When Your Right to Access Water Depends on Your Postal Code: Provincial Framing Becomes Urgent

June 24, 2025

In this Month of Water in Quebec, the Collectif pour l’accès équitable aux plans d’eau* is calling on the Quebec government to take action in the face of an alarming reality: Quebecers have virtually no access to their rivers, lakes and streams. In an official letter sent this week to the Quebec government, the Collectif – representing hundreds of organizations and businesses, as well as thousands of water sports enthusiasts in Quebec – demands concrete measures to guarantee fair, structured and sustainable access to Quebec’s bodies of water.

Access to water virtually non-existent in Quebec

Sadly, 98% of Quebec’s shorelines are inaccessible to the public. That’s what a duo of researchers who mapped the shores of Quebec’s bodies of water taught us, as mentioned by Jean-Louis Bordeleau in the May 7 edition of Le Devoir. For several years now, the Collectif has been observing and denouncing the multiplication of restrictive measures being put forward in certain municipalities and cities. This growing inaccessibility is the result of a series of discretionary local decisions which, without any provincial framework, have led to an unfair fragmentation of access to shorelines for walking, fishing or enjoying our favorite water sports. Restrictions come in many forms :

• Public ramp and marina closures
• Discouraging daily rates (up to $500)
• Costly mandatory vignettes ($150 to $600)
• No parking or pedestrian access
• Restrictions for non-residents
• Limited opening hours and complicated access procedures

Quebec’s rivers and lakes are a collective heritage: water is a common good (Q.C.C. art. 913). The right to access it responsibly and safely should not depend on postal codes, be based on preferences or be monopolized by a minority of shoreline landowners.

“In Quebec, fishing is part of our identity. It’s a way of transmission, education and connection with nature. But without access to water, there can be no fishing. We firmly believe that sustainable water management requires collaboration between users, residents, municipalities, governments and local organizations. We must act without delay to guarantee fair, controlled and sustainable access to Quebec’s waterways, while respecting the natural environment.”

-Marc Renaud, General Manager, Fédération québécoise des chasseurs et pêcheurs.

Underestimated impacts on health, tourism and the economy

In the current economic climate, more and more Quebecers are opting for local vacations. They are looking for nature-based experiences, and access to bodies of water is at the heart of these experiences. Restricting this access is directly detrimental to our attractiveness.

In addition to infringing on the right of access, these restrictions jeopardize :

• the development of nautical tourism, a key sector for the regions ;
• local economic benefits linked to boating, fishing and paddling activities (1⁄4 of citizens practice boating; 1⁄2 have already practiced a paddling activity) ;
• the physical and mental health of citizens, who benefit greatly from contact with nature and water.

“While environmental concerns are often legitimate, restrictive measures are too often taken without consultation or evidence. They affect thousands of Quebecers for whom nautical activities are a passion, a family pastime or a way of life. They also weaken an entire segment of our local economy – from marinas to dealerships, not to mention touristic businesses”.

-Josée Côté, General Manager, Nautisme Québec

“The loss of public access to shorelines is a tragedy that means our lakes and rivers belong de facto to a privileged few. There are solutions to stop the hemorrhaging and restore access to nature and riverbanks for all.”

-André Bélanger, Executive Director, Fondation Rivières

The Collectif calls for concrete action

The Collectif is calling on the Quebec government to put in place a strong legislative framework to reverse the current trend and reconcile environmental protection, equitable accessibility and local economic development. Three demands have been formulated:

• The creation of a framework law regulating access to water;
• The obligation for municipalities to develop and maintain public access to water, based on binding and equitable criteria in regional county municipality development plans;
• The establishment of a provincial fund dedicated to water access infrastructure.

Throughout the summer, the Collectif will continue its mobilization to raise awareness of the problem and identify concrete solutions to restore equitable and sustainable access to Quebec’s water bodies.

*ABOUT THE COLLECTIF POUR L’ACCÈS ÉQUITABLE AUX PLANS D’EAU

The Collectif brings together hundreds of organizations and businesses, as well as thousands of water-based recreation users in Quebec. Together, we are calling for concrete action to rectify the problematic situation of access to the province’s bodies of water.

Press contact:

Alexa Bato
C : (438) 466-4819 media@nautismeguebec.com