La Tuque Mayor Luc Martel has warned that tensions over Quebec’s proposed forestry reform are nearing a breaking point. “It’s five minutes to midnight,” he said. “The forestry workers’ tolerance has reached its limit.”
In recent weeks, blockades led by Indigenous protestors have disrupted forestry operations across the province, including in Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc and La Tuque, where confrontations between protesters and industry workers have intensified.
The unrest stems from a forestry bill introduced earlier this spring that would divide Quebec’s public forests into zones for conservation, multi-use, and commercial logging. The legislation also prohibits actions that “restrict the carrying out of forest development activities” within designated forestry zones—a clause Indigenous leaders say infringes on their land rights and traditional stewardship.
In response to mounting pressure, the Quebec government has pledged to revise the bill. Following meetings with Indigenous leaders, Natural Resources Minister Maïté Blanchette Vézina said changes are underway. “I am working on amendments,” she told reporters Wednesday. “We want to find more consensual ways of arriving at a modern forestry regime.”
The MAMU First Nation, which has organised blockades in La Tuque—220 kilometres northeast of Montreal—said the government’s shift is a direct result of their actions. “We succeeded in forcing the government to give in,” the group posted on Facebook. “But it’s not over yet.”
Despite six hours of negotiations on Tuesday, no resolution was reached. The Atikamekw Nation reiterated its opposition to the bill but expressed a willingness to work toward restoring “social peace.”
Meanwhile, the Assembly of First Nations Quebec–Labrador (AFNQL), which walked away from talks last month citing a lack of “genuine political will,” remains firm in its demand to scrap the zoning model entirely. The assembly argues the approach amounts to land privatisation and is calling for a co-management framework that would give First Nations a decisive role in forest governance. “The current bill proposes a concept that is based on the exploitation of the forest, first and foremost,” said Chief Francis Verreault-Paul.
Natural Resources Minister Maïté Blanchette Vézina acknowledged the delicate nature of the dispute and stressed the importance of safeguarding regional economies. At the same time, she signalled a willingness to strengthen Indigenous participation in forest governance. “The way consultations are conducted needs to be reviewed,” she said.
Indigenous Affairs Minister Ian Lafrenière also weighed in, defending the bill’s zoning framework in a social media post on Tuesday. He argued that the reform is aimed at curbing industrial access and expanding conservation efforts. “Currently, the forestry industry operates on 100 per cent of the territory,” he wrote. “We want to change that by protecting one-third.”
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Lafrenière acknowledged that widespread misconceptions about the bill have contributed to rising tensions. He emphasised the need for clearer communication and collaborative solutions. “We are going to do it together,” he said. “It will work.”
