In 2024, the Legacy Fund for the Environment (LFE) began supporting efforts to oppose the construction of a large electric vehicle (EV) battery plant near the Richelieu River by Northvolt, a Swedish firm working in partnership with the Government of Quebec. The proposed site was previously home to an industrial paint facility, raising serious environmental concerns.

Local citizens challenged a municipal bylaw that created a “Programme particulier d’urbanisme (PPU)”, rezoning the area from small-scale industrial to large-scale industrial. The bylaw also removed residents’ right to a referendum on the zoning changes. LFE entered into an agreement with the Comité citoyen in June 2024 to help raise funds for legal and scientific efforts related to this opposition.

In spring 2025, LFE helped the Comité to support a citizen-led soil sampling initiative, led by environmental expert Daniel Green, to assess potential toxic contamination at the site.

In May 2025, Northvolt’s parent company in Sweden filed for bankruptcy, casting uncertainty over the future of the Quebec project. While the Canadian subsidiary, Northvolt North America, claims to remain solvent and committed to its obligations, the project’s continuation depends on decisions by the Swedish court-appointed trustee and the company’s creditors.

See more: Facebook CAC Northvolt

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