Residents in Hudson, Que. angered that beach access blocked
Sandy Beach Park in Hudson, Que. is a beautiful area if you can get to it.
New signs sprung up in the area that say: "Private Property. Do Not Enter."
"It's a real shame that these signs have gone up because, for years, people have been walking their dogs and enjoying nature, and enjoying this enviroment," said Hudson resident Bernard Leduc.
In addition, slabs of concrete block paths.
Barbara Larder has been walking in the area for 17 years and was surprised to see the pathways blocked.
The newly installed Hudson "Public Trail" signs meander around the private property.
A sign denotes the 'public trail' in Hudson Que. (Christine Long, CTV News)
"So even though we're not allowed access right from the parking lot, we are able to go around, pass the river, then over the bridge and from there to go to Jack Layton Park and pass by the Beaver Dam," said Larder. "We're allowed access to that but not Sandy Beach."
In an email to CTV, Hudson Mayor Chloe Hutchison said: "The registered servitude does not have a time limit."
"There is no cost connected to the servitude," she said. "As the path will have to run through environmentally sensitive area, it will have to receive the Environment Ministry's approval before being built. This process is likely to take several months."
Brenda O'Farrell is the editor-in-chief of the 1019 Report, a community newspaper in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges region, and said that the controversy is the latest in a tug-of-war between the developer and Hudson residents.
The Quebec Environment Ministry is working through an appeal process that could pull the landowner's permit to backfill the wetlands.
"It's all going to come down to the permit that has been revoked by the minister if that revocation will stand or not and that's the issue right now," said O'Farrell. "This is a small little skirmish within that bigger battle."
Residents say it's an ugly battle over a beautiful area.
"Their attitude towards the community, their response is to block a trail that has been beloved and part of Hudson for a long time," said Hudson resident Christine Redfern. "It makes me question, 'do we want someone like this in our community building?'"
CTV reached out to the developer and has yet to hear back.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Kitchener family says their 10-year-old needs life-saving drug that cost $600,000
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
'Do not consume': Gift Chocolate recalled due to undeclared milk, soy
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Ontario to ban use of cellphones in school classrooms starting in September
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Health minister 'deeply appreciative' of doctors but capital gains changes here to stay
Health Minister Mark Holland says while he is 'deeply appreciative' of the work doctors in Canada do, the federal government has no plans to scrap the proposed capital gains tax changes outlined in the latest budget, despite opposition from the Canadian Medical Association.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
BREAKING Quebec to invest $603 million to protect the French language
Quebec will invest $603 million over five years to counter the decline of French in the province, French Language Minister Jean-Francois Roberge announced Sunday.
Key mediator Qatar urges Israel and Hamas to do more to reach a cease-fire deal
A senior Qatari official has urged Israel and Hamas to show "more commitment and more seriousness" in ceasefire negotiations in interviews with Israeli media, as pressure builds to reach a deal that would free some Israeli hostages and bring a ceasefire in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Campus anti-war protesters dig in across U.S. as schools, police take action
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war woke up in tents at college campuses across the United States Sunday morning planning more protests demanding that schools cut financial ties to Israel and divest from companies accused of enabling the conflict.