Ottawa halts private development on frog habitat in Quebec
CBC News | Posted: June 24, 2016 9:02 PM | Last Updated: June 24, 2016
Western chorus frogs in Quebec will continue to have room to sing, after Ottawa issued an emergency order to stop developers from building on a part of the endangered amphibians' habitat.
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This week, the federal government issued an emergency order to stop the construction of 171 housing units in La Prairie, near Montreal. It's the first time the Species At Risk Act has been used to block a private real estate development.
It sends the message that science is back in the decision process. - Alain Branchaud, Canadian Park and Wilderness Society
"This is an historic decision. It's very important," Alain Branchaud tells As it Happens host Carol Off.
Branchaud is the executive director of the Quebec branch of the Canadian Park and Wilderness Society. He's also a former federal government scientist who has studied the western chorus frog.
The order comes after a long legal battle where scientists called out the developer and the former federal government for failing to protect the vulnerable species. In 2013, environmental groups requested an emergency protection order for the western chorus frog from the Conservatives.
Branchaud says the current federal government's decision to protect the frog "sends the message that science is back in the decision process.
"It sends a message that protecting the environment is important. We're in 2016. We have so many challenges to protect our planet and our habitat that, at some point, we need to start somewhere. I think this is a very good start. " he says.
The emergency order has been met with criticism from the Quebec government, who says the motion is a possible infringement on the province's jurisdiction.