The rehabilitation of urban rivers in Quebec
Since the 1970s, citizens’ mobilizations and government interventions have led to a series of decontamination and rehabilitation projects of urban rivers. Taking place in a context of growing environmental concerns, these projects are indicative of a trend towards the appropriation of water fronts by urban populations. In this article, we examine the relationships which the urban populations of two medium-sized cities of Quebec have maintained to their river environments over a longer period of time. The selected populations are those from Shawinigan, a city situated along the Saint-Maurice River, which feeds into the north shore of the Saint-Lawrence River; and Drummondville, located at the St. Francis River, which feeds into the south shore of the Saint-Lawrence River. Through this approach, we seek to show how the types of relationships which people have with rivers are juxtaposed rather than simply succeeding in time. Similarly, we identify factors that shape the intensity of the mobilizations surrounding the continual process of appropriation of the banks and streams.