The North Shore is one of the regions of Quebec that experienced more temperatures higher than normal in 2023, according to Environment Canada.
Over the past 12 months, North Shore residents have witnessed the impact of climate change almost every month.
Many people remember the large surges and coastal overflows of December 2022. Establishments, electricity poles and commercial displays were notably destroyed across the region, without forgetting the erosion of the banks which increased. .
It was unheard of in Sept-Îles, with so much wind and damage, recalls the mayor of Sept-Îles, Denis Miousse.
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A traffic light pole fell in Sept-Îles during the storm in the night between December 23 and 24, 2022. (Archive photo)
Photo: Radio-Canada / Charles-Étienne Drouin
But the winter was shorter than normal.
On April 12, it was nearly 13 degrees Celsius in Sept-Îles. The previous record for April 12 was in 1977 and was 10.5 degrees Celsius.
Sept-Îles near the flames
A few weeks later, the eyes of Canadians were fixed on the region, when Sept-Îles was threatened by forest fires. Thousands of people had to be evacuated.
When we have a city that is forced to evacuate people to protect them, things are really not going well.
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Forest fires threatened eastern Sept-Îles and the Innu community of Mani-utenam last June. (Archive photo)
Photo : Radio-Canada
The mayor of Port-Cartier and prefect of the MRC of Sept-Rivières, Alain Thibault, considers that the number of forest fires could increase in the region.
We look at the devastation caused by the spruce budworm where the trees are completely dry on one side then the other. It falls on Route 138, on our electrical wires. This causes electrical outages, says Mr. Thibault. We will look to develop an action plan in 2024 for the MRC of Sept-Rivières [afin de se préparer aux changements climatiques].
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Citizens of Sept-Îles could see a plume of smoke in the distance last June. (Archive photo)
Photo : Radio-Canada / Marc-Antoine Mageau
Heat wave in the St. Lawrence
In July, the Gulf of St. Lawrence reached record temperatures. Surface waters in the Gulf reached 17 degrees Celsius. It was three degrees warmer than the normal temperature for this time of year.
This warming brought joy to Nordic bathers.
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This meteorological phenomenon observed on the North Shore extends throughout the Atlantic Ocean, where, in places, temperatures 5 to 10 degrees Celsius higher than normal have been recorded. (Archive photo)
Photo : Radio-Canada / Marc-Antoine Mageau
Oceanographer and researcher in marine mammal ecology, Lyne Morissette, has also noted an increase in the number of lobsters near the North Shore due to warming waters.
These are lobsters that were previously off the American east coast in Maine, explains the researcher. These lobsters are increasingly found in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In terms of migration, this could represent good news for fishermen on the North Shore.
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Lyne Morissette, oceanographer and researcher in marine mammal ecology (Archive photo)
Photo : Radio-Canada / Nicolas Steinbach
However, she considers that warming waters have very different effects for certain marine animals.
All animals have a preferential habitat. When the animal’s preferred temperature is 4 degrees Celsius and the temperature rises to 12 degrees Celsius, there are obviously impacts for the animals, specifies the oceanographer.
If the temperature gets really too hot, it’s called a lethal temperature. This means that animals will die because they don’t have the metabolism to tolerate or live in heat like that.
Preparing for 2024
On a global scale, Environment Canada meteorologist Simon Legault expects 2024 to be the hottest year in history, just like 2023 was.
The problem is that the extreme is getting more and more extreme. What we found extreme before will eventually become normal, warns the meteorologist. We will have to be ready to be resilient. This is what we are putting in place with the various regional, provincial and federal authorities.
Like several other municipalities, Sept-Îles is considering the idea of acquiring more active protection equipment to protect the city if even larger fires were to one day threaten it.
2023-12-31 00:06:44
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