Legal action has been initiated against the Canadian government for granting a permit to the Port of Montreal to expand into the habitat of an endangered species. The Society for Nature and Parks (SNAP Québec) and the Quebec Environmental Law Centre (CQDE) have filed a lawsuit in Federal Court against Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson, arguing that the permit violates the Species at Risk Act.
The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) is seeking to boost the port’s capacity by 60% through the expansion of its Contrecœur terminal. This expansion project includes dredging the St. Lawrence River, impacting the habitat of the copper redhorse, a species at risk that only exists in a small area of the St. Lawrence River and some tributaries like the Richelieu River.
