Quebec Extends Snowmobile Immunity

The Quebec government of Premier Jean Charest has passed Bill 9, which extends immunity for the snowmobile industry from the province’s law on sustainable development.

Adopted unanimously in April, the sustainable development law entrenches the right “to an environment that is healthy and respects biodiversity” into the provincial charter of rights.

But when the law threatened the province’s $2-billion snowmobiling industry, the Charest government moved quickly to grant the industry immunity, protecting snowmobile operators from legal action over noise, odors or nuisance complaints.