Latest news with #Montérégie
CTV News
29-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
One dead in L'Île-Perrot house fire, police investigating
A Sûreté du Québec badge is shown in a photo taken on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi) Provincial police (SQ) are investigating after a fire left one person dead in L'Île-Perrot, in Montérégie, on Thursday. According to the SQ, firefighters were called around 3 p.m. to a residence at the intersection of 21st Avenue and 2nd Street. Once the fire was brought under control, a body was discovered inside the home. The victim will be identified by the coroner. An SQ spokesperson said a second person was also found inside the residence but was uninjured. Because of the deadly nature of the fire, investigators from the major crimes unit will analyze the scene. The investigation is ongoing.
CTV News
26-05-2025
- CTV News
Motorcyclist in critical condition after collision in Montérégie
A motorcyclist is in critical condition after a collision with a vehicle on Sunday afternoon in Marieville, in the Montérégie region. Emergency services were called at 4:30 p.m. to the incident on Route 112 near du Vide Road. According to Sûreté du Québec (SQ) spokesperson Laurie Avoine, the motorcyclist was taken to hospital with serious injuries, and authorities fear for his life. The two people in the vehicle were taken to hospital with minor injuries. An SQ reconstructionist is expected to visit the scene to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident. The investigation is continuing. – This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 26, 2024.
CTV News
25-05-2025
- CTV News
Ormstown officials sound alarm over illegal dumping
A new report identifies nearly 300 suspected illegal dumping sites in Montérégie, with 55 located in Ormstown alone. Officials in Ormstown say trucks carrying construction waste from Montreal are dumping it illegally on private land — and some landowners are being paid off. 'We're seeing the trucks coming through now more and more,' said the Mayor of Ormstown Christine McAleer. The agriculture town is one of five of the most effected municipalities in the Montérégie facing this issue. A recent report by researchers at McGill University and the University of Vermont shows nearly 300 possible illegal dumping sites in the area. 'The number was shocking to us, even though we knew there was a big problem,' said researcher Geoff Garver. Fifty-five of those spots are in Ormstown. Before and after images of a known dumpsite (Credit Leadership for the Ecozoic) Town officials are worried that possible contamination from these sites will affect the water system. 'We have to have our water well tested right now to make sure that the products are not seeping through the soil and then contaminating the wells themselves,' McAleer said, adding that it was another cost for the city. It's not clear exactly which companies are involved but Ormstown inspector Luc Pilon said the problem is growing. Satellite imagery showing a dumpsite in progress. Noticeable in the image are an excavator, deforestation, a dump truck and dump piles. (Credit Leadership for the Ecozoic) He noted that when he goes to inspect these sites, he's faced with another issue, intimidation. 'I've been pushed. I've had my phone thrown out of my hand,' recounted Pilon. And in some cases, inspectors need the help of police. Pilon said at this point he's just tired. 'It's a constant struggle,' he said. According to Ormstown officials, the province is not doing enough to help, and the town does not have the resources to deal with the issue. CTV News reached out to the Quebec Environment minister but his office was closed on Sunday.
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Quebec starting to offer HPV test as replacement to Pap test
Half of Quebec's administrative regions are now offering the human papillomavirus (HPV) screening test, which is expected to replace the Pap test throughout the province by the end of the year. The Montérégie is the most recent region to make the change. The HPV test is used to screen for cervical cancer. It is more accurate at detecting the presence of the high-risk human papillomavirus, which can lead to precancerous lesions and, if left untreated, cervical cancer. The HPV test has already replaced the Pap test in the Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspésie, Chaudière-Appalaches, Lanaudière, Outaouais, Laval, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Côte-Nord regions. Unlike Pap tests, which are carried out every two years, HPV tests are carried out every five years in most cases. Infection with the human papillomavirus is the main cause of cervical cancer. Screening remains the best way of preventing this cancer, which is avoidable when detected at the pre-cancerous stage. In recent years, there has been an increase in cervical cancer. The latest Canadian data show that cervical cancer is now the fastest-growing cancer among women. After declining for three decades, the incidence of cervical cancer rose by 3.7 per cent per year between 2015 and 2019, according to the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS). This is the first significant increase since 1984. The CCS estimates that 1,600 Canadian women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in the next year, and 400 will die from it. 'We are continuing to roll out HPV testing throughout Quebec. This is in line with the government's vision of doing even more to prevent cervical cancer. By making this test more accessible, we are enabling more women to benefit from more effective screening, thereby helping to save lives,' Health Minister Christian Dubé said in a press release. In 2022, Dubé announced that the HPV test would be introduced as the primary screening test for cervical cancer, following the recommendations of the Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS). Last fall, the Ministry of Health announced that the HPV vaccine is available free of charge to anyone aged 20 or under. It is also being offered for free to the entire population until the remaining doses run out. People wishing to receive the vaccine can make an appointment via the ClicSanté online portal. Screening and vaccination are effective ways of combating cervical cancer. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French May 23, 2025. The Canadian Press health content receives funding through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for editorial choices.
