Brome Project: Brome-Missisquoi RCM demands full answers from Hydro-Québec before taking a position on route selection

Cowansville, June 16, 2026 – During a meeting of the Council of Mayors, elected officials of the Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality (RCM) adopted a resolution demanding that Hydro-Québec promptly provide all analyses and information that led to the selection of Route C as part of the Brome Project.

This action follows Hydro-Québec’s recent announcement identifying Route C as its preferred option, despite the fact that several key pieces of information requested for months by the RCM and the affected municipalities have yet to be provided.

“Municipal elected officials have a responsibility to defend the interests of their communities and assess the impacts of a project of this magnitude. We cannot properly fulfill that role when the information requested is unavailable, unclear, or incomplete, and a decision has already been made,” said Daniel Tétreault, Acting Warden of the Brome-Missisquoi RCM.

The resolution specifically requests that Hydro-Québec submit, before July 3, a detailed rationale explaining why Route C was selected over Route D, along with a comprehensive comparative assessment of the impacts associated with both options.

The RCM is also requesting the visual analyses, landscape simulations, and comparative studies for Routes C and D that were requested in a resolution adopted by its Executive Committee on April 8 and which, to date, remain unanswered.

A matter of transparency, trust and social acceptability

The RCM emphasizes that it does not question the need to modernize the region’s energy infrastructure. However, it believes that a project with potentially significant impacts on landscapes, the environment, residents’ quality of life, economic development, tourism, and agriculture must be evaluated on the basis of complete, rigorous, and accessible information.

Elected officials believe that the announcement of a preferred route before the requested analyses were provided raises serious concerns regarding the transparency of the decision-making process.

“Citizens, municipalities, and community stakeholders have the right to understand why one route is being favoured over another. Confidence in the process depends on the quality of the information being shared and on the ability of affected communities to participate in discussions in an informed manner. Without this transparency, it becomes difficult to foster public support and social acceptability for the project,” added the Acting Warden.

Hydro-Québec invited to explain its decision

Through its resolution, the RCM is also requesting that Hydro-Québec attend the Executive Committee meeting scheduled for July 8 to present its analyses and answer questions from elected officials.

Finally, a copy of the resolution will be sent to Brome-Missisquoi MNA Isabelle Charest, as well as to various government ministries and agencies, in order to seek their support for the steps being taken with Hydro-Québec.

The Brome-Missisquoi RCM reiterates that local communities must have access to all necessary information before a decision with such significant implications for the future of the region can be considered justified or acceptable.

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Source: Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality (RCM)

Nathalie Grimard
Assistant Director General
ngrimard@mrcbm.qc.ca
450 266-4900, ext. 242