The City of Dorval, the City of Montreal and the Borough of Saint-Laurent have joined forces to call for the preservation of federally-owned natural areas to the south and west of the Technoparc, in order to consolidate and expand the Sources nature park. At a time when Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) is planning a new development there, protecting these 167.2 hectares could enable the consolidation of one of the largest urban nature parks on the island of Montreal. This would eventually give it a surface area comparable to that of Mount Royal Park.
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“These natural environments are among the richest in biodiversity on the island of Montreal. Our administration has taken strong action over the past three years to safeguard them: protection of municipal lands, acquisition of lots threatened by development and expansion of the boundary of the Parc-nature des Sources. Our position is clear: these federal lands must be protected. By working together, we are convinced that we can reconcile the needs of ADM, an important economic partner, while ensuring the protection of this green lung”.
Alex Norris, Associate Councillor for Major Parks on the Executive Committee of the City of Montreal
“Biodiversity protection is an issue we care deeply about, and the destruction of such a precious space for the environment would be disastrous. We invite federal representatives to realize the richness of this ecological jewel in our backyard and to preserve this natural environment to make it a park of which all citizens would be proud!”
Marc Doret, Mayor of the City of Dorval
“On the eve of the election, I call on federal representatives to create an important green legacy for future generations by preserving an ecologically rich area in the heart of a bustling metropolis known for its innovative spirit. In addition to taking concrete action against global warming, the creation of Montreal's largest urban nature park near the Technoparc would send out a magnificent signal that economic prosperity can go hand in hand with the protection of biodiversity. That's the sustainable development we stand for in Saint-Laurent!
Alan DeSousa, Mayor of Saint-Laurent
“The federal government committed to creating a National Urban Parks (NUP) program as early as 2020, a project that received a contribution of $130 million following a 2021 meeting between Parks Canada and the mayors of the country's major cities. Unfortunately, Montreal is not on Parks Canada's list of proposed NUPs. This is an omission that must be urgently corrected. Montreal is a city that has undeniably contributed to Canada's history, notably as the cradle of French in North America. It is also home to the United Nations Secretariat on Biological Diversity. The federal lands surrounding the Montreal airport are home to an inestimable wealth of biodiversity, which, when added to the surrounding municipal lands, make an ideal site for a Montreal PUN. There is a very broad consensus in Greater Montreal for this project, and it's high time it became a reality.”
Clifford Lincoln, former Quebec Environment Minister and Member of Parliament
Details
This site, one of the last large unprotected green spaces on the island, is home to an inestimable wealth of biodiversity, including over 200 species of birds, several of which are threatened or endangered, such as the Least Bittern.
Land zoned “green space” includes lots 3, 4 and 5 on the Saint-Laurent side, as well as lot 20 attached to Dorval, which is under federal control and leased to ADM. This 121-hectare area, corresponding to the former Dorval golf course, remains open to commercial development, and ADM plans to set up a decarbonation plant there.
However, the land is also home to an area of great ecological value known as the “Monarch Field”, as it is visited annually by monarch butterflies, an endangered species that is an essential pollinator in maintaining biodiversity. Included in a zone that has been inactive since 2012, the “Monarch Field” comprises three contiguous habitats: a meadow in its central western part, wetlands on either side of the meadow, and a forest in the eastern part of the site.
Some twenty communities and cities, as well as the Montreal Agglomeration Council, have unanimously adopted resolutions in support of the park creation project in this area. The Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal has also taken two recent initiatives in this direction: prohibiting all construction or activity in terrestrial and wetland environments of metropolitan interest (RCI 2022-96) and including the Dorval golf course among the sectors with potential for conversion to green space or natural environment (RCI 2022-97).
It is therefore essential to avoid any development that could jeopardize this formidable ecological potential.
