The mayor of Sainte-Anne-de-Sorel, fears the disappearance of the islands

File Photo, COURTESY

QMI agency

Sunday, 30 July, 2017 14:25

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Sunday, 30 July, 2017 14:25

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SAINTE-ANNE-DE-SOREL | The mayor of Sainte-Anne-de-Sorel, in Montérégie, is launching a cry of alarm when he sees year after year the Sorel islands shrink due to the erosion of the banks.

The residents will also use to try to protect the banks threatened by the high level of the water, especially this year because of the flooding that occurred in Quebec last spring. It seems that the St. Lawrence has never been so high at this time of the year.

“It is a kind of cancer for a number of years and, this year, the cancer is magnified due to the water level. In the long term, this cancer will lead to the disappearance of the islands, at least a significant reduction,” said Michel Péloquin, mayor of Sainte-Anne-de-Sorel.

According to Mr. Péloquin, the islands lose an average of four to five metres of the banks annually, but it expects a strong increase. “This year, it is exceptional, it’s going to go, I think, in the six or seven metres.”

Considering that its citizens are already aware of this issue, the mayor would rather pass on the message to boaters that are not of the region.

“The problem is more with the boaters who come from outside and who come to spend a few hours on the weekend. They are less sensitized to the issue of waves is an important factor in the erosion of the banks,” said Michel Péloquin.