Christine Labrie, the Member of the National Assembly for Sherbrooke, announced on Wednesday that she is sponsoring a citizen-led petition on municipal environmental responsibility at the National Assembly. For the occasion, Labrie joined Pierre Des Rochers, Denis Demers, and Martin Gagnon, who served as spokespeople for the petition, at a presentation of its main points on at the Centre Multi-Loisirs in Sherbrooke. According to Gagnon, the advocacy group was originally born out of the concern voiced be residents in the Mont-Bellevue area at the construction of a service station on the corner of Thibault and Dunant Streets, but has since come to embody concerns, more generally, about the ways in which municipal governments pay lip service to environmental causes while supporting development projects that have significant negative impacts. “What we are basically asking for in this petition is that the percentage of green spaces protected in developments goes from a minimum of 10 per cent to 17 per cent, that promoters can no longer destroy natural environments of ecological value by paying a fee , and that all natural environments of ecological value can be protected, not just wetlands,” said Des Rochers, explaining that although the group is inspired by the actions of the city of Sherbrooke, they want the petition to apply to municipalities across the province. “We also want to be really involved as citizens in decisions that affect our quality of life and the future of our children.” See full story in the Thursday, Dec. 19 edition of The Record.
