September, 2021

September 15, 2021

The MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges presents its new vision for the Soulanges canal

The Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC brought together its partners and media representatives to present the new vision of the Soulanges canal. This announcement marks the launch of the new era surrounding the Soulanges canal. Indeed, during the press conference, the MRC underlined the agreement it signed with the Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) which allows it to set up the parc régional du canal de Soulanges and announced the winner of the project competition for the cultural and landscaping of the Canal-de-Soulanges park. With these announcements, we are truly witnessing a reappropriation of the Soulanges canal by the community.

To guide its work in recent years, the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges has adopted the following guiding parameters:

• The park must be accessible to all;
• The canal must first serve the Vaudreuil-Soulangeois;
• The canal must become a living and unifying place, synonymous with pride for the region;
• The canal must move from a passive stage into a dynamic space for the community;
• The regional park and its surroundings must constitute a space with high recreational and tourist potential;
• It is essential to maintain the navigability parameters of the Soulanges canal.

« Avec les annonces d’aujourd’hui, le canal de Soulanges entre réellement dans une nouvelle ère. La région se réapproprie enfin son plus grand joyau patrimonial pour le transformer en un lieu dynamique et vivant pour tous les citoyens de Vaudreuil-Soulanges. La mise en valeur prendra certainement plusieurs années, mais nous sommes aujourd’hui au premier jour de celle-ci » said Patrick Bousez, prefect of the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges and mayor of the municipality of Rivière-Beaudette.

Signature of the agreement with the Ministère des Transports du Québec

The MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, the Ministère des Transports du Québec as well as the municipalities of Pointe-des-Cascades, Les Cèdres, Coteau-du-Lac and Les Coteaux have signed agreements that officially allow the transformation of the Soulanges canal and its surrounding areas in a regional park. This mainly administrative gesture therefore allows the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges and its municipalities to carry out more actions around the Soulanges canal. It was following this agreement that it was possible to set up the parc régional du canal de Soulanges.

During the election campaign in 2018, I put all my heart on the table by saying this; « Je vais tout faire pour que le canal soit accessible aux activités touristiques et récréatives ». Thanks to the mobilization of the community, today after more than 40 years, our government has taken an important and significant step by signing the management agreement for the development of the Soulanges canal with the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges. Je suis très fière de participer au développement et l’épanouissement d’un joyau qui contribue à notre enrichissement sportif, culturel et touristique dans la magnifique région de Soulanges », underlined Ms. Marilyne Picard, Member of Parliament for Soulanges.

The creation of the Société de gestion du canal de Soulanges

In order to ensure the day-to-day management of the new Soulanges Canal Regional Park, the MRC has set up the Société de gestion du canal de Soulanges, which is a non-profit organization. This is how it will ensure the management of operations such as, maintenance of works and grounds, supervision and organization of events, application of park regulations and that it will develop and implement implements the park’s master plan.

The board is made up of the general managers of the four municipalities crossed by the canal in addition to having representatives from the cultural, tourist and river sectors. Ms. Marianne Sigouin-Lebel from Développement Vaudreuil-Soulanges is the director.

The winner of the project competition for the cultural and landscaping of the Canal-de-Soulanges park

In January 2021, the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges and the Ministry of Culture and Communications launched the Project competition for the cultural and landscaping of the Canal-de-Soulanges park in order to design a vision of enhancement anchored in the environment and carried by the population. Accompanied by Ms. Isabelle Giasson, from the firm EVOQ Architecture, the competition, which was held in two stages, made it possible to receive many interesting proposals to establish a clear vision for the enhancement of the canal. After deliberations by the jury of the competition composed of eight members and chaired by Mr. Philippe Lupien, professor at the design school of UQAM, it is the team made up of the firm Collectif Escargo in collaboration with the firm Rousseau Lefebvre and of Ms. Geneviève Murray, museologist and consultant in cultural project management, who won the competition with her proposal Passagers .

Based on the theme of the trip, Passagers is a course strewn with surprises over 23 kilometers, which prompts you to come back. Each stopover becomes an adventure, a precious moment, an opportunity to learn an unusual fact, to see nature differently or to experience an amazing collective event. « Les membres du jury et l’équipe lauréate ont fait un excellent travail. Ils ont réussi à illustrer notre vision du canal de Soulanges et à soumettre une proposition qui nous fait rêver au canal de demain », underlined Mr. Raymond Larouche, president of the Table du canal de Soulanges at the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges and mayor of the Municipality of Les Cèdres.

Discover the short video allowing you to experience the trip proposed by the winner:

About the MRC de Vaudreuil-Soulanges

The Vaudreuil-Soulanges RCM brings together the 23 municipalities in its 855 km² territory, which stretches from L’Île-Perrot to the Ontario border. Under the political direction of its prefect, Mr. Patrick Bousez, the mission of the MRC aims at consultation, planning and management of the planning and development of its territory according to the principles of sustainable development. Its role as leader and unifier with the main stakeholders in the territory facilitates the coordination of regional actions in four spheres: planning, development, services to municipalities and services to citizens. The key words of the MRC are plan, concert and act. For more information, visit www.mrcvs.ca.

Source: press release from the MRC Vaudreuil-Soulanges.
To view the original post, follow this link: https://mrcvs.ca/vision_canal-de-soulanges/

Main photo credit: Collectif Escargo.