A group of citizens and entrepreneurs from Vaudreuil-Dorion and Île Perrot launched a petition this Wednesday morning to urge the government to officially commit, as soon as possible, to the project to complete Highway 20 between Île Perrot and the Dorion sector of the city of Vaudreuil-Dorion. The petition's goal is to reach a minimum of 40,000 signatures.

In addition to affected merchants and citizens, several business and municipal representatives were present. These included the mayors of Vaudreuil-Dorion, L'Île-Perrot and Pincourt, Guy Pilon, Pierre Séguin and Claude Comeau. 

Mathieu Miljours, General Manager of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was also on hand, as was Joanne Brunet, General Manager of Développement Vaudreuil-Soulanges. Currently in Quebec City, Vaudreuil MNA Marie-Claude Nichols was represented by her political attaché, Mélanie Maranda. 

“People are exasperated by the many impacts caused by congestion. It's time to act to change this. In this context, we have created a citizens' committee, the “Alliance citoyenne Dorion/île Perrot”.We want to bring together citizens who are affected and determined to make a difference. We all share the same goal: to finally see the completion of Highway 20,” said Odette Lalonde, a member of the citizens' committee, at a press conference held at Place Dumont in Vaudreuil-Dorion. 

The initiative, which is purely citizen-based and in no way political, was inspired, in a way, by the citizen mobilization that helped launch construction work on the Vaudreuil-Soulanges hospital. “If the hospital exists, it's because a group of citizens launched a petition, and today the hospital is under construction. If everyone gets together to sign the petition online or on paper, that's what's going to make a difference for the 20. I think the mayors, the politicians, need us right now; without that, it won't work,” added Ms. Lalonde. “We're here to make our voices heard and demonstrate our determination to communicate to the government the impacts of the situation on our daily lives,” she continued.

For Alliance citoyenne member, Vaudreuil-Dorion citizen and former mayoral aspirant Pierre Séguin, the current situation makes no sense.

“I grew up just a few blocks from here. But you know, you don't have to be born here to be concerned about the situation.Everyone is affected, whether you're a citizen, a shopkeeper, a consumer or a passer-by...It's not a problem caused solely by the maintenance work on the current Île-aux-Tourtes bridge, or the construction work on the future bridge. It's true that the problem has become more acute with the construction work, but in any case, it was unbearable before the work began. Since Highway 20 crosses Harwood Boulevard, the population has multiplied and the flow of traffic has increased just as much.The economy is growing, so it's obvious that there are more cars, more citizens, more suppliers coming to supply our merchants, and more employees in our businesses.The current situation on Highway 20, between Dorion and Île Perrot, is totally inadequate,” he said.

Mr. Séguin also pointed out that the first expropriations for the completion of Highway 20 date back to 1964. “It's been 60 years since the government was supposed to complete Highway 20. There have been I don't know how many studies on the subject and, as you can see, it's always put off until tomorrow.I think it's time for this to stop, and there's nothing better than a citizens' demonstration.It's time for citizens to mobilize and send a clear message to the government and civil servants that the current situation cannot continue.Change is needed,” added Mr. Séguin. 

A regional mobilization

Because the issue of traffic between Vaudreuil-Dorion and Île Perrot goes beyond the borders of these towns, the citizens' committee plans to hold visibility actions throughout the region. 

The paper petition will be available in many local shops, and signing tables will be held at summer events.Full details will be posted on the group's Facebook page. An online petition, sponsored by Vaudreuil MP Marie-Claude Nichols, has also been launched by an affected citizen, Amandine Lengele.

“It was the quality of life that I saw deteriorating dramatically that led me to launch the online petition. Just to get from our neighborhood in Vaudreuil-Dorion to the West Island, my wife could take 40 minutes.It was completely exasperating.She had to change her work schedule and come to an agreement with her employer.Having less time with our children than we normally had also got to me. I felt obliged to intervene in some way. I soon had the support of Mrs Nichols,” says Ms Lengele.

A major economic challenge

For Josée Nadeau, owner of the Sous les Oliviers boutique, it's clear that the current situation is having a major impact on both the local and regional economy.

“When it takes more than an hour and 40 minutes to drive from Vaudreuil-Dorion to L'Île-Perrot to have a watch battery changed, I think we'll pass.As a result, the retailer loses a sale.When delivery services refuse to pick up orders because, when they put the address in the Waze application, it takes over an hour to pick up the order, once again the local economy is affected.The same goes for restaurant owners, who see their dining rooms increasingly empty, as well as “no-shows” - people who have reservations but don't show up.The whole local economy is suffering at the moment.Yes, many of us are experiencing it, and I speak loud and clear for everyone. If you want SMEs to survive, you have to act fast to get the bypass completed. It could save many businesses. Some have already closed and there are sure to be more,” she said. 

The public is invited to sign the petition at various businesses in the region, or to sign the electronic version available on the National Assembly website, and to follow the Facebook page: Pour une vraie 20 à Dorion/Île Perrot.