Budworm spruce: $ 75 million for the Atlantic, not a penny for the Quebec

Patrick Bellerose

Wednesday, 28 February, 2018 23:20

UPDATE
Wednesday, 28 February, 2018 23:20

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In its budget unveiled Tuesday, Ottawa provides millions to prevent the spread of the budworm spruce budworm in the Atlantic, but nothing for Quebec, says the Parti québécois.

In fact, the budget presented by the minister Bill Morneau provides 74,75$ M over five years to “prevent the spread of the budworm the spruce” in the Atlantic provinces. This sum will be paid at 60 % for Ottawa, and 40 % by the provinces and the forest industry of eastern Canada.

“It is an iniquity that it is necessary to denounce, throws the critic of the parti québecois in the field of forests, wildlife and parks, Sylvain Roy. This is incomprehensible. The fruit, it is not the difference between the Québec and New Brunswick when it devastates a region. “

Disadvantage

The member of parliament for Bonaventure, in the Gaspé peninsula, estimates that the measure will bring an unfair advantage to New Brunswick. “With this funding, they will be able to be very competitive compared to Quebec,” said Sylvain Roy. The loss of timber that is going to lead to the epidemic, we will never be able to catch up, because we will not have the same help. “

Since 2006, the spread of the budworm the spruce is accelerating in many regions of Quebec, including the North Shore, the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Bas-Saint-Laurent and the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

According to the ministry of Forests, Wildlife, and Parks, this caterpillar causes defoliation, and death of conifer has affected 7 million hectares in 2016.

Surprise in Quebec city

The cabinet of the minister of the Forest, Luc Blanchette, are said not to have been notified of this financial assistance prior to the filing of the federal budget. “We were surprised that the measure applies to certain provinces, because Quebec is also facing this problem,” says the press secretary of the minister, Youann Blouin.

“We are going to try to learn more in the coming days and coming weeks, he added. But, in general, it works very well with the federal government for everything that is and everything that touches the aspect of forestry. “

The firms of natural Resources, the Environment and Finance in Ottawa were not able to answer the questions of the Newspaper at the time of going to press.