François
Bouchard

Hotline: 581 543-2704

François Bouchard, partner, has been practicing law for 40 years and is recognized by both his clients and the legal community in general for his extensive expertise in administrative law, municipal law, and environmental law. His specialties are municipal law (general, contract management, expropriations, and taxation), the preservation of agricultural land (rezoning applications), and the environment (obtaining certificates of authorization, providing legal assistance on BAPE hearings, and contesting penal complaints).

He assists and represents municipalities, companies, and private individuals in disputes with provincial and federal authorities. He pleads cases before the courts (Supreme Court of Canada, Appeal Court of Québec, Superior Court, Federal Court, and Court of Québec) quasi-judicial and administrative bodies (Administrative Tribunal of Québec andCommission de protection du territoire agricole, Commission municipale du Québec and Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE)).

François Bouchard is also a professor and lecturer at the Université de Sherbrooke in the notarial law graduate department, where he teaches the municipal and environmental law course, and a guest speaker at many organizations in the municipal and environmental sectors. 

Assistant: Maureen Savard

Expertise

• Municipal law (land use and urban planning, right of expropriation for public purposes, functioning of municipal councils, elections, ethics, and professional conduct , contract management, preservation of agricultural land and activities)
• Environmental law (public hearings and BAPE hearings, quarries and sandpits, government controls, the environment in James Bay and northern Québec, waste management, penal offences pertaining to environmental law, carbon credit market, hazardous materials , land protection and rehabilitation, water quality, air quality, and noise, appeal of government decisions)
• Agricultural and agri-food law
• Litigation

Other titles

• Head, professional committee on municipal and environmental law, Cain Lamarre
• Ethics and deontology advisor, Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire

Education

• M. Env., Faculty of Science, Université de Sherbrooke (2005)
• Postgraduate diploma in Environmental Management, Université de Sherbrooke (2003)
• Microprogram diploma in Environmental Auditing, Faculty of Science, Université de Sherbrooke (2003)
• M.A. in Regional Studies, specializing in Land Planning, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (1990)
• LL.B., Université de Montréal (1979)

Professional experience

• Cain Lamarre, Saguenay (2006 to now and 1980 to 1992)
• Cain Lamarre, Jonquière (1992 to 2006)

Lecturing, conferences, publications

Conferences:

