“This decision meets our expectations. As a local government, we have the responsibility and the skills to advance environmental issues,” underlines Mayor Paul Germain.
The gas company Énergir will withdraw its lawsuit against the City of Prévost.
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Énergir (formerly Gaz Métro) will finally abandon its controversial lawsuit against the City of Prévost. The regulation which limits access to natural gas in this municipality located in the Laurentians will come into force as planned on December 31. It will now include details about renewable natural gas in existing buildings.
This decision meets our expectations. As a local government, we have the responsibility and the skills to advance environmental issues, underlined Mayor Paul Germain in a press release obtained by Radio-Canada.
On Twitter (X), the elected official added that it is a victory for his municipality, for the Quebec cities and the environment. (New window)
In recent days, this issue has caused enormous unease within the Union of Municipalities of Quebec (UMQ). This organization, which represents the largest Quebec cities, including Prévost, had even distanced itself from Énergir, a partner for several years.
Remember that the Prévost regulation 831 prohibits certain types of use of fossil gas or renewable natural gas in new residential and institutional buildings in the municipality.
LoadingTeachers from the FSE-CSQ and Quebec produce a proposed regulation
The teachers of the FSE-CSQ and Quebec give birth to a proposed regulation
ELSELL ON INFO: The teachers of the FSE-CSQ and Quebec give birth to a proposed regulation
Gas stoves and barbecues are not covered by this regulation and the owners of current buildings can use and have their appliances repaired until the end of their useful life.
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Founded in 1909 under the name “Shawbridge village corporation”, Prévost became the first municipality in Quebec to adopt a by-law aimed at the decarbonization of buildings in its territory.
To reach an agreement, the City has watered down its wine regarding the issue of existing buildings. It will always be impossible to change a gas appliance at the end of its life unless the new equipment runs on dual energy and 100% renewable natural gas (RNG).
Contacted by Radio-Canada, the company Énergir affirms that the draft regulation clarifying certain wordings of regulation 831 […] is satisfactory.
Énergir held that its customers can have access to renewable solutions complementary to electricity, such as RNG and dual energy RNG, it is specified in a press release.
In recent weeks, representatives from Prévost and Énergir had met several times. Last December 11, during the municipal council meeting, Mayor Germain was positive about the conclusion of an agreement with the company.
This fall, Prévost tabled the first municipal by-law in Quebec intended to limit the use of natural gas in buildings. Since then, the towns of Candiac and Mont-Saint-Hilaire have also adopted similar regulations.
The municipal administrations of Laval and Montreal have also expressed their intention to move in the same direction.
In recent weeks, several cities have given their support to Prévost. During its last board of directors, the members of the UMQ approved financial assistance for the municipality.
The decision was welcomed by several environmental groups, including the Let’s Get Out the Gas coalition.
"Prévost embodies the strength of municipalities who defend the sustainable future of communities in the face of pressure from oil and gas lobbies who, for their part, do not “defend nothing other than their own financial interests,” these groups stressed.
According to the coalition, municipalities should not be alone in shouldering the burden of decarbonizing buildings.
In the coming weeks, a framework will be developed by the UMQ to help municipalities decarbonize their buildings.
A bill on the environmental performance of buildings has been tabled by Quebec. "Provincial action should not slow down municipal action," believes the coalition.
Natasha Kumar has been a reporter on the news desk since 2018. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining The Times Hub, Natasha Kumar worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my natasha@thetimeshub.in 1-800-268-7116
