Environmental Impact Assessment

Management Planning

Saint-Ours Canal National Historic Site of Canada Management Plan

Context

The Management Plan for Saint-Ours Canal National Historic Site of Canada has undergone a strategic environmental assessment according to the Cabinet Directive entitledEnvironmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals . This federal environmental assessment process is a self-evaluation mechanism used by federal departments and agencies to determine, assess and mitigate, in a general way, the environmental impacts of projects and activities they plan to undertake. In accordance with Parks Canada’s Management Directive 2.4.2 on impact assessment, the scope of these environmental assessments extends to cultural resources, so that all the components subject to the assessment are included in the same report. The environmental assessment of this management plan is presented in a separate document entitled Évaluation environnementale stratégique du plan directeur du lieu historique national du Canada du Canal-de-Saint-Ours ( Strategic environmental assessment of the management plan for Saint-Ours Canal National Historic Site of Canada). The following sections provide a summary of this document.

Methodological Approach

The environmental assessment of the Management Plan was carried out in several stages. The first consisted in reviewing the Plan directions to make sure they complied with Parks Canada’s mandate and policies. The next step was to analyze the plans and activities involved with a view to identifying the stressors that might result from the presentation of the Saint-Ours Canal. These impacts were characterized according to their duration (temporary or permanent impact) and intensity (no impact, weak impact, impact that could be mitigated or not, or unknown impact). Finally, general measures intended to reduce anticipated negative impacts were defined.

Scope of the Environmental Assessment

This environmental assessment is based on existing documentation as well as on the opinions of various specialists in the management of cultural and natural resources. The assessment takes into consideration both biophysical resources (soil, air, water, terrestrial and aquatic vegetation and wildlife) and cultural resources (cultural landscape, built heritage, archaeological resources and commemorative integrity). However, the study of cumulative impacts deals only with the environmental resources that are considered to have value.

Compliance of the Management Plan’s Strategic Goals

The preservation of commemorative integrity is the keystone of Parks Canada’s mandate with respect to national historic sites. The projects and activities presented in the Saint-Ours Canal Management Plan do not compromise either this integrity or the knowledge and appreciation of heritage. Indeed, on the whole, they provide support for these components. The strategic goals outlined in the management plan that deal with protecting and presenting natural resources are quite detailed and, as such, will be governed by the specific provisions of a future plan covering cultural landscapes.

Identifying Impact Sources and Evaluating Preoccupations

Given the occasionally intense visitation at the site, preserving the site’s natural components depends mainly on conserving its existing environmental habitat. Among the existing natural resources, the stand of red pines on Darvard Island and the variety of fish species in the Richelieu River embody particular value.

Analysis has shown that the anticipated impacts on natural resources provide little basis for concern on the whole. Creating a cultural activity core around the superintendent’s house as well as extensive use of Darvard Island do, however, raise some concerns about potential negative impacts, especially on vegetation. If visitation were to increase significantly, especially at peak periods, it will be difficult to contain visitors within the designated areas. On Darvard Island, certain sections of slope are vulnerable to erosion owing to their steepness. A new network of paths laid out in the 1990s has helped channel pedestrian traffic and, as a result, aided the natural regeneration of plant life that had been previously subjected to trampling. On the other hand, increased visitation might cause premature wear and tear to the existing visible remains.

Cumulative Impacts

This strategic environmental assessment only examined cumulative impacts on components of the site previously identified as being of value. Based on existing knowledge of the Saint-Ours Canal National Historic Site as well as on the interaction of the development proposal with its environment, the following key points have been singled out for mention:

• The natural vegetation of the site is concentrated on Darvard Island and is dominated by red pine. Although the creation of island pathways has brought the problem of trampling under control, natural regeneration remains fragile; organic material accumulates so slowly that it retards the development of an adequate litter for the healthy regeneration of undergrowth. Creating a cultural activity core around the superintendent’s house and increased use of Darvard Island are likely to aggravate the impact of trampling on soil erosion in certain areas.
• Certain activities, along with intense use in certain places, could affect the long-term quality of the cultural landscape and of those buildings and structures that impart heritage value to the site. Taken altogether, these factors could negatively impact both the historic integrity of the site and commemoration efforts.

Mitigation Strategies

To counter the negative impacts that are likely to result from the presentation of the site, every effort will be made to protect vegetation on the worksite and in the surrounding area once work has commenced on the superintendent’s house. Given the presumed presence of remains and artifacts on the worksite, the appropriate archaeological interventions will have to be conducted prior to the start of work.

Conclusion

The results of this environmental assessment lead us to conclude that, based on the information available, the presentation concept for this site is acceptable from both an environmental and a heritage perspective. All in all, the strategic directions contained in the concept are in line with Parks Canada’s mandate and management policies. However, this assessment has brought out various concerns about natural and cultural resources. Potential conflicts between preserving the site’s commemorative integrity and protecting its natural heritage were also noted. These conflicts will no doubt be resolved or at least mitigated to an acceptable degree as various sectoral plans are devised, such as the cultural landscape protection and promotion plan and the natural resources management plan.

Viewed in general terms, the environmental assessment indicates that the directions pertaining to the presentation of the Saint- Ours Canal National Historic Site of Canada will not compromise the objectives related to ensuring commemorative integrity or protecting natural heritage. The potential negative impacts of greatest concern could be mitigated by the application of time-tested techniques or methods. In keeping with theCanadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) and Parks Canada directives and policies, more in-depth environmental assessments will have to be undertaken at a later planning stage, once projects have been more clearly defined.