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Clear-cutting in North Aylmer — with no permits

On the morning of November 4, a lone backhoe truck stood unoccupied in a sea of mud on a property just north of Antoine-Boucher Road and west of Klock Road, in North Aylmer. The area is desolate and forlorn.

“I know last year they started cutting trees, but the other day I was in the forest when I walked into the empty space. I was shocked. It was crazy, I was there for five minutes and saw several big trucks in operation. From what I could see, there was backfilling; it seems the workers were trying to flattened the land,” said an anonymous North Aylmer resident who contacted the Bulletin. “The land is near a wetland and many species depend on that land. What I find even stranger is that land north of that lot, just along Pink Road, is protected by the Nature Conservancy Agency. It seems illogical that one area is protected while a property just across the street is being destroyed. Animals are unable to distinguish property lines and I know many deer come down from Gatineau Park to feed on the land.”

 

According to city by-laws (and provincial norms), it is prohibited to build, backfill, or deforest on a presumed wetland or part of wetland. According to the city’s wetland inventory, there are two wetlands just north of Antoine-Boucher Road, several kilometres west of the Klock and Antoine-Boucher intersection. The city is investigating the case.

“We were informed of the situation and we are looking into this. The lot is residential, but the city has not received a project proposal for this property,” said a city spokesperson. “As of 2012, a certificate of authorisation is required to cut down trees.”

According to the councillor for the ward, Mike Duggan, there was no permit issued for this lot and many “trees were cut. From what I can see, the workers are trying to terraform the property. I’ve been monitoring this site and, if you look at aerial satellite images, the open area is twice the size now. It’s a massacre. There are only stumps left and they’ve shredded the trees. I’m shocked,” said the councillor.

“I will ensure due process is applied. The inspector will generate a report and the landowner should receive a notice indicating that they broke the rules. Eventually, the owner should receive a fine; the maximum is $5,000,” said Duggan.

The Lucerne councillor added that the city is reviewing its tree policy.

The large plot of land where deforestation occurred, just north of Antoine-Boucher Road and west of Klock, is owned by the developer Brigil. The 719,590 square-metre lot runs along Klock from Antoine-Boucher to Pink Road. The lot is located outside the city’s urbanisation perimeter.

Currently, the minimum size for a lot in that zone is 3,700 square-metres with a minimum width of 45 metres. Brigil, listed in the registry of lobbyists, is hoping the city will increase the number of units allowed in each lot to permit a higher density project in the area.

The lot is also in a rural sector, requiring a septic tank and water well. Brigil wants the city to include the property or part of the property within the urban perimeter and hopes the city can bring up the water and sewer infrastructure to this parcel.

In the winter of 2016, a marketing spokesperson for Brigil told the Bulletin that the housing project there was on the back burner. “Yes, we do own that lot, but it’s outside the urban perimeter and we don’t have approval from the city to build. We don’t expect to have the permits for 2016 or 2017,” he had said. Brigil did not return our calls for comment on this latest situation.