La Prairie housing development halted over endangered frog species

A Quebec Superior Court judge has granted an injunction suspending work on a housing development in La Prairie, a suburb about 20 kilometres south of Montreal.

The wooded wetland where the project is being built is home to an endangered species called the western chorus frog.

The decision was announced Friday afternoon, putting a stop to work on the project for at least the next ten days.

It was the third request for an injunction filed by the Quebec Centre for Environmental Law in as many weeks. The two previous requests were denied by the courts.

Karine Peloffy, the director of the centre, welcomed the ruling in a statement Friday.

But she said she's still concerned the project could wipe out the frog's habitat and has asked the provincial environment minister to weigh in.

The Symbiocité project aims to build 1,400 new housing units "surrounded by nature" and close to services, schools, highways and Quartier DIX30., according to the company's web site.

The company building the condos, Quintcap, couldn't be reached for comment late Friday.