ALAIN DÉPATIE
answers to Réseau écocitoyen de Saint-Lambert’s questions
Click on each question and you’ll see the candidate’s answer.
Recycling of organic waste , the overconsumption of fresh water and packaging.
I use my blue bin and recycle a lot, and I use reusable bags. Furthermore, a few years back, I modified my heating system from oil to electricity.
Are any of these issues particularly important to you personally, and to which you are firmly committed to finding a solution to?
Management of our urban forest (emerald ash borer, tree removal, planting, maintenance), management of organic waste (compost collection) and fresh water usage (consumption).
Like Brossard and St-Hubert, I would like to establish a pilot project for collection of organic waste (third stream).
The City of Saint-Hyacinthe, it won a prize for the implementation of a biomethanization plant. This plant produces natural gas that is used to fuel the vehicles used by the city. This reduces their dependance on oil and prevents sending waste to the landfill. I recently attended a presentation regarding this subject.
○ How do you intend to collaborate with neighbouring cities and the RMT on this issue?
○ What do you intend to do on the local level?
For the last 4 years, I’ve been part of the Board for the RTL, and I’ve tried to convince them to harmonise the schedules for buses running on Victoria Street with those of the commuter trains (AMT) passing over the top of Victoria Street. Now, with the creation of the ARTM, which oversees both organizations, this should become easier.
Ensuring the safety, efficiency and comfort of physically active transportation improves everyone’s quality of life, from the very young, to the very old. The multiple benefits include energy conservation, pollution and noise reduction, improved physical health, social interaction and a lower cost to the community.
Citizen contributions to this issue can be viewed on jevotevelo.com.
Discuss with the directors of the agglomeration measures to extend the cycling path all the way to the Longueuil metro. Since the bike path by the locks is managed by Saint-Lambert, discussions have taken place with authorities from the Seaway to establish a 2nd path towards Montreal (a bypass route) at the Saint-Lambert locks on the bridge (east). Moreover, we must plan for more bike racks in the village, near buildings and city parks.
Shopping locally promotes physically active transportation and reduces the need for cars.
Local commercial hubs are often the only businesses accessible to youth, seniors, to those without cars or citizens that are mobility-impaired. The vitality of these areas brings liveliness to the neighbourhood as well as an enhanced sense of community (source: vivreenville.org).
Local shops are the life of our village. I sit on the Board for the CED (Corporation for Economic Development) that advocates for the implementation of various activities that will attract our citizens more frequently into the village and into our local businesses. I am in complete agreement with what they are doing.
The rapid implementation of a pilot project for the collection of organic waste (third stream) like Brossard and St-Hubert. This will prevent organic waste from being sent to the landfill.
Please take note that practically every resident the Eco-Citizen Network has presented itself to, first asks why Saint-Lambert still does not have organic waste collection, generally before any other question.
The implementation of a pilot project for the collection of organic waste (third stream) like Brossard and St-Hubert has been discussed at council and the municipal administration has to look at the feasibility of the project. It would be very easy for me to defend this project.
Buildings, roads and parking lots seal the surface of the soil and intensify the urban heat island effect as well as increase the cost of infrastructure, in particular for rainwater management systems. Revegetation of the soil and the greening of rooftops are efficient strategies that support multiple benefits (source: vivreenville.org).
I was a council member when we adopted the municipal regulation that obligates the addition of “green islands” to parking lots (for every 15 spaces), and to install reflective membranes on roofs or make them into green roofs. I am in complete agreement with this. Furthermore, I feel that throughout the planning process of a parking lot, it should be permitted to install pieces of decorative cement that would allow for rainwater retention in the soil as opposed to having the precipitation runoff stream into the sewer.
○ We would especially like to know your opinion on the growing of vegetables on front lawns, the conversion of purely decorative flowerbeds into edible landscaping, chicken coops in urban settings and/or urban beekeeping.
Urban agriculture is a form of citizens’ advocacy to promote better access to nutritious foods and to healthy living environments (source: vivreenville.org). It promotes the reduction of chemicals, packaging and energy used in growing, preserving and transporting fresh foods.
I was a member of the council in March 2017 when we officially adopted Saint-Lambert’s Policy on Urban Agriculture, as well as its action plan for 2017-2021. I am in complete agreement with the text from the document that reads as follows: “This plan aims to encourage its citizens to get a healthy food supply from within the city limits whenever possible. Planting a home garden, growing herbs and edible flowers, or even creating green roofs are only a few of the suggested ideas. It also aims to support the emergence of citizen’s initiatives in order to foster community mobilization and social harmony, including collective gardens or vertical gardens found in private spaces, institutions or commercial spaces. In brief, the city of Saint-Lambert recognizes food production as a full-blown urban activity and wishes to anchor this practice into the city dynamic.”
○ What would be, in your opinion, the main elements of an innovative and ambitious public participation policy?
○ How would you improve on the functionality of the advisory committees?
Bill 122 permits municipalities to be exempt from referendum approval regarding urban planning, conditional to adopting a Public Participation Policy, in accordance with regulations. My intention is to adopt an innovative and ambitions policy of participation. My principal objective will be to offer real public consultations to the citizens and to take the time to share all of the information pertaining to the projects.
○ How do we ensure that the environmental impacts of decisions are considered at the same level as social and economic impacts?
○ How do we ensure that the entire municipal administration is aware of and applies sustainable development principles?
○ Do you plan to provide the city with quantified targets for environmental impact, as well as a related monitoring process (for example: emissions of GHGs, water consumption, proportion of paved surfaces…)?
Sustainable development demands a broad vision. Our city offers a beautiful quality of life thanks to our urban forest and our numerous greenspaces. This must continue, taking into account governance policies and issues, energy efficiency and greenhouse gases, transportation, water management, waste management, and greenspaces before any decisions are made and in all municipal services.
○ What do you think are the key components of sustainable urban development?
Excellent references for sustainable urban development are available at collectivitesviables.org.
It is expected that public consultations need to take place. The Urban Plan and the Sustainable Development Plan must be linked as we must take into account governance policies and initiatives, energy efficiency and greenhouse gases, transportation, fresh and recycled water usage, waste materials, and greenspaces throughout the urban planning process.