Iles-de-la-Madeleine pauses mandatory $30 visitor fee, citing logistical issues
Quebec’s Îles-de-la-Madeleine says it won't charge a mandatory $30 fee for visitors travelling to the archipelago, citing logistical issues for the system some said infringed on people's freedom to travel within the country.
But the municipality says it’s not backing off from the idea of collecting funds from tourists to help maintain infrastructure and protect the environment. Instead, it said Tuesday in a news release it will "appeal to visitors' honour" and ask that they make a voluntary contribution, at least for this year.
A spokesperson for the municipality told The Canadian Press the decision came down to "operational reasons" — lacking the capacity to verify if tourists paid the $30 fee when flying out from the islands.
The news release said the municipality was "still in negotiations with Transport Canada on the operational plan" to impose the tourist fee.
In April, Îles-de-la-Madeleine Mayor Antonin Valiquette said the fee was necessary because the 60,000 annual tourists are burdening local services and straining existing municipal revenue for the archipelago of roughly 13,000 residents located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
“Let's be clear. We're not backing away from the notion of contribution,” Valiquette told a news conference on Tuesday. “But since we're pioneers in this area, it's normal to adjust during this first year.”
When the municipality announced it would impose a tourist fee between May 1 and Oct. 14 for domestic and international travellers who stay on the islands for more than 24 hours, islanders were concerned the plan would infringe on the freedom of Quebecers and other Canadians to travel within their own country.
As part of the original plan, individuals who failed to comply risked a $1,000 fine.
While Valiquette said that “positive messages have poured in” from the public, he added the municipality has also received “inappropriate, sometimes hateful comments” as well as “unverified information that has sidetracked the debate and degraded the archipelago's social climate.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Conservatives' stunning rise leaves B.C. voters with a once-unimaginable choice
Polls are now open in British Columbia, where voters in today's provincial election face a choice that would have been unthinkable just a few months ago.
Metro Vancouver hit with massive flooding, road closures on the day of B.C. provincial election
A powerful atmospheric river caused street flooding in parts of Metro Vancouver Saturday, closing some roads and soaking voters headed to the polls in B.C.'s provincial election.
Polls open in 2024 B.C. provincial election
The polls are open in the 43rd British Columbia provincial general election, marking the conclusion of a four-week campaign period that saw a record number of ballots cast in advance.
Leaked documents show U.S. intelligence on Israel's plans to attack Iran: CNN sources
The U.S is investigating a leak of highly classified U.S. intelligence about Israel’s plans for retaliation against Iran, according to three people familiar with the matter. One of the people familiar confirmed the documents' authenticity.
Parents pull children from class over presentation at Halifax area school
A number of parents at Oyster Pond Academy pulled their children from class Friday after learning about a gender identity presentation.
'Absolutely force us to close': Saskatoon business seeking donations to pay $18K in fines
Julianna Tan says her world was turned upside down when she got a letter this summer summoning her to court.
Hurricane Oscar forms off the coast of the Bahamas
Hurricane Oscar formed Saturday off the coast of the Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. It characterized the storm as 'tiny.'
Singer Zayn postpones U.S. tour after the death of his former bandmate Liam Payne
English singer Zayn Malik on Saturday postponed a planned tour to the U.S. following the death of his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne.
Ontario man told to 'go back to India' explains why he shared video of the encounter online
A Waterloo, Ont. man is sharing video of a recent encounter with a stranger to give others an idea of the hate he experiences in the community.