Quebec • Protected Areas • Lands and Regulations • Issues & Advocacy
This data was accurate as of April 2008.
Land description
The current area protected in Quebec is 6.26% or approximately 9.46 million hectares (2007).
The land and fresh water area of Quebec is 151,421,800 hectares with the land only area being 136,512,800
hectares. Approximately 92% of land in Quebec is Crown or public with the remaining 8% being private. There
are three National Parks covering a total of 93,090 hectares, with approximately 7.5 million hectares in 1,100
provincial parks and ecological and wilderness reserves and other protected areas which meet the definition of
protected area, in which no mining may take place. The Province has 13 natural provinces and 83 natural regions,
and 26 legal or administrative protected area designations.
Brief History: (prior to initiation of land use plan and development)
In 1992, the Canadian Parks Ministers Council signed A Statement of Commitment to Complete Canada’s
Networks of Protected Areas, by the year 2000.
In 1992, the Quebec government formally endorsed Biological Diversity as designated by the Earth Summit in Rio,
and released its Action Plan for Parks: Nature’s Heritage. This was a five year action plan announcing the
creation of four new parks south of the 50th parallel and the government’s intention to consult with the northern
communities interested in these projected parks north of the 50 th parallel.
In 1994, the Whitehorse Mining Initiative was signed to provide a strategic vision for a healthy mining industry
in the context of maintaining healthy and diverse ecosystems in Canada. Among other things it called for
establishing an ecologically based system of protected areas. Representatives of five sectors agreed to participate.
They were the mining industry, senior governments, labour unions, Aboriginal peoples, and the environmental
community. A report from the Land Access Issue group was released in 1994.
In 1996, Quebec became the first province to table a provincial biodiversity strategy: the Biodiversity Action
Plan (a Strategy for the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity). This plan outlined the courses
of action to be carried out by the government in the subsequent four years to address the objectives of
the Quebec Biodiversity Strategy (QBS). The QBS is made up of two documents: the Implementation Strategy
and the Action Plan.
In 2000, the government set out a series of principles and strategic guidelines, the objective of which is to
designate somewhere near 8% of Quebec’s land in the form of protected areas for 2005 (the proposed Strategy
for Protected Areas). The Ministry of Environment was mandated to coordinate the work of an
interdepartmental committee charged with preparing a draft strategy that will be submitted jointly with natural
Resources and Wildlife and Parks ministries. The Ecological Reference Framework is a scientific method that serves
as the basis for the definition of Quebec’s biological diversity.
Process of Development/Consultation Type:
The Ministry of Natural Resources, Forests and Parks (MRNFP) prepares and amends public land use plans. The
Ministry of Environment (MOE) made an informal general call to receive proposals from environmental
groups. Regional public land use plans define the choices to promote and issue land rights. To facilitate
consultation and the land rights planning of regional representatives of MRN and its many partners, land uses have
been broken down into the following sections: tourism and recreation; commercial and industrial activities; public
and community utilities; specific intervention areas; preservation and protection. The Ministry of Environment and
the Ministry of Natural Resources consult with other ministries, non-governmental organizations and aboriginal
organizations as part of the evaluation and selection of territories of interest for protected area purposes.
The following categories are covered in the evaluations:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mechanisms for protected areas proposals
Integration to land use processes (Quebec’s current public land use planning)
Financial and socio-economic impacts
Mechanisms to foster private sector contributions to protection
Implementation mechanisms and action plan.
In 2004, the government implemented the Quebec Strategy and Action Plan on Biological Diversity 20042007. This was the outcome of public consultation and inter-ministerial commitment to promote the preservation
and sustainable use of biodiversity.
PAS Implementation and Candidate PA selection process:
Under the Quebec Biodiversity Strategy, the Implementation Strategy presents objectives, aims and measures that
the government sees as necessary to safeguard the biological diversity of the province. The Action Plan provides
the details of how the province intends to address its goals over the next four years. The Strategy is divided into
12 categories or sectors, from the Implementation Approach through Wildlife, Mineral, Northern and other resource
sectors, to Environmental Emergency and Education. The QBS relies on the support of many different ministries in
order to be effective.