CBC
13-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Quebec study finds 'cocktail of different pesticides' in treated tap water
Social Sharing A recent Quebec study shows that a multitude of pesticides can be found in tap water, even after being treated at a water treatment plant. Sébastien Sauvé, an environmental chemistry professor at Université de Montréal, supervised the study that was published in the June issue of the scientific journal Water Research. For more than two years, from 2021 to 2023, researchers collected water samples twice a week from the Châteauguay River in Quebec's Montérégie region. The samples were collected from the river as water was being pumped into a water treatment plant and were compared to treated water samples leaving the plant for distribution as drinking water. The river was chosen because it runs through areas of intensive agriculture activity, where pesticides used by farmers eventually make their way from the fields into waterways. The objective, Sauvé said, was to look at how pesticide concentrations in the water varied over time, as well as before and after processing at a water treatment plant. Highest concentrations of pesticides occurred in June and July at the beginning of growing season, and while none of the samples collected exceeded Quebec guidelines for safe drinking water, researchers discovered that the treatment process did not effectively filter out pesticides. WATCH | What's in the water? What's in this Montreal suburb's tap water? Study points to a cocktail of pesticides 4 minutes ago Duration 2:28 Scientists are warning that they have found traces of pesticides in the drinking water of municipalities along the Châteauguay river. While the levels found complied with Quebec regulations, the study's authors recommend authorities make changes. Traces of at least 50 different kinds of pesticides and metabolites were found in tap water, in some cases in higher concentrations than the source water. Metabolites are molecules that result from the degradation or breakdown of pesticides. "There is quite a bit," Sauvé said, adding some pesticides were found in almost all the samples, while others weren't detected as often. "One of the main ones, or the highest concentration, was for glyphosate," Sauvé said, which is the main active ingredient used in many herbicide formulations. It is used to kill weeds and is commonly sold under the brand name Roundup. In Quebec, many municipalities, including Montreal, have banned its sale and use for domestic purposes over concerns for the environment and possible impact on human health. In 2015, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that glyphosate was probably carcinogenic to humans. Health Canada, however, says it does not cause any harmful effects if used properly. Cocktail effect a concern More than the impact of any specific pesticide, however, Sauvé said he's worried about their combined effect. "We're getting a cocktail of different pesticides and all together, they add up," he said. How the compounds react together can affect toxicity, he said, explaining they can add up, partially neutralize each other or even multiply. "In a situation like this, with about 50 different pesticides and metabolites that we've measured, we cannot know what the actual combination effect of the toxicity of all these compounds are, so there's a lot of unknown," Sauvé said. Maryse Bouchard, a professor of environmental health at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique, told Radio-Canada that the study highlights the need to better assess the risks of the "cocktail effect." "It's disturbing to see the quantity of different pesticide molecules, many with proven toxicity," she said. Possible solutions While Sauvé said there was no reason for consumers of tap water to panic, the findings do raise some concerns. "It's definitely not a case for panic. It's a case for asking questions, asking the local authorities, 'can we improve our system?'" he said. What he'd like to see are stricter guidelines similar to those used in Europe. Specifically, he'd like to see an upper limit on the total concentration of combined pesticides allowed in tap water. "And then, the cities that are exposed to those levels would simply have to improve their water treatment," Sauvé said, adding it should be on a case-by-case basis. Sarah Dorner is a professor in the department of civil, geological and mining engineering at Polytechnique Montréal and industrial co-chair on drinking water at Polytechnique. She said having stricter standards for drinking water could help, but said it's important to note that 20 per cent of exposure to pesticides is assumed to come from drinking water, and 80 per cent through other sources such as food. In her view, upgrading water treatment plants can be expensive and would only solve part of the problem. "It'll solve the problem for drinking water," she said, but not other problems linked to biodiversity and ecosystem health. A better approach, she said, might be to reduce the application of pesticides at the source and work with agricultural communities who use them to get a better understanding of how they are used and what can be done. WATCH | Glyphosate banned for domestic use in Montreal: In a written statement to CBC, Mélina Jalbert, a spokesperson for Quebec's Environment Ministry, said it collaborates with several government partners, including Health Canada and the Institut national de santé publique du Québec, to ensure the quality of drinking water in Quebec. Furthermore, Jalbert said the ministry checks pesticide levels in the water around agricultural lands every year. "It should be noted that the latest pesticide assessment shows a decrease in the agricultural sector and that we are continuing our efforts to reduce their use," she wrote. Sauvé acknowledged the government does annual checks, but said they might not be taking measurements when levels of pesticides peak.
