Judge temporarily halts road project near Montreal due to endangered frog

MONTREAL — A Quebec environmental group attempting to block a road construction project south of Montreal that it says would damage the habitat of an endangered frog says it’s pleased with a recent court order.

Geneviève Paul, the executive director of a centre focused on environmental law, says the injunction Friday stopping work on the road for 10 days will prevent further destruction of habitat as it seeks a more permanent court order and intervention from the federal government.

In her ruling, Quebec Superior Court Justice Guylène Beaugé found that the centre and SNAP Quebec, another environmental group, demonstrated that the threats to the western chorus frog are serious and that the City of Longueuil did not demonstrate that a delay in construction would result in significant harm.

In a statement, the City of Longueuil says it is trying to balance the needs of citizens with the protection of the environment and that the delay could disrupt the timeline for building a passage designed to help the frogs cross beneath the new road.

The two environmental groups have also filed a suit in Federal Court claiming that a decision by the federal environment minister not to intervene in the project was unreasonable.

The office of Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault directed a request for comment to departmental staff, who said the minister will intervene if he is of the opinion that action is necessary under federal law.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2021.

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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

The Canadian Press