The Gaspé has 273 sites threatened by climate change

Only $ 1.5 million per year is budgeted to adapt to climate change across the province.

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Quebec has identified 273 “problematic sites” threatened by climate change in the Gaspésie — Îles-de-la-Madeleine region alone.

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Transport Minister François Bonnardel unveiled the data after a storm caused significant damage to Route 132 in the Gaspé.

The opposition has denounced that only $ 1.5 million per year has been budgeted for province-wide climate change adaptation, and not until 2023.

“We see that we will never get there with such ridiculous sums,” said PQ member Sylvain Gaudreault.

During Wednesday morning’s question period, Bonnardel said there is a plan for the 273 sites at risk. An impact study will be carried out over two years to assess the infrastructure to be redone.

“These are extremely important and major challenges,” he said. “We have to give ourselves enough time to do the job well… carry out an environmental analysis of the 273 sites in order to be able to go as quickly as possible and secure the entire network, both for the Gaspé and for the Magdalen Islands.

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PQ MP for Gaspé, Méganne Perry Mélançon, said the latest storm was the third to seriously damage Route 132 since 2013.

“We can be sure of one thing, there will be other storms,” she said.

She called for better consultation and a committee with local authorities and experts, such as the one that already exists in the Magdalen Islands.

Highway 132 was severely damaged by waves and wind near Marsoui, a village in the north of the peninsula, severing one of the few links between the Gaspé coast and the rest of the province.

Bonnardel said temporary rock fill work had been carried out. A wall that has fallen into the river will have to be salvaged. Larger repairs will take place in the spring.