Jean Hubert, Municipal Director of Infrastructure and the Project Office. We've made a selection of projects that are priorities for the Îles-de-la-Madeleine community.
It's ambitious, but it's realistic, and I think it's reasonable.
A quote from Jean Hubert, Director of Infrastructure and Project Office, Communauté maritime des Îles.
Of the 27 projects submitted, five will cost $1 million or more.
Five most expensive projects submitted
Source : Communauté maritime des Îles
The most costly is the creation of an adaptation strategy for heritage and maritime buildings in coastal submersion zones.
| Project title | Total project cost |
|---|---|
| Adaptation and immunization strategy for heritage and maritime buildings in coastal flood zones | 1,5 M$ |
| Coordination of project program implementation (human resources) | 1,1 M$ |
| Assessment of the exposure and vulnerability of the Islands' coastal zone as a tool for adaptation to coastal erosion and flooding | 1,1 M$ |
| Community coastal revegetation project | 1 M$ |
| Provisional reserve of granular material to increase storm resilience | 1 M$ |
Jasmine Solomon, Climate Action Section Head at the Communauté maritime des Îles, explains that recent storms have shown that several buildings linked to the fishing industry, as well as the buildings at the historic site of La Grave, are at risk. the fishing industry, as well as the buildings on the La Grave historic site, are highly vulnerable to coastal flooding, but difficult to move.
How can we help these businesses, these buildings, to have strategies for accommodating water and immunizing themselves to a certain extent against the flooding we could experience in the future?
Other projects submitted include the identification of potential offshore sand deposits for beach nourishment, a study to expand the thermal power plant's heat recovery network, and the decarbonization of the naval sector and municipal infrastructure.
Erosion protection works such as riprap and beach nourishment are not eligible for this program.
First to the starting line
The Communauté maritime des Îles is one of the first municipal administrations to be authorized to submit applications for funding under the Accelerating Local Climate Transition program, since its climate plan has already been partially approved by Québec.
We had several discussions with the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Habitation, who told us that few RCMs had this authorization," explains Jasmine Solomon. I don't have the number, but what we've been told from the start is that we're well positioned, that we're the only coastal RCM, if that hasn't changed since then.
The Îles-de-la-Madeleine community has been ahead of the curve on a number of issues, compared with other Quebec communities, and we'd like to see that recognized by the Quebec government.
A quote from Jean Hubert, Director of Infrastructure and Project Office, Communauté maritime des Îles
The Communauté maritime des Îles hopes to have answers from the government on the selected projects by early 2025.
If selected, Magdalen Islands projects will be eligible for assistance from Quebec covering 90% of eligible expenses. This rate is 80% elsewhere in Quebec.
Source: ici.radio-canada.ca/
