Thursday, March 20, 2025
PIERREFONDS-ROXBORO, QC – The Pierrefonds-Roxboro Borough Council is urging residents to participate in a public consultation held by the Quebec government on the proposed by-law governing open-water flood-prone areas. The consultation, which runs until October 17, offers citizens the chance to share their views on the regulatory framework before it is submitted for approval by the National Assembly.
Borough Mayor Dimitrios (Jim) Beis expressed concerns about the potential impact on residents if the draft by-law is passed in its current form. “While we support risk management for buildings in flood zones, we are concerned with the government’s approach. The Ministry’s ‘zero-risk’ stance overlooks the many available methods to adapt buildings to rising river waters. This could impose unnecessary constraints on homeowners and risk devitalizing affected neighbourhoods,” Beis said.
The borough is currently reviewing the new provisional flood zone map, released by the Communauté Métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) and based on the guidelines of the Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MELCC), to assess its impact. The updated map, which replaces the 2019 version, indicates that approximately 1,800 buildings in Pierrefonds-Roxboro would be affected by the new regulations—70% of which were not previously considered at risk.
The borough’s initial analysis suggests the central sector of Pierrefonds-Roxboro is now classified as a “disaster zone” under the new map. This could jeopardize redevelopment plans for the area, including the borough’s Project Connexion initiative, which has been in progress since 2019.
Pierrefonds-Roxboro has submitted its comments to the Ville de Montréal, which will present an official brief to the MELCC on behalf of the city. The borough remains committed to ensuring local realities are considered in the development of the new flood zone regulations.
Source: Canada Newswire
