Marc-André
LeChasseur
- French
- English
Marc-André LeChasseur practices municipal and public law. He is an assistant professor at McGill University’s School of Urban Planning, where he teaches Quebec and Ontario town planning law at the master’s level, and a lecturer in the Master of Town Planning at the Faculté d’aménagement of the Université de Montréal.
He is one of LEXPERT’s most recommended Canadian lawyers in public law and among Canadian Lawyer magazine’s 500 Best Lawyers in Canada.
From 1997 to 2016, Mtre LeChasseur published five books on town planning law and ethics (see “Publications” below). His works have been cited more than 100 times in decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada, the Quebec Court of Appeal and the Superior Court of Québec. He has also published dozens of articles in municipal law journals.
He is a regular guest speaker for the Union des municipalités du Québec, the Corporation des officiers municipaux du Québec and the Ordre des urbanistes du Québec.
Mtre LeChasseur advises municipalities, represents them before the courts and he is regularly consulted for matters relating to land development, ecosystem management and property rights.
Services
- Urban planning and development
- Contracting by municipal bodies
- Judicial review of municipal bodies
Training
Interdisciplinary PhD
LL.M.
Barreau du Québec
LL.L.
Research Fund Grant - Society and Culture
In 2019, Mtre LeChasseur was awarded a Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC) scholarship as part of his doctoral studies. This scholarship is intended to enable the strategic and coherent development of research in the social sciences and humanities, and arts and letters in Quebec.
Heenan Blaikie Scholarship
In 1997, Mtre LeChasseur was awarded a Heenan Blaikie scholarship in public law for the excellence of his Master’s thesis which dealt with section 227 of the Act respecting land use planning and development.
Typical Mandates
Municipal law
Assisted a number of municipalities in formulating PIIA by-laws, Form-Based Codes and innovative tools for property redevelopment.
Assisted a number of municipalities in developing a municipal structure for the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) computerized electric light rail transit (LRT) system.
Represented the Union des municipalités du Québec before the Supreme Court of Canada in Rogers v. Ville de Châteauguay.
Represented the Commission municipale du Québec during the interim administration of Ville de Laval.
Represented the Commission municipale du Québec in the public inquiry into a number of cases involving the ethics of several elected municipal officials.
Represented Quebec’s chief coroner in the public inquiry into the death of Mr. Alain Magloire.
Successfully represented the Ville de Mont-Royal in Accoca v. Ville de Mont-Royal, the first case concerning Site Planning and Architectural Integration program by-laws argued before the Québec Court of Appeal.
Successfully represented the Ville de Montréal in St-Georges v. Ville de Montréal, the first case concerning urban planning concordance by-laws argued before the Québec Court of Appeal.
Represented numerous municipal bodies in the Greater Montréal Area in files concerning environmental protection.
Drafted several interim control by-laws in the Greater Montréal Area.
Real estate Law
Prepared and negotiated municipal works agreements concerning the development of the northern tip of Nun’s Island.
Prepared several municipal works and contribution agreements for major real-estate developments in Greater Montréal.
Prepared and negotiated deeds of transfer, emphyteutic leases, surface rights, deeds of easement, and road permissions for the development of several major public and private real-estate projects in Montréal.
Professional Accomplishments
Mtre LeChasseur represents several local municipalities, MRCs, l’Union des municipalités du Québec, the Montreal Metropolitan Community and the Kativik Regional Government.
His cutting-edge knowledge makes him a sought-after advisor by public organizations across Quebec.
He participates in certain think tanks surrounding the revision of the current Act respecting land use planning and development, the Act respecting expropriation and the Act respecting northern villages and the Kativik Regional Government.
He has acquired considerable experience in drafting urban planning regulations and in negotiating contracts regarding large-scaled mixed real estate developments and the construction of municipal infrastructure. Mtre LeChasseur acts in this context on a daily basis for municipalities and private companies.
Mtre LeChasseur is very interested in regulatory tools for urban planning in use in North America and Europe. Form-based Planning as a regulatory drafting technique is of particular interest to him. He has been called upon to work on certain files of this nature in recent years, including the following:
- Participation in the development of the regulatory framework for the Urbanova project of the City of Terrebonne, in the drafting and revision of texts (use of techniques inspired by the Form-based Code and optimal use of discretionary project approval tools) (2015, 2016, 2017);
- Participation in the development of the regulatory framework and the drafting of texts for the Pointe-Claire Village Code (Form-based Code) (2016-2017);
- Revision of the revised regulatory framework of the City of Bromont (exercise inspired by the Form-based Code technique) (2016);
- Complete review of the regulatory overhaul of the City of Brossard (using a traditional approach) (2015-2016);
- General training for the Order of Urban Planners in Form-based Code (2016).
Affiliations & Activities
Published works
Zonage et urbanisme en droit municipal canadien, Les Éditions Wilson & Lafleur inc., 2016.
Zonage et urbanisme en droit municipal québécois, Les Éditions Wilson & Lafleur inc., 2009.
Le zonage en droit québécois, Les Éditions Wilson & Lafleur inc., 2006.
Loi sur l’aménagement et l’urbanisme annotée, Les Éditions Yvon Blais inc., 1999.
L’injonction déguisée en droit de l’urbanisme, Les Éditions Yvon Blais inc., 1997.
Conflits d’intérêts et inhabilités en milieu municipal, Les Éditions Yvon Blais inc., 1997.
Published articles (sampling)
« L’expropriation de facto au Canada et la transcendance des solidarités », in Développements récents en droit en droit municipal, Éditions Yvon Blais, 2022.
« La participation du public à la planification urbaine et les droits inclus dans la garantie d’application de la Loi : équité procédurale, attentes légitimes, droits substantiels », in Développements récents en droit municipal, Les Éditions Yvon Blais inc., 2014.
« La taxe verte au (re) développement durable », Le Sablier, 2011.
« Le changement de zonage : processus législatif ou quasi judiciaire ?» , Développements récents en droit municipal, 2007.
« Exemption des équipements de dépollution du rôle d’évaluation foncière », Bulletin Droit fiscalité municipale, November 2007.
« L’équilibre entre l’intérêt public et l’intérêt privé », Le Carrefour, summer 2005.
« Un partenariat de longue date entre le public et le privé », Le Carrefour, spring 2005.
« Montréal, à l’heure des bonis de densité ? », Espace Montréal, vol. 14, no 2, 2005.
« L’évolution de la notion d’intérêt juridique en droit municipal québécois », in Développements récents en droit municipal, 2004.
« L’immobilier à Montréal connaîtra-t-il le régime des bonis de densité ? », Bulletin Droit municipal/Immobilier by Marc-André LeChasseur and Claude Gendron, fall – winter 2004.
« Le zonage des projets d’envergure sur l’Île de Montréal », Bulletin Droit immobilier, February 2004.
« L’article 89 de la Charte de la Ville de Montréal – Du nouveau en matière d’approbation référendaire », Urbanité, vol. 2, no 2, July 2003.
« Les règlements à caractère discrétionnaire en vertu de la Loi sur l’aménagement et l’urbanisme, » Revue de droit de l’Université de Sherbrooke, vol. 31, nos 1 and 2, 2001.
« Droit municipal – conflits d’intérêts et inhabilités », Journal du Barreau, vol. 30, no 8, May 1st, 1999.
« La densité d’occupation du sol – Un concept urbanistique oublié ? », Journal du Barreau, vol. 30, no 2, February 1st, 1999.
« La loi 137 en droit municipal – un nouveau concept d’appels d’offres », Journal du Barreau, vol. 29, no 18, October 1st, 1997.
« L’application du recours selon l’article 227 L.A.U. », Bulletin de Droit municipal, vol. 4, 1997.
« La discrétion judiciaire dans l’application de l’article 227 de la Loi sur l’aménagement et l’urbanisme », in Développements récents en droit municipal, 1997.
Teaching
Mtre LeChasseur is an adjunct professor at McGill University’s School of Urban Planning and lecturer at l’Université de Montréal’s Faculté d’aménagement.
He has also been lecturer in administrative law at l’Université de Sherbrooke’s Faculté de droit.
Publications
Reform of the Charter of the French language: what impact on municipalities?
Transfer duties: a Belanger Sauvé partner publishes the sixth edition of his indispensable reference...
Democracy or the right of citizens to acquire political power through judicial remedies
