This acquisition is first and foremost about giving people access to the river’s edge and to a remarkable natural ecosystem in the heart of our village.

The Town will closely monitor the impact of human activity on this highly valued environment.

If the number of visitors, disregard for rules, or even natural pressures such as drought put the ecosystem at risk, certain areas will be temporarily closed to allow the land and habitats time to recover. Our priority is to ensure that Sandy Beach remains a healthy, high-quality natural space for generations to come.

The annual payment of the 40-year loan will be distributed evenly across all taxable units, including rental units (residential and commercial spaces) and vacant lots. The estimated annual rate is $121 per unit.

A mail-out will be delivered to all households on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 providing information on the cost, the registry process scheduled for September 24, the conditions for reopening the site along with new conservation measures, and the development of a Conservation and Management Plan with public consultation in 2026.

Once the Town becomes the owner of the site, the land will be rezoned for conservation at the municipal level. Should a future council ever consider reversing this designation, the public would have the right to oppose under the law.

As an added layer of protection, the Town will prepare a Conservation and Management Plan (CMP) for the site, as outlined at the August 27th meeting.

And Council aims to register the site with the provincial and metropolitan conservancy registry. If light human activity is permitted by the conservancy registries, the Town will register the full site; if not, a portion will be kept out for human activity, most probably the portion along the trails and beach, and possibly a small area for toilets and parking.

The balance between conservation and public use will be determined through the CMP process, with input from the community. This will take time.

Presuming the registry receives fewer than 491 signatures, or if it does, that the referendum on the loan bylaw is favourable and the bylaw stands, the agreement in principle adopted on August 18th allows the Town to reopen Sandy Beach and the surrounding trails once the Ministry’s approval of the Loan ByLaw is received. This approval period can take up to 120 days.

On reopening the area, the Town will apply the same measures already in place before the closure in 2024:

• Parking restrictions with permits
• Regular patrols by the SQ and Community Patrol
• Visitor amenities (picnic tables and portable toilets)
• No swimming allowed, eliminating the need for lifeguards
• No campfires or BBQs allowed
• Maintenance of boardwalks and lookouts
• Dogs must be on leash, as per provincial regulations.

Additional modest seasonal measures will be put in place to balance access with conservation:

• Signage to keep visitors on designated trails
• Trimming and removal of hazardous vegetation
• Monitoring and protection of sensitive habitat to prevent damage
• Visitor counts to help with planning
• Temporary closure of an area if ecological quality is reduced by non-compliant activity

A budget of approximately $30,000 will be allocated for information panels, signage to guide visitors along marked trails, trimming and removal of hazardous vegetation, monitoring of sensitive habitats, and temporary closure of certain areas if ecological quality is compromised by non-compliant activities.

The agreement in principle adopted on August 18, 2025, allows the Town to reopen Sandy Beach and the surrounding trails once the Ministry’s approval of the Loan ByLaw is received. This Ministry’s approval period can take up to 120 days from the date of adoption of the Bylaw.

If the By-Law stands, where the registry on September 24^th receives fewer than 491 signatures, or the referendum that would be held only in January 2026 is in favour of the By-Law, the clock begins from the date of Council’s resolution adopting the By-Law, on September 16^th, the Special Council meeting for this purpose.

In 2026, the Town, in partnership with Nature Action Quebec, will launch a public consultation to develop a Conservation and Management Plan (CMP) for Sandy Beach. The CMP will define how to balance visitor access with conservation priorities, identifying which areas will be fully preserved and which may be open for light public use—such as trails, educational signage, washrooms, informational and directional signs, and so on. This plan will also set out actions for protecting species at risk, managing invasive plants, and fostering education and stewardship partnerships.

The financing structure included in the draft loan By-Law tabled by Council at the Special Council Meeting on Thursday, September 11, 2025, does not include the CMM subsidy.

The draft Loan By-Law can be found HERE

Nonetheless, on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at Council’s last regular Council meeting for this term, if the registry held on September 24, 2025 did not reach the required 491 signatures for a referendum, Council is expected to adopt a resolution filing a formal request for funding from the CMM. This step is simply to formalize and secure the available subsidy while we develop the site-specific Conservation and Management Plan with the community, weighing further the pros and cons of accepting the subsidy, looking to see if it is possible to gain greater acceptability on this item.

The Town has until March 1, 2026, to accept or refuse the subsidy. Until then, the Town retains full discretion to accept or decline the subsidy—this measure is only meant to ensure we do not lose the opportunity.

The Town’s financial experts confirm that with careful planning and smart adjustments, acquiring the Sandy Beach site will not jeopardize our town’s financial health.

Council has chosen an optimized approach—using surpluses, spreading investments over 40 years—to keep annual tax increases as close as possible to historic averages.

It is recommended that future councils prioritize future capital projects, use surpluses to minimize debt, and maintain ongoing transparency as the project moves forward. This acquisition is an investment in our community and its future.

Thanks to negotiation and strategic planning, Council is balancing ecological preservation with fiscal responsibility.

The conditions for opposition (registers, percentage of qualified voters, etc.) are set out in the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities.

Residents who wish to oppose the loan by-law may sign the register at the Community Centre, 394 Main Road, on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Conditions to be a qualified voter entitled to have their name entered on the referendum list:

1. be a physical person living in the Town of Hudson and have been living for at least six (6) months in Québec and;
2. be the age of majority and a Canadian citizen and not be disqualified from voting by virtue of a judgment rendered under section 288 of the Civil Code of Québec.
3. Sole proprietors of a property or sole occupants of a business establishment must also meet certain conditions, as well as undivided co-owners of a property or co-occupants of a business establishment in the Town of Hudson
4. Qualified voters who wish to register must also produce identification by presenting his or her health insurance card, driver’s permit or Canadian passport, Indian status certificate or an Armed Forces identity card.

The threshold to trigger a referendum is 491 signatures. If reached, a referendum will take place in January 2026.

If not, the by-law will be submitted to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAMH) for approval; a process expected to take a maximum of 120 days, and the purchase of the Sandy Beach site will become official.