Report - Agence canadienne d'évaluation environnementale

Opinions of participants
The Société de développement économique de Lévis believed, for its part, that the
project “would have little impact on regional tourism, as the Rabaska facilities would
be far from tourism attractions, or because they would be located outside of the river’s
edge” (DM545, p. 20). Along the same lines, one participant added that the presence
of an LNG terminal wouldn’t stop tourists from visiting the city of Québec (Mr. Patrick
Langlois, DM152, p. 1).
As for local tourism, some participants questioned the project’s impacts: “what will be
the long-term tourism impacts of integrating an industrial component which is
incompatible with the site’s vocation? Will highway 132 gradually lose its many
appeals for passing tourists? What would be the impact on the occupancy level of the
area’s three camping sites? (GIRAM, DM461, p. 88). One participant was also worried
about “lower occupancy levels in the camping sites nearby during the construction
phase, due to disturbances” (Mr. Michel Riou, DM370, p. 1). Like the NATRI, the
tourism and historic richness of the south-east coast of Lévis “has an aesthetic value
whose economic spinoffs largely outweigh the direct (and even more indirect)
revenues that an LNG port can supply, as 66 percent of its revenues are shared with
foreign companies” (ibid.).
From another point of view, the Société de développement économique de Lévis
believed that tourism attractions “should not suffer from the presence of the LNG
terminal as it will not be visible from any of them […] the potential for economic losses
stemming from fewer visitors to the attractions located close to the terminal will be, in
the end, not very significant” (DM545, p. 21). Moreover, in its opinion, most tourists in
Lévis and surrounding areas come to visit family, which would have little influence on
local tourism levels.
The impacts apprehended on the market value of
residences
Some participants 1 living in the area, as well as some residents of the île d’Orléans
facing the project feared a loss of property value for their homes after the LNG
terminal has been built, and also because of related disturbances. Furthermore, one
participant was especially worried about the potential impact of the pipeline on her
land: “the usus fructus of my possessions is compromised, as the value of the land
changes with such a layout. Who would want to buy a land that has been affected this
way? This project will prevent my future inheritors in purchasing a land that is free
1. Ms. Hélène Létourneau and Mr. Daniel Cantin, DM27, p. 2; Ms. Renée Dupuis, DM191, p. 3; Mr. Louis
Guilmette, DM10, p. 11; Ms. Louise Maranda, DM596, p. 10; Ms. Fabienne Gagné, DM376, p. 2.
Rabaska Project – Implementation of an LNG Terminal and Related Infrastructure 45