As a signatory of the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Biological Diversity and the Convention for the Protection of Migratory Birds, Sierra Club Canada Foundation – Quebec Chapter is calling on the Government of Canada to honour its obligations and prevent irreversible damage to wetlands due to the expansion of the Technoparc, Montreal's industrial park.
In a letter dated July 18, Sierra Club Quebec calls on Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna to meet our national and international obligations to protect the Least Bittern and other migratory birds who frequent the wetlands by designating the area as critical habitat.
“This area is under threat by expansion of the Technoparc. In 2017, experts observed the Least Bittern breeding in the wetlands. Preserving the area from destruction is imperative,” according to Chapter Coordinator Bradford Dean.
The Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis) is designated as a threatened species on the Species at Risk Act (SARA). The Least Bittern has been identified as having its home in Technoparc wetlands. The Government of Canada has adopted the 2014 Recovery Strategy for the Least Bittern in Canada, which calls for the identification and protection of critical habitat for the preservation and recovery of this species in Canada.
“We will be looking for international organizations and experts to echo our call for protection, states Sierra Club Quebec’s Don Hobus. “The Minister of Environment needs to be aware that the eyes of the world are upon us and the destruction that you are encouraging is being recorded and your actions will be remembered.”
“Having such significant bird habitat in an urban area puts it at increased risk of destruction. It’s also a huge asset: the location is one of the top birding sites in the city. As our cities expand, we must make room for birds and wildlife and the spaces they need for their survival. We are asking the federal government to enact measures to protect these wetlands and the diversity of species they support,” says National Program Director Gretchen Fitzgerald.
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For more information, please contact
Bradford Dean – Chapter Coordinator
Sierra Club Quebec
Tel: 514-569-8004
Email: quebec@sierraclub.ca
Gretchen Fitzgerald - National Program Director
Sierra Club Canada Foundation
Tel: 902-444-7096
Email: gretchenf@sierraclub.ca