Chantal Rouleau, Minister of Transport and Minister responsible for the Metropolis and the Montreal region, Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal and President of the Montreal Metropolitan Community (MMC), and Caroline Bourgeois, Mayor of Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles and member of the Executive Committee of the City of Montreal, today inaugurated the second phase of work on the East Beach, Caroline Bourgeois, inaugurated today the second phase of the development of the East Beach, a project that is part of the Greater Montreal Green and Blue Network and in the wake of the Joint Declaration to revitalize the East End of Montreal.
Located on the shores of the St. Lawrence River in the Pointe-aux-Trembles district, at the junction of the Rivière des Prairies, the East End beach offers privileged access to the banks of the St. Lawrence River. The site is equipped with a lighted promenade, a wooden pier that extends towards the river. Water jets are integrated into the promenade. There is a large grassy area, urban furniture, an open shelter integrated into the pier, as well as a pebble beach. These amenities are complemented by the two beach volleyball courts and a service pavilion, which opened in 2018 at the end of the first phase of construction.
The East Beach is a place for recreational and nautical activities. Access to the river is possible to practice nautical activities, including canoeing and kayaking, from the pebble beach. In fact, the organization La Route de Champlain will be on site as of June 25 to offer visitors the opportunity to practice sea kayaking with an experienced guide, to rent a boat and to participate in eco-responsible activities (by reservation only).
Although citizens are already taking advantage of the facilities at the East Beach, swimming in the river is not permitted at this time due to the presence of debris and contaminated sediments in the water that may affect the health and safety of users. However, a call for tenders is underway to plan and carry out sediment decontamination and shoreline rehabilitation work in the near future.
Funding
The total cost of the second phase of the East Beach project (from design to completion) is $7.4 million, of which $3.4 million has been granted in equal parts by the Government of Quebec and the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) through the financial assistance program for the Greater Montreal Green and Blue Network. The City of Montreal received $5 million in financial assistance from the Ministère de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MELCC) for the environmental rehabilitation of part of the site.
Quotes
"I got into politics to see the Eastern Beach through. Today, as Minister of the Metropolis, I am very proud that our government continues to support this project. This promising initiative, which is part of the major revitalization of Montreal's East End, has made it possible to transform an underused piece of land into a new green space in an urban setting. This is one of those great and beautiful projects that contribute to making the East End an attractive living environment that is appreciated by its citizens. I am convinced that with the beautiful days to come, this beach will be a precious and popular place for many people who want to get together after the year we have had," said Chantal Rouleau, Minister for Transport and Minister responsible for the Metropolis and the Montreal region.
"In addition to improving access to the shores of the St. Lawrence River for the population of the East End of Montreal and the entire metropolitan region, the East End beach will enrich the Green and Blue Trame with an exceptional site that will contribute to strengthening the region's recreational and tourist appeal, for our greater benefit. I am delighted with the work done on this site so far and I am already looking forward to inaugurating phase III of the work, which will allow residents and visitors to have full access to the river and to swim in it. This is a concrete way to give back access to our shores," said Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal and President of the Montreal Metropolitan Community.
"The East Beach enhances the quality of life of the residents of Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles by providing privileged access to the waterfront. This enchanting site offers a space for relaxation, in harmony with its environment, which adds to the borough's efforts to offer pleasant and sustainable living environments to the population. The new facilities support the borough's policy of expanding the recreational offer and the tourism of the territory and are in line with the initiatives to enhance the natural attractions of our Green Blue Plan," said Caroline Bourgeois, Mayor of the borough of Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles and member of the Executive Committee of the Ville de Montréal.
For more information on the East Beach
The East Beach site is open every day from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and is staffed by a park warden during the summer months. The water jets are in operation from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. The service pavilion includes washrooms, a change room, and outdoor showers. The East Beach is accessible by bicycle via the Route verte.
About the Green and Blue Path of Greater Montreal
The Green and Blue Network is a recreational and tourist network that protects and enhances the natural environments, landscapes and built heritage of Greater Montreal for the benefit of its citizens. Financed by the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, the Government of Quebec and the municipalities, the many projects of the Blue and Green Line promote active and public transportation, and contribute to maintaining biodiversity, mitigating the impacts of climate change, improving the quality of life of citizens and strengthening the attractiveness of the metropolitan region. For more information, visit www.cmm.qc.ca.
