Federal minister reiterates call for Quebec to create strategy to protect caribou habitat

Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault on Monday repeated his call on Quebec to come up with a plan to protect the habitat of its caribou population years after the promise of a strategy aimed at saving the species' declining population.

Speaking to reporters in Montreal, Guilbeault called upon Quebec to respect an agreement signed between the two governments in August of 2022 to protect the caribou. “If Quebec does not act, I will have the legal obligation to do so,” he said. “This is not what I would like to do nor what I wish to do. But without any concrete action on the part of the Quebec government, I will have no choice.”

Guilbeault could recommend the issuance of a “decree of protection” if Quebec does not act.

“It is clear the Quebec government is slow to act,” but “time is not our ally on this issue, quite the contrary,” said the minister, recalling that in the summer of 2022, “the government of Quebec committed itself to doing a certain number of things, most notably to protect 65 per cent of the critical caribou habitat in Quebec.”

A plan to protect the caribou habitat was to be presented by the province in 2023, but was delayed by Quebec Environment Minister Benoit Charette because of the forest fires raging at the time in Quebec.

At that time, the province said it wanted to look at the repercussions of the fires on the caribou and the province's forest industry.

“The next forest fire season is coming and we still don't have a plan. Something will have to happen soon,” said Guilbeault.

However the federal minister made no mention of any deadline for the province. A caribou habitat protection plan has been delayed repeatedly since 2019. Meanwhile the population decline of the caribou continues in Quebec.