Mercier Bridge removed from list of projects to be accelerated

In the end, the Mercier Bridge is not part of Bill 66, legislation which seeks to accelerate certain infrastructure projects, which the Government of Quebec passed on December 10^th. [caption id="attachment_96470" align="alignleft" width="170"] Sonia Lebel[/caption] The Chair of the Conseil du Trésor, Sonia Lebel, stated that it was removed at the request of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake. “It was removed to avoid bypassing a consultation mechanism that had already been established through a specific protocol between Ministry of Transport and the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake. It was one of their requests and I am very pleased to have been able to respond positively to it,” expressed the Minister at the National Assembly on December 10th. “We did not want Bill 66’s acceleration objectives to mean bypassing the process of respectful discussions that have begun between the Band Council and the Ministry of Transport.” She also mentioned that the government had “consented to adding an article to stipulate that the provisions contained in the law must be interpreted in a manner compatible with the obligation to consult the different nations, which was one of their major concerns,” she mentioned. On its way The project consists of replacing the provincial section of the bridge on the south-bound side with a brand-new structure, an announcement made by the Government of Quebec in 2017. Its completion was slated for 2023. The Quebec Ministry of Transport has already begun preparations in collaboration with the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake given that the new section will be built between Maline, Island, an indigenous territory, and Montreal. The Government of Quebec has also committed to prioritizing Mohawk workers to carry out the reconstruction. In 2019, the government posted a series of questions and answers on its website in response to questions and concerns about the project from the community of Kahnawake. (Translation Amanda Bennett)