At a time when the greening of Montreal is increasingly considered a priority for adapting to the impacts of the climate crisis, the City on Monday approved an “agreement” with a real estate developer that involves the destruction of a wooded area of the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough. At least one other green space in the sector is promised the same fate.
The wooded area in question, which has several mature trees, is located just east of boulevard de l’Assomption, north of avenue Pierre-De-Coubertin. It is one of the few green spaces in this sector with industrial premises and large parking lots. This green space is also located north of the area where the Ray-Mont Logistiques industrial project is located, which has been the subject of strong protest from citizens.
The wooded area will soon be a thing of the past, since the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, which is led by Projet Montréal, approved Monday evening an “agreement” which provides for the completion of “infrastructure work” prior to the construction of a real estate project on the site. An envelope of $827,792 in public funds is also planned for “the cost of infrastructure work serving the social housing of the project”.
Climate and property issues
Citizens opposed to the project came to question the elected officials Monday evening, within the framework of the borough council. François Plourde, who argued for the preservation of this wooded area with different tree species, argued that it is more necessary than ever to “save all the wooded areas” that still exist. In this case, the thing is all the more true since the wooded area would be nearly 50 years old, he recalled.
The issue of preserving green spaces in urban areas in a context of adaptation to global warming has been mentioned several times in recent years.
In a report published last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identified greening as an adaptation priority, in order to reduce heat islands and risks associated with heavy rainfall. A scientific opinion shared by the Ouranos research consortium.
But scientific and public health imperatives do not take precedence over the rights of the owner of the land where the wooded area of the Assomption sector is located, admitted the mayor of the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough, Pierre Lessard-Blais, Monday evening. . “We cannot not give the permit, because we would violate the right of the owner of the land”, he replied to the citizens who asked him to block the real estate project. “We would most likely be sued” and “the promoter would win,” he added.
It must be said that the planning of the sector was set as part of a special urban planning program adopted in 2017 under the administration of former mayor Denis Coderre. The elected officials of Projet Montréal had voted in favor of this program, however recalled Tuesday the councilor of Ensemble Montréal of the district of Louis-Riel, Alba Zuniga Ramos.
Mme Ramos also believes that Projet Montréal could have acted to acquire the woodlot that will be razed, but also other woodlots destined for the same fate in the area, including one located along Sherbrooke Street East, east of the Assumption Blvd. “Green spaces are rare in Montreal’s east end. Land acquisition should be accelerated so that citizens can benefit from such spaces,” she argues.
Tree plantation
Councilor for the City of Montreal in Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and member of Projet Montréal, Alia Hassan-Cournol replies that the administration of Valérie Plante has worked hard to protect certain lands, including the Steinberg woods, located north of the Ray site. -Mount Logistics. She adds that thousands of trees have been planted on Borough territory.
Like Mayor Pierre Lessard-Blais, she believes that the governments of Quebec and Canada should financially support the City for the acquisition of land, the price of which can easily reach tens of millions of dollars.
A member of the committee of citizens mobilized against the Ray-Mont Logistiques project and for the protection of the Steinberg woods, Cassandre Charbonneau-Jobin believes that time is running out to stop “the destruction” of the few green spaces in the sector.
It therefore pleads in particular for full protection of the Steinberg wooded area. However, the City plans that the extension of boulevard de l’Assomption will pass to the eastern limit of this wooded area, which will be located between rue Hochelaga, an industrial site and the container transshipment site of Ray-Mont Logistiques.