• Lobbying and the Municipal Sector, webinar for the Fédération Québécoise des Municipalités, hereafter FQM (2020)
• How to Take Full Advantage of the New General Taxation Power and the Power to Charge Regulatory Dues Granted to Municipalities, one-day online training session for the members of the Corporation des Officiers Municipaux Agréés du Québec, hereafter COMAQ (2020)
• The Canadian and Quebec Penal Systems in Environmental Law: How it Operates, one-day online training session for the members of the Quebec
• Business Council on the Environment, hereafter CPEQ, with Me Valéry Gauthier (2020)
• Elected officials and administration: facing the duality of tasks, half-day online training session for the Municipality of Preissac elected officials with Me Stéphanie Turcotte (2020)
• Management of Environmental Issues on Municipal Territory, one-day online training session for COMAQ members with Me Dominique Delisle (2020)
• Regional Plans For Wetlands and Hydrous Environment: What Are They and What Are the Consequences? webinar for members of the FQM and Corporation des officiers municipaux en bâtiment et en environnement du Québec (COMBEQ) (2020)
• Training for Managing Non-Compliance Notices, Directives and/or Administrative Monetary Penalties Issued by the MELCC and ECCC, one-day online training session for CPEQ members with Me Valéry Gauthier (2020)
• Wetlands and Hydrous Environment Managment for Commercial and Industrial Projects, Webinar for CPEQ members (2020)
• Residential Pool Safety: A Shared Responsibility,” webinar for UMQ members) (2020)
• Municipal Economic Development: Tax Credit Programs and Assistance to Private Businesses, one-day training session for COMAQ members with Me Valéry Gauthier in Vaudreuil-Dorion (2020)
• Update on the Awarding of Municipal Contracts, one-day training session for MRC d’Abitibi elected officials (2020)
• “The contract management by-law: Where are we one year later?” presentation to COMAQ members at the 2019 annual meeting in Bécancourt (2019)
• “Legislative provisions of the Cities and Towns Act and Municipal Code respecting contract management: Are they really matters of public policy?”  presentation to COMAQ members at the 2019 annual conference in Saint-Hyacinthe (2019)
• Webinar on access to information in environmental matters for CPEQ members (2019)
• “Don’t confuse ‘as an elected official’ with ‘as a municipal employee’: A matter of ethics and a problem of competency,” training session for Cain Lamarre clients in Val-d’Or (2019)
• Webinar on solicitor-client privilege in environmental matters for CPEQ members (2019)
• “Changes in MRC practices under Bills 122 and 155,” one-day training session for ADGMRCQ members in Quebec City (January 2019)
• “Legislative changes affecting municipal procurement: What you need to know to escape grey areas?” half-day training session for Évènements Les Affaires participants in Montreal (2019)
• “Environment inspections and investigations: What to tell your clients?” lunchtime presentation for Cain Lamarre lawyers (2018)
• “Changes in MRC practices under Bills 122 and 155,” one-day training session for ADGMRCQ members in Quebec City (2018)
• “The model contract management by-law:How to adapt it to your needs,” half-day training session for COMAQ members in Trois-Rivières (2018)
• Webinar on general taxation authority, regulatory charges, and other new developments in municipal taxation for FQM (2018)
• “Agricultural zoning,” one-day training session for FQM members in Victoriaville (2018)
• “Autorité des marchés publics: A new watchdog for public contracts,” lunchtime presentation to Cain Lamarre lawyers (2018)
• “Municipal financial management,” one-day training session for FQM members in Waterville (September 2018) and Racine (2018)
• Training session on the provincial and federal penal system in environmental matters, one-day session for CPEQ members in Montreal (2018) and Coop fédérée members Montreal (2018), Quebec City (2018), Saint-Hyacinthe (2018)
• “Preparing and conducting council meetings: Rules you need to know,” training session at the ADMQ conference in Quebec City (2018)
• “Which information from provincial and municipal registries is now routinely made public?” webinar for CPEQ members (2018)
• “Update on the awarding of municipal contracts,” one-day training session for COMAQ members in Longueuil (2018)
• “Notices of contamination, restriction, decontamination, and withdrawal and notices to neighbours regarding contaminated land, hazardous materials, and residual materials,” webinar for members de la CPEQ (2018)
• “The model contract management by-law: Some sample cases” one-day training session at the COMAQ conference in Quebec City (2018)
• “Residential pool safety: A shared responsibility,” webinar for UMQ members (2018 and 2018)
• Bill 122: Mutually agreed contracts and local purchasing policy,” training session for a Cain Lamarre symposium in Amos (2018)
• “How far can a municipality go in granting incentives to attract future residents and businesses?” training session for a Cain Lamarre symposium in Amos (2018)
• “Update on the awarding of municipal contracts and the Autorité des marchés publics,” training session for Cain Lamarre lawyers in Val-d’Or (2018)
• “Municipal powers over economic matters: A look at Bill 122,” one-day training session for ADMQ members in Drummondville (2018)
• “The adoption of Bill 122: Impacts on land use, urban planning, and accountability to citizens,” one-day training session for ADMQ members in Drummondville (2018)

Publications: 

• Update of chapter VIII with Dominique Delisle (2020), in Droit municipal : Recours et modes de règlement des différends, a publication of doctrine in municipal law, LexisNexis, 2020 Edition
• Update in 2020 with Dominique Delisle of a chapter on legal treatment and protection, fascicle of Part I, and on taxation and municipal finance, Part III, in Droit municipal, Lexis Nexis
• With Valéry Gauthier (2019), update of FQM training sessions on: 
  a) The decision making process in the awarding of municipal contracts 
  b) Municipal financial management
  c) Agricultural zoning 

• With Stéphanie Turcotte (2018), new model bylaw on contract management and a companion document on contract awarding for the members of COMAQ
• With Stéphanie Turcotte (2017), article in Revue du Barreau du Québec, Développements récents en droit municipal (2017), “Mesure Robin des Bois: lorsqu’une municipalité prend aux riches pour donner aux pauvres.”
• Update of chapter with Dominique Delisle (2020), chapter VIII in Droit municipal : Recours et modes de règlement des différends, a publication on doctrine in municipal law, LexisNexis
• Update of chapter with Dominique Delisle (2020) on legal treatment and protection, fascicle of Part I, and on taxation and municipal finance, Part III, in Droit municipal, Lexis Nexis collection 

Lecturing:

• Sessional lecturer in the Faculty of Law at Université de Sherbrooke (Master’s program in notarial law) for a course on municipal law, expropriation, and environmental constraints (DRN831) (2018)

Associations, committees, boards

• Head of the Municipal and Environmental professional committee, Cain Lamarre
• Ethics advisor (Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire)
• Former funding campaign chairman, Fondation Asselin, Cégep de Jonquière (2018)
• Former chair of the board, Fondation Asselin, Cégep de Jonquière (previously)
• Regional member/director, Réseau Environnement (previously)
• Former president of Marathon de la Francophonie (previously)

Distinctions

• Winner, 2012 Award of Excellence, Private Sector Ambassador, Corporation des officiers municipaux agréés du Québec (COMAQ)
• Recognized as a “Great Volunteer” by Fondation Asselin, Cégep de Jonquière