Quebec Superior Court Judge Michel Yergeau rejected a motion Tuesday by a group — composed of five citizens and the Montreal Climate Coalition — hoping to block construction of the Caisse de Dépôt’s proposed electric train network.
In his 48-page judgment, Yergeau concluded the motion, in its current state, had no chance of success.
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He added it was important to bring the legal challenge to an end to avoid sinking legal resources and money into a judicial process doomed to failure.
The environmental group had launched a legal challenge arguing that the public consultation process was flawed and lacked transparency.
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In its application, the group also alleged that the Quebec government had overstepped federal jurisdiction by authorizing the project, which it believes should be subject to federal assessment procedures.
Furthermore, the group claimed the train project was a violation of their fundamental rights due to noise levels and the creation of heat islands the project would generate.
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In launching a legal challenge, the group hoped to force the Caisse de Dépôt — Quebec’s public pension fund — to restart the consultation phase.
The judge rejected all the arguments en masse.