MONTREAL -- Last July 8, we were surprised to find out that the Lachine Marina belonged to the City of Montreal. Up until recently, the majority of Lachine residents had thought that the Marina was a private club. We would watch from the opposite shore the hundreds of motorized boats anchored at the small jetty, where we have had no access.

On the 8 of July, we not only found out the site belonged to all of us collectively, but that an investment totalling millions of dollars of public funds would be required for the renovation of the site’s infrastructure and to fix the riverbanks which were badly damaged by the early arrival of spring and recent flooding. 

Faced with this understanding, we as citizens must ask ourselves a fundamental question: In 2020, is it a legitimate use of funds to invest more than $16 million for the benefit of the boat owners who represent less than 450 households? Out of these households, there are approximately 50 families from Lachine, and slightly less than 50 per cent who live in Montreal. Therefore, 50 per cent of the boaters pay a fee for their anchorage and use of the Marina yet pay no taxes whatsoever to Montreal.

As citizens, we believe the city has taken a courageous decision which should enjoy massive support. An investment in the creation of a public nautical park in concert with addressing one of the major environmental challenges of our era is not only a smarter investment, but also consistent with social justice and environmental resilience which drives us. No more solutions based on cement retainers. It is time to create a vegetation watershed.

However, the boaters do not see things this way and they have powerful methods at their disposal to make themselves heard… which has fuelled in recent weeks' division and a climate of tension in our usually peaceful community. They try to convince us that investing public funds in the marina is a compassionate gesture, comparable to investing in social housing or saving an endangered species. Lawyers, lobbyists and a public relations firm were hired. Expensive publicity was purchased in major provincial newspapers. Former municipal councillors suddenly broke their silence and took up the argument on the citizen discussion forums and social media in favour of the marina. As ridiculous as it may seem, neighbours were told that their property value would suffer if the marina were to close. In short, a large public relations and campaign of intimidation unfolded in front of us. Very perplexing.

NAVIGATE TOWARDS A MORE EQUITABLE FUTURE 

We believe that changing the local model is necessary for the development of the local economy in a way which is consistent with respecting and encouraging the environment. It has been 34 years that the marina belongs to the city and there has been no concrete evidence in the past or currently of any major positive economic impact. The 450 boat owners claim they generate $10 million of economic benefits for the local Lachine economy; however, this figure is derived from an informal survey. There has been no evidence provided to the general

public in support of this claim. Recent studies on the economic benefits of boating in Quebec show much more conservative numbers. It should not be overlooked that half of the boaters are Montreal residents, who would consume locally in any event. 

For our part, we believe that Lachine and Montreal should be open to local and green (eco) tourism in order to stimulate this economy which has been stagnant for decades. A nautical park has the potential to generate interesting revenue, notably through the rental of small watercraft such as Stand Up Boards or kayaks for instance, two very popular pastimes. 

It is time to change the paradigm for all of our benefit. We are more than ever convinced. 

Signatories:

The collective Réclame ta rive 

Marie-Eve Bégin
Eve Caroline Pomerleau
Vicki Grondin
Karl Blanchet
Richard Cabana
Simon Chamberland
François Labbé
Josiane Lamy
Ariane Leduc
Kyle Smith
Francine Bourdeau Arpin
Alain Arpin
Catherine Lemaire
Marie-Josée Bisson
France St-Pierre 
Daniel Spooner
Marie-Claude Prévost
Ryler Mahoney
Natalie Richard
Joëlle Spooner
Louise Beaupré
Jocelyn Lamy
Justin Stabili
Jean-Paul Bégin
Isabelle Leblanc
Mathieu Lavoie
Marie-Claude Hurteau
François Blanchet
Simon Beaudry
Virginie Bissinger
Sylvie Trudelle
Valérie Lemaire
Sarah Fillion
Julie Thibaudeau
Philippe Bérubé
Véronique Hurteau
Julien Fiset-Cyr
Charles-Éli Meek Bouchard
Christophe Garneau-Pilon
Marielle Khadra
Vincent Charland
Virginie Moreau
Francine Pomerleau
Isabelle Fortier
Johanne Bourque
Nicolas St-Onge
Gaétane Conway
Christophe Girard
Charles-Rémy Sarrazin
Kevin Bissonnette
Louis-Charles Angers
Marina Danishevskaya
Carlos Andres Ramirez
Émilie Vion Brahim Traore
Carole Vincent
Fred Dantez
Bernard Olivier
Jeannot Desbiens
Valérie Olivier
Joanne Granger
Lysabel Raymond
Geneviève Vincent
Femke Bergsma
Étienne Godin
Manuel R. Cisneros
Stéphane Lampron
Chantal Drolet
Maryse Bélanger
Damien Auger
Marie-Christine Jeanty
Marie-Pierre Desmarais-Brunet
Alice Ibghy
Josée Labelle
Michelle Porraccio
Lise Grondin
Normand Brousseau
Pierre Richard
Florence Maheux Dubuc
Carl Malo Bouthillette
Élizabeth Béland
Marika Dallaire
Michael Holtz Mulholland
Pierre-Luc Duval
Francine Belisle
Pierre Breault
Laurence Jodoin Dubé
Maude Paquet
Guillaume Routhier
Jonathan Godin
Guylaine Dubuc
Pierre Maheux
Raphaelle D’Amours
Marc Lemaire
Émilie Dufort
Mathilde Picotte Lavoie
Annie Talbot
Aurélie Tisseur
Olivier Grignon
Florence Turcotte
Chelsea Dufort
Derek Malo
Valérie Alepin
Sylvie Turgeon
Martin Ouellette
Natalie Brassard
Stéphane Lafrenière
Annie Desranleau
Normand Gadoury
Franck Bélanger
François Villemure
Elisabeth Soubry
Madelaine Soubry
Willy Aigon
Hélène Thomas
Marion Vergues
Julien Libertas