Brigil pledges nearly $45,000 for environmental causes

This offer remains on the table, even though the City of Gatineau, which had taken legal action against the company, was dismissed in municipal court.

“The reason BRIGIL exists is to build a quality of life in Gatineau and the region. I would rather invest $45,000 in tree planting and the development of green spaces than in legal fees,” said BRIGIL President Gilles Desjardins.

There is only one condition to BRIGIL’s offer: that the City of Gatineau not appeal the judgment.

“All BRIGIL projects place great importance on environmental considerations. Above all, we build and offer a quality of life. And that quality of life depends on having as many green spaces and natural areas as possible. For us, that is more important than being right or wrong in court. And I hope the City of Gatineau will be sensitive to this as well,” concluded Mr. Desjardins.

The story dates back to 2016, when the City accused the company of having carried out a clear-cut, allegedly without a permit, on a wooded lot on Klock Road in the Aylmer sector, and sought $35,500 in damages.

Gilles Desjardins wanted to remind the public that he had offered, from the very beginning of this situation, to contribute $17,500 to the City’s Green Fund. However, when the company received the offence notice seeking a conviction for an amount exceeding the maximum fine, it decided to defend itself.

Rather than considering BRIGIL’s offer, the City chose to take an even firmer stance by increasing its claim to $44,375.

Even though the City’s charge was dismissed, Gilles Desjardins nevertheless acknowledges that “good-faith mistakes were made” on his part in this matter and that he had apologized for them.

The initial operation was intended to allow for the establishment of a vegetation cover that would have enabled the reforestation of more than twenty thousand trees.

Source:
Carl Martin
Marketing Coordinator
819-968-1500
cmartin@brigil.com