MINUTES – PUBLIC – LAND USE PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION (CDTH) – 5th meeting – June 11, 2025 – 3:02 p.m. to 4:35 p.m.

Action Plan for the Regional Plan for Wetlands and Water Bodies (PRMHH) – Presentation

Hugues Lachance, project coordinator for the territory planning and development team at the Service de l’urbanisme et du développement durable (SUDD), presents the action plan of the Plan régional des milieux humides et hydriques (PRMHH) for analysis, reflection, and recommendation. He is accompanied by Marco Pilon, assistant director at the SUDD.

It is recalled that this extraordinary session was added to the CDTH meeting calendar following the presentation of the file's orientations last April. During the last session that dealt with the subject, the approach, conservation commitments, orientations, and objectives of the conservation strategy were presented to the members. This time, the goal is to present the action plan in order to seek a recommendation from the Commission on this subject.

The Chair recalls that following the presentation, a discussion period will take place. After a first round table at the CDTH member level, the discussion will be opened to the members of the CELCC. The minutes of the lead commission will report on all exchanges and deliberations. The orientations or the recommendation proposal will return only to the lead commission at the end of the exchanges.

Benoît Delage leaves the meeting at 3:35 p.m. The quorum is maintained. Benoît Delage returns at 3:36 p.m.

It is recalled that the PRMHH is a strategic reflection document, a planning and decision-support tool, and an environmental analysis. The PRMHH aims to integrate the conservation of wetlands and water bodies (MHH) into land-use planning. The context, the approach, the conservation strategy, and the action plan as well as the schedule and the recommendation are presented.

Hugues Lachance explains to the members that the conservation strategy is structured around 3 structural intervention orientations. These orientations serve as a reference framework for 8 objectives with a view to developing the 28 municipal actions to be deployed. These actions aim to better regulate through regulations, to enrich knowledge, and to strengthen communication. Here are the 3 orientations presented:

1. Increase the surface area of wetlands and water bodies benefiting from conservation measures;
2. Contribute to the conservation of biodiversity;
3. Increase resilience to flooding and erosion.

The Department specifies the next steps, including the adoption of the PRMHH and the action plan by the municipal council, which is planned for September 2025. The compliance analysis is planned for this autumn for approval and implementation starting in 2026. The reading of the recommendation proposal is made by the presenter.

Discussion period

General comments Thanks are addressed to the presenter for the clarity of the presentation. The recognition of natural structures is important and the expertise of the presenter is also highlighted by a member.

Biodiversity A question is addressed to better locate where the notion of biodiversity in its broad sense is found among the current orientations of the presented action plan. This was initially in orientation 2. The Department explains having reflected on this question with its partners, including other municipal teams. Biodiversity is taken care of more at the level of the Biodiversity Plan of the Service de la transition écologique, which sees, in collaboration and complementarity with the teams, to the implementation of biodiversity actions. The components touching the PRMHH have been registered more transversally in order to target those that would be complementary or in support of the biodiversity plan. The approach has been reoriented and refocused in order to target the actions that make the PRMHH unique so that all municipal plans complement each other.

Grass cutting One wonders if the maintenance of public and private land, near or on wetlands, is subject to regulation. Could there be restrictions such as prohibiting grass cutting or planting to allow the growth of native plants? These favor water retention and resilience to climate change. A change in approach regarding the maintenance of municipal land would be desired. On this subject, the Department explains that the state of the situation is poorly known (portrait and scope of the situation unknown). However, it seems that it would be possible, with modern tools (satellite imagery, topographic survey, etc.), to visualize the height of the vegetation in relation to riparian strips. In the water management plan, there are various measures and elements allowing for conservation or protection actions, including regulatory ones. According to the findings that the City will make, it is planned that certain preliminary steps will take place. One of the first steps is to raise awareness and target certain sectors and certain contexts.

Targets and indicators It would have been important to share the targets and indicators. The actions are interesting but this information is missing. It is recognized that the City has a lack of knowledge of the environment and that it is necessary to acquire knowledge on this subject. The presenter informs the members that the indicators are in a complete Excel table of the SUDD but that [it was simplified] for the presentation. The complete action plan, including the columns for targets and indicators, could be transmitted to the members following the session, with all reservations.

In connection with objective 2, one wonders if the target of 30% of wetlands of interest concerns only municipal land or all land? This will demonstrate the ambition behind the wording of the action. The Department mentions that this 30% targets municipal and private land. Gatineau is at 24-25%. The realistic objective is to increase the protection of the surface of wetlands and water bodies by 5-7% (the surface of the environment). Protection also targets the uses around it. In certain situations, it is necessary to think about a more sensitive environment, erosion, and sectors more at risk or vulnerable. Sometimes wider protection strips (15 m, 30 m, 60 m) will be necessary for the protection of biodiversity. This demonstrates the importance of knowledge of the environments and the documentation of them.

Regional Environment Action The CREDDO reiterates its commitment to be there to bring Gatineau and the region together around the PRMHH. The leadership of the City is particularly highlighted. We thank the CREDDO for transmitting its comments when possible in order to improve the document. The CREDDO having great and beautiful regional experience on this question.

