Ferrandez slams private dock
Projet Montréal says public access to Lachine Canal is restricted
Projet Montréal Leader Luc Ferrandez denounced the installation of private docks on the Lachine Canal, saying they restrict public access to the canal and its banks.
On Wednesday, Ferrandez and two city councillors for the SudOuest borough, Sophie Thiébaut and Craig Sauvé, specifically targeted a private dock recently built behind the Myst sur le Canal condo development.
The city has invested over $100 million into the revival of the canal to make it accessible to the public and boats, which is why privatization should be avoided at all costs, Sauvé said.
The canal, being a historic site, falls under the jurisdiction of Parks Canada, which approves the construction of docks.
“This is a national park, so we want to make sure that Parks Canada has a clear position, which in our opinion should be toward a more public access to the canal, and not a private access,” said Sauvé.
The private dock behind the new condo development is a short distance from the public bike path that runs behind the building. The dock is surrounded by a fence, and has a locked metal, cage-like gate.
Myst said the dock was built that way for security reasons, and that it is locked because the company is liable for incidents that occur on it. Myst said it followed all of Parks Canada’s regulations and the dock was built so it wouldn’t interfere with the public’s access to the canal in any way.
Ferrandez said future developments may decide to install their own private docks and eventually take up all the “best spots,” limiting where the city could eventually put in public docks.
Thiébaut said the Myst dock is especially problematic because the land between the condos and the water is very narrow. This can make the public feel like they are in the condo owners’ back yard, she said, and not in a public area.
Sud-Ouest borough mayor Benoit Dorais said his administration has approved two condo developments since 2009. They worked to make sure the developments wouldn’t restrict access to the canal. He only learned some developments had private docks Wednesday morning, he said.
He also said Myst gave some of its land to the city so public access wouldn’t be an issue.
Dorais said he agrees with Projet Montréal concerning this issue.
Micheline Cromp, who has lived in the area for 62 years, said public consultations should take place before any docks — private or public — are built.
“When you put (the dock) there, what are you telling people? That this isn’t your home,” she said.
Ferrandez has asked that federal parties take a stance on the issue.
Allison Turner, NDP candidate for Ville-Marie–Le Sud-Ouest– Île-des-Soeurs, told the Montreal Gazette her party agrees general access to the canal is important, adding the party would work closely with the city and other partners to ensure public access.
The Green Party is not only concerned with the semi-privatization of the Lachine Canal but also with cleanliness and pollution issues, said Daniel Green, the Green Party candidate in the riding.
The Liberal and Conservative parties did not respond to a request for comment. The Bloc Québécois told the Montreal Gazette it has not taken a position yet on the issue.
The Montreal Gazette reached out to Parks Canada, but it did not respond to a request for comment.