Religious order drops contentious plan to develop Quebec City's last remaining tract of farmland
The 200-hectare parcel belonging to the Sisters of Charity will not be turned into houses
The debate over what to do with one of the largest remaining green spaces inside Quebec City's municipal limit has been described as a "roller-coaster" by one of the people involved, but it appears the ride may be over.
The Sisters of Charity order, which owns the two-square kilometre parcel of agricultural land in the Beauport borough, announced on Tuesday it is ending its partnership with Groupe Daillaire, one of the city's pre-eminent property development firms.
The decision closes a chapter on contentious discussions over the fate of the land.
The religious community and Groupe Dallaire initially teamed up in 2014 to build 6,500 dwellings as part of a project that was expected to generate $150 million for the order and for the Fondation Famille Jules-Dallaire. The portion belonging to the religious order was ceded in the deal but will now be returned.
"Our wish is to be attentive to the Quebec City community, to our neighbours and partners, and to launch a new dialogue on the best way to use this land," said Sister Monique Gervais, the Sisters of Charity's superior general.
A message seeking comment from Groupe Dallaire, which also scaled back its involvement in another major project, Le Phare, earlier this year, wasn't returned.
WATCH: Get a bird's eye view of Quebec City's last remaining agricultural lands
Citizens' groups had been fighting the move to re-zone the land, which the religious community has farmed for more than a century, providing food for orphans, elderly people and patients with psychiatric problems.
"This is a victory for citizens," said Mireille Bonin, a spokesperson for the main local opposition group, told Radio-Canada. "It's a surprise for us this morning. It's proof that we can all make a difference."
As Jackie Smith, leader of the Transition Québec municipal party, put it: "Every environmental battle — we've lost so many, so it's great when we win one."
The development project proposed by Sisters of Charity and Groupe Dallaire enjoyed the support of municipal officials.
But agricultural land in Quebec cannot be re-zoned without the provincial government's assent. And the province said no to the project in 2018 and then again last year.
The question now is what happens next.
Smith and others have advocated dedicating it to urban farming.
"It has a really high soil quality and the nuns have taken excellent care of it. It's very highly productive land within the city limits. It's really a jewel of the city and a huge opportunity to produce local and even organic food within the city limits," said Smith.
But opponents of the project are cognizant that the religious community decided to explore development, at least in part, to ensure the order's long-term financial viability.
A Quebec court authorized a class action lawsuit in August on the part of plaintiffs who allege abuses at the Mont d'Youville orphanage between 1925 and 1996. The Sisters of Charity are named among the defendants.
The order's sprawling convent currently houses about 300 nuns, including members of three other orders.
The facility was racked by a COVID-19 outbreak in November that affected more than 135 residents and employees. One nun died.
with files from Radio-Canada and Spencer Van Dyk