Due to requirements set by the Department of Environment and Climate Change (MELCC), the city is forced to pay an additional $600,000 to complete the project’s financial package.
La Bay District Chief Raynald Simard specified in the municipal council on Monday that obtaining an environmental authorization certificate is based on very specific criteria and that the city must respect them if it wants to make changes to the construction site.
The first shovel must be raised from the soil for the development of the launch of the boat in March 2022.
The call for bids that will make it possible to find a company capable of carrying out the work must be announced in the next few days.
Newly elected District 8 Councilwoman Mireille Jean said she fears the additional funds earmarked for the project will hurt work on upgrading the landing stage that provides access to the Chikutimi River. His colleague Jacques Cleary agreed, but the city’s general manager, Jean-Francois Boivin, quickly allayed their fears by saying that Chicoutimi’s project would not be bypassed.
Less money in the port area
Moreover, the Société de Gestion de la Zone port de Chicoutimi will receive less money from the municipal coffers this year.
Following the adoption of Saguenay’s budget on December 6, the city ratified a Memorandum of Understanding with the organization, which will have to take a 5% reduction in its annual envelope, which equates to a net loss of $79,000. Elected officials in Sagueni ratified the agreement on Monday evening. In 2021, the Port Zone Management Corporation received $555,000, in addition to operating assistance for the Mille Lieu de la Colline Park, located in Chicoutimi-Nord, which amounted to $1,025,000. This year, the subsidy paid to the Port Zone will be $528,568, while the theme park will receive $973,750.
When the budget was presented in December, the renewed head of the Saguenay Finance Committee, Michel Botvin, warned that the Société de Gestion de la zone port and STS You will have to make financial concessions.
about the STS, appointed advisor to the Democratic Renewal (ERD) team, Marc Bouchard, took the floor to plead in favor of publishing a reflection project aimed at better supporting the carrier in a future perspective.
Supporting numbers, he indicated that against all expectations, the number of users jumped in 2021 compared to 2020, despite the ongoing epidemic. According to the traffic statistics provided by the consultant, 2.8 million visits were recorded in 2020. Last year, the number of visits, with the exception of December, exceeded the threshold of 2.7 million visits.
Mayor Julie Dufour responded to the counsel by telling him that the auditor general, Sylvie Jane, was working on audits that included STS for 14 months and to make their recommendations when the time is right.
methane fumes
The only question from the audience drafted at the end of the Municipal Council meeting was sent by the AREQ Environment and Sustainable Development Committee, Chicoutimi-Valin Sector. The organization and its agents are feeling challenged by the fate the city holds for its former sanitary landfill site in Laterer, after the abandonment of the bio-park project so cherished by Jose Neron. It is estimated that approximately 70% of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted in Saguenay come from this place.
Mayor Dufour confirmed this It’s priority number one
for the city.
« Burning it will be the first stage, but also, the search for how to use this energy in a healthy way and for our residents. It’s a major issue »
This topic will be discussed at a future meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development and the Environment, confirmed its chair, Jamie Bouchard.
Natalie Sinclair is a contributor at Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, accurate reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and issues that matter to their communities. Her work highlights timely developments, relevant stories, and practical insights in a professional and reader-friendly manner.