Following the announcement of the closure of seven Amazon warehouses, including the one located in Coteau-du-Lac, the Montérégie UPA Federation has expressed concern over the loss of agricultural land authorized by the government for such projects.

On Tuesday, January 21, Amazon announced the closure of all its warehouses in Quebec, including the facility in Coteau-du-Lac. The company plans to cease operations in the province within two months.

In the region, this decision results in the loss of 350 jobs, while across Quebec, more than 1,700 positions are affected.

It should be noted that in 2017, the government authorized, through a decree, the rezoning of a 164.72-hectare site located in an agricultural zone to enable new investment projects and the establishment of large distribution centers. At the time, the Commission de la protection du territoire agricole du Québec (CPTAQ) had only given favorable advice for 55 hectares.

“After just three years of activity, this distribution center is closing. This means that 67 hectares of high-quality agricultural land were sacrificed for a fleeting economic opportunity. The government must learn from this situation and respect the CPTAQ’s expertise in agricultural land protection, as it is the authority best equipped for this task,” stated Jérémie Letellier, President of the Montérégie UPA Federation.

Indeed, in 2017, the CPTAQ highlighted that the affected agricultural zone featured "soils of excellent quality for agriculture, among the most fertile in Quebec. Furthermore, these lands are in a climate zone particularly favorable for agricultural production," the CPTAQ noted in its report.

The protection of agricultural land is a critical issue in Quebec, where agricultural zones represent only about 4% of the province's territory, and in practice, farmers have access to just half of this area (2%).

The 700-2017 decree also stipulated that efforts should be made to include “equivalent areas of land owned by Hydro-Québec […] into the agricultural zone to minimize the impacts on agriculture in the Montérégie region, specifically in the Vallée-du-Haut-Saint-Laurent area,” as outlined in the document.

“According to the information we have, the compensation measure outlined in the government decree was never implemented. We cannot continue to carve up our agricultural land through decrees for speculative economic projects. As Bill 86, amending the Act respecting the preservation of agricultural land and agricultural activities, is being considered, it is crucial to remind the government that decrees must be avoided when it comes to protecting agricultural land,” concluded Mr. Letellier.

To read also: 

Amazon's closure: a look back at the official reactions 

DeBellefeuilles and Picard comment on Amazon's shutdown

"This is completely unexpected news" - Joanne Brunet

“We are saddened to learn of Amazon's closure to our region” - Andrée Brosseau