The memory of land expropriations for the Mirabel Airport is still quite strong for many area residents, and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mirabel wants to be sure that a similar situation is not repeated as planning continues for the Alto high-speed passenger railroad project.
On February 9, all MP’s present from every party represented in the House of Commons unanimously supported a motion sponsored by Mirabel Bloc Québécois MP Jean-Denis Garon demanding that the government issue a formal apology to the residents of Mirabel, who were deeply affected by the 1969 airport expropriations. The Bloc motion also calls on the government to commit to not repeating past mistakes with the Alto high-speed rail project.
In 1969, about 98,842 acres or 40,000 hectares of mostly highly productive farmland, home to about 12,000 people, was expropriated by the federal government for the establishment of the Mirabel Airport. Most of the land was in the former municipalities of Saint-Scholastique, now the city of Mirabel, and Saint-Jerusalem, now within Mirabel and Lachute. Mirabel Airport opened in 1975 and was intended to replace Dorval (Pierre Elliot Trudeau) Airport as the centre of air travel for Montréal. However, the energy crisis of the 1970’s and the considerable distance between Mirabel and downtown led to lower-than-expected demand for the airport from travellers and airlines alike. The passenger terminal was demolished in 2014 and a luxury hotel beside the former terminal sits vacant.
Until 2006, about 4,450 hectares or 11,000 acres of expropriated farmland was being rented back to farmers when the federal government offered to sell the land back to its former owners. In 2019, the federal government announced it would sell the last of the unused land back to families and descendants of expropriated owners in 1969.
For Jean-Denis Garon, an apology is long overdue.
“This is a very important step we are taking today, and I am particularly moved and happy for the people of Mirabel, who can finally turn the page on a painful episode in their history. These people deserve an apology from the government so they can find closure,” he said in a press release.
Garon said the Bloc Québecois supports the concept of high-speed passenger rail, but the planning and decision-making process must respect citizens.
“Our position is very clear: we support a high-speed rail project from Québec City to Toronto. But it must be done with respect for the rights of the citizens affected and for democracy,” he said.
Garon said an official apology from the federal government for the expropriations 57 years ago is necessary, particularly with planning for Alto currently taking place.
“To do things properly, I invite the Liberal government to come to Mirabel to apologize and to listen to the concerns of the population surrounding the Alto TGV project,” concluded Garon.
