Many residents of the region have experienced flooding in recent months. Municipal infrastructure is aging and major work needs to be carried out. Cities are calling for more financial help from Quebec to get it done. Another example: no grant has yet been awarded for the expansion of Châteauguay’s drinking water treatment plant. What do you propose to help municipalities and their residents on the infrastructure front?

Marianne Pharand-Roy – Québec solidaire

Municipal taxes are taxes on wealth — the only wealth most households have. It’s a tax paid on the value of a home, even though the net value may be lower once the remaining mortgage balance is factored in. Renters contribute too, through their rent.

For multimillionaires, their primary residence represents only a fraction of their wealth.

Municipalities will need to make major investments in the coming years to renew their aging infrastructure and adapt to climate change. Without a redistribution of wealth to support municipalities, our municipal taxes and rents are going to skyrocket in the coming years.

Québec solidaire is the only political party with the courage to address the question of wealth sharing by raising taxes on multimillionaires.

As for investments in drinking water production, they are a consequence of the contamination of the Mercier lagoons, for which the community has never been compensated, while the polluters walked away with the profits. We have made several commitments on this file, including compensating the community for the contamination, which would represent $16 million in annual expenses for property owners and renters in the riding’s cities.

Félix Rhéaume – Parti libéral du Québec

Flooding is the topic I hear about most often when I meet with residents. Several homes were flooded not only this past June, but repeatedly over the past several years. This situation is simply unacceptable and shows the urgent need to invest in our aging water and sewer systems.

Municipalities cannot shoulder these major investments alone. The current CAQ government has unfortunately cut the share of municipal infrastructure in the PQI (Quebec Infrastructure Plan) by almost half. The Quebec Liberal Party is committing to raising that share from 4.4% to 8% of the PQI over a first term.

The question of drinking water supply also concerns neighbouring municipalities served by Châteauguay. With a Liberal government acting as a true partner and investing in water infrastructure, we can find lasting solutions that meet the needs of the entire region.

Protecting our residents from flooding and ensuring a reliable supply of drinking water will be a priority for me. I am committing to support the municipalities of the Châteauguay riding in their efforts to modernize their drinking water, water supply, and sewer infrastructure.

José Bro – Parti vert du Québec

The recent flooding and the aging of our infrastructure show one thing: we can no longer wait for a disaster to strike before acting.

In Châteauguay and neighbouring municipalities, Quebec needs to be a partner, not an obstacle. I am proposing the creation of a predictable, multi-year Quebec investment program that would let municipalities plan their work over 10 to 20 years, rather than depending on one-off, unpredictable programs.

We need to prioritize the rehabilitation of sewer and water supply networks, stormwater management, flood prevention, and adaptation to extreme climate events. Essential projects, such as the expansion of Châteauguay’s drinking water treatment plant, must be able to move forward quickly when they meet the population’s real needs.

I also want Quebec to take on a larger share of the costs when work is necessary to ensure safety and essential services, so the bill doesn’t ultimately end up on residents’ tax accounts. I want to be the MNA who knocks on ministry doors, champions Châteauguay’s files, and gets results.

Our drinking water, our roads, and our sewer networks are essential infrastructure. Investing now means protecting our residents and avoiding much higher costs down the road.

Marie-Belle Gendron – Coalition avenir Québec

We are very aware of the challenges posed by the flooding experienced by many of our residents, due to the aging of municipal infrastructure and the catch-up work we must do because of underinvestment by previous governments.

Since 2018, we’ve made the choice to double transfers to municipal bodies, which now reach $7.4 billion. We have committed to raising the Quebec Infrastructure Plan (PQI) to $180 billion and to reserving 75% of investments for maintaining existing infrastructure. Specifically on water infrastructure, more than $7 billion is earmarked in the PQI, notably through two standardized programs; their modernization remains essential to ensure sustainable development.

Regarding Châteauguay’s drinking water treatment plant, we closely supported the City throughout the process and informed it of the eligibility conditions for the program in question. With full knowledge of the facts, the City made the decision it deemed best suited to its situation, choosing to award a contract that now makes it ineligible for the program.

I remain open and available to help them with their infrastructure needs. The campaign is still ongoing, and we will have the opportunity to make other good commitment announcements on water and municipal infrastructure funding.

Yannick Trudeau – Parti Québécois

The recent flooding and the aging of our infrastructure, like Châteauguay’s drinking water plant, show the urgent need to act. Municipalities can no longer bear this burden alone. Too dependent on property tax, they have limited room to maneuver, in a context of an asset-maintenance investment deficit.

That said, this is not an issue requiring a specific commitment, since the problem is a global one. The Parti Québécois has committed to reforming water infrastructure programs so that investments are based on transparent, uniformly applied criteria. The PQ wants to make their funding sustainable by encouraging municipalities to produce an asset management plan that includes an inventory, service levels, and a life-cycle management strategy.

Investments will go toward asset maintenance and preventive upkeep in order to reduce drinking water losses, limit wastewater overflows, and extend the lifespan of infrastructure. Finally, a Parti Québécois government plans to increase royalties charged to large industrial water users, as well as subject the Blue Fund to the recommendations of the Sustainable Development Commissioner. It is by working with our cities and giving them the means to act that we will strengthen our resilience to climate change.

Editor’s note: We did not receive a response from the Parti conservateur du Québec. The responses are published in the order in which we received them.