About us
History
As part of the St. Lawrence Action Plan, Phase III (1998–2003), under the Canada-Quebec Agreement on the St. Lawrence, the Navigation Coordination Committee developed the Sustainable Navigation Strategy, which is now in its eighth edition. One of the challenges of this strategy is to “implement the integrated management of dredging and sediments.” The Working Group on the Integrated Management of Dredging and Sediments (WGIMDS) was given the mandate to develop and recommend a common approach to integrated management of dredging. The WGIMDS prepared the Orientation Document on Integrated Management of Dredging on the St. Lawrence River, which sheds light on some of the problems encountered and recommends directions for improving dredging management processes. Seventeen (17) recommendations were developed to meet the needs of the stakeholders involved and concrete tools were proposed.
The creation of the dredging activities planning register addresses two of the recommendations of the orientation document, namely to facilitate long-term planning of dredging activities and the development of regional dredging management plans and to develop a public information and awareness mechanism to facilitate participation by interested groups in the planning of dredging activities.
The Committee on the Integrated Management of Dredging and Sediments
The Committee on the Integrated Management of Dredging and Sediments was established in 2011 at the start of Phase V of the St. Lawrence Action Plan. Its mandate is to work toward improving dredging management activities in Quebec to ensure adequate protection of ecosystems and public health, while enabling the development of navigation on the St. Lawrence River.
More specifically, the CIMDS’s mission is as follows:
- Advance scientific knowledge through applied research projects to support dredging management and restoration of contaminated sediment sites activities.
- Develop tools and guides that can be used by the various stakeholders involved in the planning, assessment, design, execution and follow-up of dredging work as well as contaminated sediment site restoration projects.
- Improve co-operation and the way in which federal and provincial environmental assessments are applied to projects.
- Improve public consultation and participation processes and methods.
- Promote co-operation among the various stakeholders involved in dredging and sediment management activities.
CIMDS structure and operating procedures
The CIMDS is led by two co-chairs, one from the Government of Quebec and the other from the Government of Canada, who are appointed by CIMDS members for a period of two and a half years and authorized by their respective organizations to sit in the role. The two co-chairs are assisted by a secretary. Typically, the CIMDS holds a plenary meeting three times a year. The meetings are an opportunity to present the progress made by the different work groups and to discuss the committee's direction and areas of work. The two co-chairs are responsible for reporting CIMDS work group progress to the co-chairs of the Navigation Coordination Committee (Comité concertation Navigation).
PCIMDS members
The CIMDS is made up of representatives of various departments of the governments of Quebec and Canada, as well as representatives of environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs).
Governement of Canada
Environment and Climate Change Canada - Environmental Protection Operation Division (EC-EPOD)
Fisheries and Oceans Canada- Canadian Coast Guard (DFO-CCG)
Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Fisheries Protection Division
(DFO-FPD)Transport Canada (TC)
Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC)
Governement of Quebec
Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques - Centre d’expertise en analyse environnementale du Québec (MDDELCC-CEAEQ)
Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques - Direction générale de l’évaluation environnementale et stratégique (MDDELCC-DGÉES)
Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques - Direction du suivi de l'état de l'environnement (MDDELCC-DSEE)
Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs (MFFP)
Industry and Environmental non-governmental organization
Stratégie Saint-Laurent (SSL)
Montreal Port Authority (MPA)
Contact us
Yanick Matteau
Registry Administrator
Gouvernment of Canada
South-West Portal, 800 de la Gauchetière street West, suite 7300
Montréal, Quebec H5A 1L6
Phone: 514-246-8904
E-mail: Yanick.Matteau@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca