ClimaSol-Plus Program

• Signed financial assistance application form (Component 2)
• Municipal council resolution approving the project
• Site location plan
• Proof of land ownership
• Site characterization study compliant with the Ministry’s guide

• Project must have prior approval from the local municipality (council resolution).
• Project must be carried out on land with economic development potential (as defined by the program).
• Project must include rehabilitation of a site where soil contamination exceeds applicable criteria/limits, with full rehabilitation upon completion.
• Project must use the government soil traceability system (Traces Québec) for any off-site movement of contaminated soil.
• Applicant must comply with Québec laws and regulations applicable to the project.

Who is eligible?

• Municipalities (municipal applicants owning the land to be rehabilitated)
• Private landowners (individuals or private-law legal entities owning the land to be rehabilitated)

Who is not eligible

• Public bodies
• Federal public bodies
• School organizations (e.g., school boards, CEGEPs, universities, subsidized private educational institutions)
• Health or social services institutions
• Projects located on the territory of the City of Montréal

Eligible expenses

• Professional services to prepare and oversee rehabilitation work (e.g., plans/specifications, environmental supervision, reporting, site characterization)
• Eligible rehabilitation site works (e.g., excavation/loading, segregation, transport, treatment, valorization, elimination of contaminated soils; groundwater pumping/transport/treatment)
• Soil traceability system fees (Traces Québec) for contaminated soils (maximum 1$/metric ton)
• Post-rehabilitation monitoring work accepted by the Minister (up to one year after end of rehabilitation works)
• Municipal administration/coordination fees (where applicable)

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Building demolition work unrelated to soils
• Work linked to an investment project (non-rehabilitation)
• Land acquisition costs and related interest
• Legal fees
• Municipal employee salaries and benefits

Eligible geographic areas

• Québec (all municipalities)
• Excludes: City of Montréal
• Excludes: Pointe-aux-Lièvres and D’Estimauville eco-districts (City of Québec)

• Site contamination block: prioritizes the most heavily contaminated sites and the most mobile/toxic contaminants
• Economic development block: prioritizes sites with economic development potential

• Step 1: Prepare application package
  • Complete and sign the Component 2 financial assistance application form.
  • Obtain the municipality’s council resolution approving the project and authorizing submission.
  • Gather required supporting documents (e.g., site location plan, proof of ownership, characterization studies; additional justification if outside the urbanization perimeter).
• Step 2: Submit through the municipality
  • Send the application to the municipality for approval.
  • The municipality submits the application to the Ministry by email (climatsol-plus@environnement.gouv.qc.ca) by the program deadline (historically: no later than September 30, 2024 for Component 2).
• Step 3: Sign the funding agreement
  • Municipality prepares the funding agreement using the Ministry’s template and submits it for review.
  • Provide required pre-signature items where applicable (e.g., cultural heritage correspondence; authorizations/declaration of conformity if required; financial guarantee for private applicants).
• Step 4: Manage procurement and start work
  • Transmit tender documents (including specifications) to the Ministry before launching calls for tenders, and provide addenda as needed.
  • Notify the Ministry of the start date at least two weeks in advance and submit the environmental monitoring plan for approval.
• Step 5: Reporting and final payment request
  • Submit the 85% expense report to trigger the second payment (where applicable).
  • After work completion, provide professional conformity documentation and an external auditor’s report via the municipality for the final payment.

• The Ministry analyzes the application against program standards and may request additional information.
• Projects are assessed using two blocks: site contamination and economic development potential.
• If accepted, the Ministry confirms financial assistance via a letter of intent sent to the municipality.
• A funding agreement (bilateral or tripartite) must be prepared using the Ministry’s template and signed within nine months of confirmation.
• Final payment is issued after the Ministry verifies conformity of the rehabilitation work and receives required final documentation (including an external auditor’s report).

• Program status: Component 2 ended March 31, 2025; no new applications are accepted.
• The Quebec Ministry of the Environment provides a normative framework and action checklists for municipal and private applicants.
• Municipalities must submit an annual progress report for all projects on their territory (until projects are completed).
• Municipalities must keep supporting documentation for seven years after full payment of financial assistance.