The Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) has reached a mutual agreement with 9 landowners for the acquisition of 35 hectares of land in the Châteauguay-Léry Green Corridor. The Quebec government and the CMM will split the nearly $4 million bill.
Translation Amanda Bennett
The 35 hectares, which represent around 50 FIFA soccer pitches according to the CMM, are located in Léry (22.3 ha) and Châteauguay (12.75 ha). The land “was acquired at costs corresponding to fair market value according to the appraisals and evaluation reports commissioned by the CMM,” the CMM stated in a press release.
All in all, the CMM seeks to protect the entire 350-hectare Châteauguay-Léry Green Corridor as a major metropolitan park. “In 2022, the CMM began the process of purchasing 42 lots, the first 2.3 hectares of which has now been acquired, with another 11 lots to follow,” it explains.
Legal Proceedings in Progress
The towns of Léry and Châteauguay and the MRC Roussillon are the target of several lawsuits by owners of land in the Châteauguay-Léry Green Corridor who claim to be victims of veiled expropriation. One of these lawsuits, which dates back to 2015, represents eight owners who are claiming $44 million from the City of Léry and the MRC.
One of the owners who reached an agreement was part of this group of developers. According to the CMM he has withdrawn his complaint since accepting the offer.
The first trial involving property owners is scheduled to begin this fall.
SOS Fernand-Seguin Delighted
Guy Turcotte, spokesman for the SOS Fernand Seguin citizens’ group, which has been campaigning for years to protect the Green Corridor, is delighted with the announcement. “This is a major acquisition! It’s good news for nature and for the public,” he says. He added that this was a timely decision, especially in light of the Quebec government’s spring 2023 announcement of its intention to amend the law on expropriation in order to change the rules for determining compensation paid to landowners.