Public Consultation on Water Management
Press release

Québec, January 26, 1999 – The Minister of the Environment, Paul Bégin, has officially launched the public consultation process on water management in Québec by making public, today, the consultation document that will serve as the basis for discussion to commissioners and participants.

For Minister Bégin, the process is extremely important as it is an invitation to the people of Québec to a in-depth discussion on our most abundant but highly fragile natural resource: water. The ultimate goal of the consultation, the Minister recalled, is to help the government in the preparation of a water policy based on the principles of sustainable development: a policy that takes into account all concerns, both local and national, as well as the values and aspirations of all Quebeckers.

"Water may be a source of life, but it can also be a source of conflict unless fair, and clear rules are established to govern its use," the Minister added. "To develop a framework for use, we must rely on consultation and discussion. It is therefore essential that citizens participate extensively in the process if it is to be a true exercise in democracy." To foster such participation, the Minister announced that a financial assistance program of $250,000 intended for non-profit organizations wishing to express their views at the hearings had been set up.

In closing, Minister Bégin said that he was confident that, as always, the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) would carry out the consultation process with all the rigour and transparency needed to make it a success.

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SOURCE:

Caroline Drouin
Press Attaché for the Minister
Tel.: (418) 521-3911