Sinkholes and drying wetlands cause of concern during REM light rail construction project
It has now been confirmed that REM light-rail construction is to blame for two sinkholes opening up in a wetland near the Pierre Trudeau International Airport in Montreal.
Environmentalists were surprised to find that the St-Laurent Technoparc had partially dried up, but the REM says it's not because of the sinkholes.
The company said the tunnel boring machine hit some soft clay while digging under the wetlands on its way to the airport, which caused the land to cave in essentially causing two sinkholes that appeared during the summer.
However, both the company and the Quebec Environment Ministry, who also investigated the situation, said the drying up of Herons' Marsh is not related to sinkholes.
REM director of communicaitons said the drying up of the marsh was caused by unseasonably dry weather, pointing to Environment Canada trends over the past decade.
In May, the area around the airport got four millimetres of rain compared to the average of 72.
The wetlands dried up in 2012 and 2016.
Environmentalist David Fletcher, however, doesn't buy the argument.
“It’s not a convincing argument," he said. "It has been very dry this summer admittedly, we acknowledge that, but it’s not a coincidence with the appearance of sinkholes that water went out. There still needs to be accountability.”
Fletcher has been going to the wetlands for over a decade and said this year, it didn't just dry up; it drained within a week.
REM workers have filled the sinkholes with soil and is replacing any affected plant life.
It is also filling the marsh with water.
Fletcher will be keeping a close eye on the area hoping the company takes more responsibility.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Budget 2024 'likely to be the worst' in decades, former BoC governor says
Without having seen it, former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge believes that Tuesday's 2024 federal budget from Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is 'likely to be the worst budget' in decades.
What's at stake for Canada after Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel
Following the Iranian missile and drone strikes against Israel over the weekend, Canada should take the threat of Iran and potential escalation of the conflict seriously, one global affairs analyst says.
Former B.C. school trustee's 'strip-tease artist' remark was defamatory, judge rules
A controversial former school trustee from B.C.'s Fraser Valley who described a political rival as a "strip-tease artist" during an election campaign has been ordered to pay her $45,000 for defamation.
'A sense of urgency': Sask. man accused of abducting daughter calls himself to the stand during trial
Michael Gordon Jackson, the man on trial after being charged with contravention of a custody order for allegedly abducting his daughter in late 2021 to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, called himself to the stand Monday.
Kingston, Ont.'s Aaliyah Edwards drafted into WNBA
After four years at the University of Connecticut, Edwards was selected sixth overall by the Washington Mystics in the WNBA draft Monday night.
NASA confirms mystery object that crashed through roof of Florida home came from space station
NASA confirmed Monday that a mystery object that crashed through the roof of a Florida home last month was a chunk of space junk from equipment discarded at the International Space Station.
A knife attack in Australia against a bishop and a priest is being treated as terrorism, police say
Horrified worshippers watched online and in person as a bishop was stabbed at the altar during a church service in Sydney on Sunday evening.
Body of 14-year-old boy pulled from Lake Ontario, police say he drowned while swimming
The body of a 14-year-old boy has been pulled from Lake Ontario after police say he drowned while swimming near Ashbridges Bay Park on Sunday night.
'Rust' armourer gets 18 months in prison for fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on set
A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of 'Rust.'