Management of public territory comes under the MRN. The new management approach for intra-municipal public
land is that responsibilities and powers related to land regulation and land management will be transferred to
regional county municipalities.
The management tool is a public land use plan which recognizes three categories:
1.
2.
3.
Land where resource extraction is excluded.
Land where resource extraction is permitted.
Land where resource extraction is a priority.
Each of 96 regional county municipalities and 3 urban communities are required to have their own development
plan, making provisions for the protection of natural areas.
Quebec government ministries propose, select and approve protected areas. As part of the process to select sites
for protected area purposes, the MOE and the MNRFP identify territories of interest based on the ecological
characteristics of the setting, ecological representativeness, as well as the natural resource development
potentials. The sites determined by the ministries are then presented to the regional organizations concerned,
non-government organizations and the main industrial stakeholders. Prior to the holding of formal regional
consultations, the MOE, in cooperation with the MRNFP, proposes the limits of a candidate area, as well as a
preliminary management plan.
Based on the July 2002 announcement of the creation of 3,200,000 hectares of new protected area, regional public
hearings concerning the territories placed in reserve were held during the year in collaboration with the regional
development councils to build a high level of involvement within the populations affected. The National Assembly
will be asked to create the legal framework by adopting a bill to facilitate establishment of reserves for protected
areas with the framework for their protection and administration.
The Quebec government cooperates with and supports NGO initiatives to design and implement conservation
programs.
The Natural Heritage Conservation Act (legal framework that makes it possible to set aside new territories for
protected area purposes) was assented to by the National Assembly on December 19, 2002.
In September 2004, 140 candidate areas were identified in western Quebec, and the province has plans to create
four new northern parks in the next five years totaling 1.8 million hectares. The areas for the northern parks were
set aside in 2002.
A new park covering boreal forest was announced for the Otish Mountains/James Bay area in January 2006. The
proposed area is 1.1 million hectares, and public consultations have begun in various centres.
Results:
By 2001, Quebec’s parks network numbered 19 units covering a total area of 5,792,400ha, completing the Action
Plan for Parks: Nature’s Heritage.
In July 5, 2002, the Quebec government announced creation of 11new territorial reserves of protected area in the
boreal forest and North Shore and six parks (totaling 3.2 million ha), increasing total protected areas from 2.9% to
4.8%.
One new northern park of 113,390ha was announced in January 2004.
In August 2004, $3.3 million was donated to the Nature Conservancy by Domtar Inc. to acquire a 4,044ha area in
the Sutton Mountains of southern Quebec. As a result, nearly two-thirds or 6,000ha of the Sutton Mountains will
be protected.
Post-completion and On-Going issues:
Finalization of the Quebec Strategy for Protected Areas.
First Nations Land Claim Settlements :
In Quebec, 90% of the lands occupied by aboriginals are governed by modern treaties.
The province has eleven First Nations, and some of them have defined treaties.
North of the 55th parallel, fifteen Inuit communities are in the region of Inuvik which has an active form of selfgovernment that is in the process of being defined by the governments of Quebec and Canada.
The Innu of Quebec (and Labrador) have been involved in the Churchill Falls hydroelectric project with demands for
consultation and consent.
Two treaties were signed with the Native people during the 1970s and apply to a territory corresponding to
approximately 60 % of Québec’s territory.
Government Departments, Agencies and Legislation, for further information:
Natural Resources and Wildlife (Mines Division) www.mrn.gouv.qc.ca/english/mines/index.jsp
Mining Act 2002
Natural Resources and Wildlife (Land Management) www.mrn.gouv.qc.ca/english/territory/
Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks (Protected
Areas)www.mddep.gouv.qc.ca/ministere/inter_en.htm
Act Respecting the Conservation and Development of Wildlife 2002
Act Respecting Land Use Planning and Development 2002
Act Respecting Nature Reserves on Private Land 2002
Ecological Reserves Act 2002
Parks Act (Provincial Parks) 2002
Non-governmental organizations
Taiga Rescue
Biodiversity Conservation in Quebec
Mining Association
www.taigarescue.org/
www.redpath-museum.mcgill.ca/Qbp/3.Conservation/quebec.htm
www.amq-inc.com/