Agricultural territory An elected member thanks the Department for also having gone to meet the Agricultural Advisory Commission on the question of the PRMHH. She highlights that 40% of the territory in Gatineau is agricultural.

Schedule Knowing that it is necessary to compile data before changing the regulations, we would like to know how the City intends to protect wetlands and water bodies before obtaining regulations. The acceleration of development is a worrying situation for the protection of MHH in connection with the housing crisis. The Department specifies that usually, at the regulatory level, there is a sequence of steps to respect. Among these, there is the knowledge of the targeted environment. However, it is noted that it is not necessary to have completed all the actions to regulate in whole or in part. Moreover, some current measures are already taking place, such as the identification of green corridors for example. The Department will look into the question of schedules to identify what can be done in parallel with the regulatory process to be put in place. There is certainly a possibility of advancing certain elements and protection actions. A note is taken to this effect and the whole will be analyzed by the team. The guide will allow for specifying how projects are analyzed internally. The question of PIIA on the various projects, in function of the new regulatory framework, will allow for better protecting and regulating these environments. Because characterization of watercourses in connection with actions 5.5 and 5.6 planned, it is indicated that it would be interesting to see the realization of the fish portrait at the same time as the characterization of the watercourses. Is it possible? The Department specifies that the first of this action was already planned while the second was not. This additional work is of significant scale and it is not planned to start it at the same time.

Alignment It is mentioned that there are numerous links to be made with the plans presented to the Commission de l’environnement et de la lutte aux changements climatiques. The SUDD adds that although alignment is a challenge, the work is going in this direction. Work in complementarity, together between the services, is done. It is the wish of all to align the needs and inter-service work.

Chorus frog One wonders if the protection of the chorus frog will arrive too late in the schedule. More precisely, will this species still be present and possible to protect if the schedule to protect it takes too much time? It is also noted that a protection fund is currently available and that it would be necessary to align the schedules in connection with the availability of this fund. The Department explains that this file is managed by the Service de la transition écologique. A note is however taken to this effect and a return could be made, with all reservations to the members on this subject in due time and place.

Orientation 1 and sectors of the City of Gatineau A question is addressed by the Chair to know if it is planned to cover all 5 sectors of the City by the choice of 5 MHH. The Department indicates not having specifically reflected on this territorial coverage. However, it would be important to add this element to the criteria considering the diversity of the territories.

The floor is given to the members of the CELCC to improve the exchanges

Miscellaneous On page 9, it is mentioned that it would be relevant to write "costs associated with actions" rather than "costs responsible for actions". In action 4.4, in connection with a restoration project, the text should be improved for more clarity. Is it habitat restoration or species reintroduction? The department takes note and the whole will be improved. In action 5.5, we question ourselves about the water quality diagnosis. The water quality monitoring project is a project currently being carried out by the Service de la transition écologique, deployed within the framework of the water management plan. A clarification is requested to clarify the meaning of habitats considered viable, in connection with the interim regulation protecting a certain number of habitats. The broad lines of the criteria used are: the presence of historical occurrence of chorus frog, the minimum surface area of habitat, the physical characteristics of the environment, the possibility of dispersion, and the absence of intensive activity such as agriculture, housing, transport, etc.

30% protection of MHH A guest wishes to know if the percentages identified represent a protection surface. Clarifications are requested regarding the 5 identified wetlands, the 30% target, and what the 70% not identified in this target represents. The Department confirms that the 30% represents a surface and that the residual 70% is not for the purpose of alteration or destruction. The 30% allows for identifying a zone that must be more protected and adjusting the uses concerning it. It is also specified that at the level of the 5 wetlands, a less defined (blurred) notion remains. A reflection is underway to indicate the number of square meters that these represent. However, it is necessary to wait to increase the level of knowledge that the City currently has to this effect. The sought-after surface area is difficult to target for the moment. The work will be important (e.g., Desjardins stream).

Chorus frog In connection with clarifications requested regarding the chorus frog, the Department explains that the work will begin this autumn. The Service de la transition écologique has a protection plan to put in place. The SUDD will improve it by adding a regulatory framework. This approach will be done in collaboration with the ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs and the various municipal teams concerned. A reflection regarding the protection of certain places will be done. We thank the members of the Commission and those of the invited Commission again for the relevant exchanges which allow for facilitating the understanding of the subjects presented. The recommendation proposal is reread by the Chair. At the end of the exchanges, the members express themselves in favor of the recommendation.

Recommendation CDTH-2025-05

Considering that: • The realization of a PRMHH is a legal government obligation and that it is the first generation of this type of planning. • The action plan of the PRMHH is developed to align with several action plans already adopted by the municipal council.

The Commission de développement du territoire et de l’habitation (CDTH), during its extraordinary session of June 11, 2025, recommends to the municipal council: • That the concerted action plan as presented be adopted for its implementation over 10 years.

It is proposed by Anik Des Marais Supported by Katia Brien-Simard Adopted unanimously