The City of Montréal announces the return this spring of the Blue and Green Patrols. The aim of these teams is to inform Montrealers and raise their awareness of environmental issues and climate resilience. Their actions with citizens contribute to the Montréal 2030 vision, one of whose main objectives is to accelerate the socio-ecological transition.
The Blue Patrol: raising awareness of good water management practices
From April 28 to May 23, the Blue Patrol will be visiting Montrealers to encourage them to adopt responsible and sustainable water-saving behaviours. Over the next few weeks, the young Blue Patrol employees will be visiting boroughs, related cities and childcare centers across the city. Once again this year, the Blue Patrol's mission is to raise public awareness of best practices and regulations concerning the conservation of drinking water, both inside and outside the home.
Among other things, the Blue Patrol will be highlighting the benefits of using low-flow equipment by distributing low-flow showerheads, which are among the most effective ways of reducing water consumption in the home. She'll also be sharing good watering practices, which can lead to substantial savings, particularly during heatwaves. In addition, it will raise public awareness of the benefits of not flushing prohibited materials down the drain or toilet, thus helping to extend the life of the City's infrastructure and the quality of the receiving aquatic environment.
This year, the City of Montreal granted more than $68,000 to the Regroupement des écoquartiers to coordinate the Patrouille's activities. To date, the Blue Patrol has raised awareness of water-related issues and water-saving measures among more than 130,000 people.
Green Patrol: raising awareness of major environmental issues
Montreal is also granting $65,750 to the Regroupement des écoquartiers for the deployment of the Patrouille verte. The Patrouille verte, also coordinated by the Regroupement des écoquartiers, is an awareness-raising squad that reaches out to Montrealers to discuss current environmental issues and help them take concrete action to improve the urban environment. Learning to live with the new reality of climate change is also a theme.
The brigade will work on five priority areas: waste management, sustainable water management, promotion and protection of the urban forest, nature in the city and healthy lifestyles. The patrol contributes to the city's goal of a zero-waste future, in particular through the reduction at source and reclamation of residual materials. It raises public awareness of the importance of trees and green spaces in the context of ecological transition, and invites citizens to do their part in making the socio-ecological transition a success together.
In 2024, the Green Patrol carried out its awareness-raising mandates in 16 boroughs and three linked cities. Green Patrol members have reached 70,904 citizens to date.
"We are proud to reiterate our support for the Blue and Green Patrols, which play an important role in raising awareness among Montrealers. By informing Montrealers about eco-responsible habits, we contribute to reducing the waste of water and resources, extending the lifespan of our municipal infrastructures and sustainably improving the quality of life and the urban environment. Once again this year, we have chosen to focus on promising initiatives that place biodiversity, green spaces and the management and development of our natural riverside and aquatic heritage at the heart of our decision-making. These Patrols are complementary initiatives to all the actions we are taking to accelerate the socio-ecological transition in Montreal. Together, we can do our part to live in a green and eco-responsible metropolis," said Maja Vodanovic, the executive committee member responsible for water.
SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Office of the Mayor and Executive Committee
