Hydro-Québec - conviction information for 2022-10-13
| Corporation name: | Hydro-Québec |
|---|---|
| Address: | 75, René-Levesque Boulevard |
| City: | Montreal |
| Province/territory: | Quebec |
| Postal code: | H2Z 1A4 |
| Country: | Canada |
| Sector or industry: | 2211 - Electric power generation, transmission and distribution |
| Location of offense: | Route 104 and Highway 30, La Prairie, Quebec |
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| Case summary: | On 23 March 2022, during a routine patrol, wildlife enforcement officers from Environment and Climate Change Canada observed the presence of heavy equipment, stored materials, and work in an area protected by an Emergency Order aimed at safeguarding the Western Chorus Frog (Great Lakes / St. Lawrence - Canadian Shield population), located in the municipality of La Prairie, Quebec. The investigation conducted by the officers revealed that Hydro-Québec had not obtained the necessary permits to replace wooden poles with metal poles on the electrical distribution network. Furthermore, Hydro-Québec was responsible for damages visible over an area estimated at more than 3,955 m². As a result of the investigation, Hydro-Québec faced legal action for contravening the Species at Risk Act. |
| Charges: |
Count 1
Between 20 March 2021 and 23 March 2022, carried out infrastructure maintenance using heavy machinery in a habitat of the Western Chorus Frog, in contravention of subsection 2(1) of the Emergency Order for the Protection of the Western Chorus Frog (Great Lakes/St. Lawrence – Canadian Shield Population), thereby committing the offence punishable upon summary conviction as provided under subparagraph 97(1.1)(b)(i) of the Species at Risk Act. |
| Enforcement notification: | Hydro-Québec fined $40,000 for violating the Species at Risk Act |
| Result: | Guilty Plea |
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| Date of conviction: | 2022-10-13 |
| Court level: | Provincial and Territorial Court |
| Nature of offense(s): |
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| Additional details about the nature of the offense: |
- To have tilled the soil with the tracks of an excavator. - To have damaged and destroyed vegetation, specifically the plants that serve as habitat for the Western Chorus frog. |
| Act | Regulations | Section(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Species at Risk Act | 97 (1.1) b) (i) |
| Date of sentencing: |
2022-10-13 |
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| Location of sentencing: | Longueuil, Quebec |
| Sentence(s): |
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| Amount of fine(s): | $40,000 |
| Sentencing details: |
On 13 October 2022, before the provincial court of Longueuil, Quebec, Hydro-Québec pleaded guilty to the offence under section 97(1.1)(b)(i) of the Species at Risk Act and was ordered to pay the Receiver General of Canada a fine of $40,000 within 90 days.
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