Ottawa mulls turning Technoparc area into an urban national park
Minister Guilbeault's letter to C.S.L. gives hope to environmentalists
After more than a year of lobbying, it appears environmentalists have reason for optimism about the prospects of saving an ecologically sensitive area near Trudeau airport.
The area in question made headlines last summer after Aéroports de Montréal mowed down 4,000 milkweed plants — which are essential to the survival of the endangered monarch butterfly — in the 19-hectare stretch of land once part of the Dorval golf course northwest of the airport. It was also the target of construction last year when Medicom briefly considered building a mask- manufacturing facility on that spot. The Technoparc area also suffered from damage when a sinkhole was formed during work to build a tunnel for the Réseau express métropolitain.
On the heels of that incident, the city of Côte-st-luc passed a resolution asking the federal government to protect the land and incorporate it into a national park. The resolution was then passed by numerous other cities and borough councils around the island, including the city of Montreal. In recent weeks, the Montreal Metropolitan Community put in place an interim control bylaw freezing any construction on that site.
The Montreal Gazette obtained a letter that Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault sent to the city of Côte-st-luc last month saying it is considering transforming the areas. The federal government currently owns 155 hectares of green space and wetlands in the area, which includes parts of Golf Dorval that it leases to the airport and the Technoparc. The area is roughly the same size as Mount Royal Park.
“Parks Canada is evaluating the options to create an urban national park in partnership with diverse actors in the region of Montreal,” states the letter, which was to be officially made public Thursday night by the Côté-st-luc council. “The site of Technoparc/parc-nature des Sources is part of potential sites, but more discussions are necessary between Parks Canada, the city of Montreal, Aéroports de Montréal and Indigenous communities to evaluate the viability of this option. Discussions are currently exploratory.”
Guilbeault noted that the federal government has a goal to protect 25 per cent of Canada's territory by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030.
Côte-st-luc councillor Dida Berku said she's encouraged by the letter.
“It's the first formal response that we've gotten about this, and I was very gratified to get this letter,” Berku said on Wednesday. “It seems like our efforts are paying off, and when we speak in a unified voice, we can get things done.
“This would be an obvious choice for an urban nature park, because it is land that's owned by the federal government. The only obstacle is the lease with Aéroports de Montréal.”
Reacting to the letter, Patrick Barnard, a spokesperson for the environmental lobby group the Green Coalition, said he was encouraged by the response.
“This is a very hopeful sign from minister Guilbeault,” Barnard said on Thursday. “It is a further commitment than he has made before, but it is still in the realm of good intentions, and perhaps good actions as well. But the concrete commitments that are necessary to truly preserve this absolutely irreplaceable area are still to be seen.”
Barnard added that roughly 90 per cent of the island of Montreal has been developed at this point, but the Technoparc site is ecologically important because it is a breeding ground for birds, insects and other important species.
“You have to remember that there was an uproar when the milkweed was mowed down,” he said. “The fact that they could consider really harming monarch butterfly fields when the city of Montreal is considered to be a monarch gold city. The actions of the ADM helped bring public attention to this remaining wetland. For the moment the stars are aligned, and the signs are very good.
“This is an ecosystem; it consists of fields, forest wet areas, marshes and the monarch butterfly fields,” he said. “It's not just the preservation of those fields that are important. Those fields are part of an integrated, varied ecosystem. That's why the semi-destruction of those fields caused such an uproar.”
Speaking for the group Technoparcoiseaux, Katherine Collin said the protection of the federal lands is a good start. However, there are a total of 215 hectares in the area, and some of the most sensitive areas are owned by private developers.
Current zoning laws allow for developers to backfill the area.
“The value of the space only comes from its non-fragmentation,” she said on Thursday. “If we start to have incursions, it will damage the entirety of the system. It's already suffered incredible incursions with the REM there and the tunnel that was bored underneath (to build the REM).”
She said the idea of building a park is a good one, but her group would be satisfied with any form of protection.
“We're thrilled about this idea of urban parks, and we really hope that can come to fruition, but our primary aim is to see the space protected for its biodiversity.”
Calls to Aéroports de Montréal and Steven Guilbeault's office were not returned by press time.