Blue planet, green ideas | Under the electricity, the landscape

The portions of land under which the Hydro-Québec wires pass harbor little-known ecological potential. Environmental organizations and municipalities have undertaken to promote them, with the support of Hydro.

About fifteen electric poles, an elementary school and a McDonald’s nearby: the narrow strip of land near Bégin and Laval streets, in Drummondville, is not attractive.

“Right now, it’s really ugly, there’s nothing,” says Patricia Gagnon, biologist in charge of projects at the Regional Council for the Environment of Centre-du-Québec (CRECQ).

Not for long.

“There will be flower islands, beautiful groves of shrubs, birdhouses. And in subsequent phases, furniture and a cycle path. We want citizens to be able to access the site and enjoy it! »

The land is a Hydro right-of-way, a strip that runs under the power lines. About 30 meters wide, it winds for almost a kilometer towards the Saint-François River. The CRECQ wants to make it a “living influence”.

The first phase of the project, 344 meters long, will begin next summer with the planting of perennials (including milkweed, to attract monarch butterflies) and native shrubs (including groves of blueberries and raspberries ), as well as the installation of nesting boxes. The following phases, spread over a few years, provide for the restoration of a small wetland topped by a footbridge, the addition of benches and the construction of a bicycle path connected to the municipal network.

Medium rare

For the City of Drummondville, which adopted a natural environment conservation plan last year, this project is timely. “It allows us to reclaim control. We want to increase biodiversity within this corridor,” explains the director of the environment department, Roger Leblanc. The City will sign a lease with Hydro, which owns the land. The electricity supplier wants to see more such projects flourish.

At Bout-de-l’Île substation, in the east of the island of Montreal, where Hydro owns the land, shelters have been installed for snakes. “We found a very beautiful milksnake, it was impressive,” enthuses M.^me Michaud.

The most visible aspect of right-of-way projects is differentiated management – ​​reducing and modulating the frequency of cutting to allow vegetation to grow, which in particular attracts pollinators. This is why we also plant explanatory panels.

“We must not hide it, differentiated management can sometimes give the impression of a wasteland left abandoned. We don’t want to have that image. We want it to be structured, for us to see the intention and the benefits, “said Ms.^me Michaud. Or, as the City of Brossard displays in its biodiversity corridor: “Here, the grass is long for good reasons!” “.

Maximum 2.5 meters

However, the return to nature must respect certain constraints. The tree species selected must have a maximum height of 2.5 meters at maturity, and grow at a good distance from poles and pylons. “We need to keep a clear area to maintain these lines and be able to intervene in the event of a breakdown or problem”, explains Jonatan Belle-Isle, also a biologist and environmental expert advisor. Only herbaceous plants, naturally present or sown, are permitted within the immediate perimeter of these facilities. Signs and street furniture must also be made of materials that are not conductive, which excludes metal.

Developments must therefore be approved by Hydro-Québec, whether it owns or leases the land. However, the electricity distributor offers support and assistance to municipalities and organizations wishing to increase biodiversity in its rights-of-way. A guide and technical sheets to make their task easier are also planned for next spring.

“We are establishing indicators to have an objective in terms of area, number of municipalities, etc. And we aim to map them, ”says Mr. Belle-Isle.

In Centre-du-Québec, the Regional Council for the Environment has already targeted nine other rights-of-way, on land leased by Hydro in agricultural and forest areas. “They are in more natural environments, so it can simply be occasional additions, such as nesting boxes or facilities for snapping turtles,” says Patricia Gagnon.

The living influence of Drummondville will play a showcase role. “Since it’s in the middle of the city, we want to show people what biodiversity, pollinators, wetlands are, talk about connectivity. We want to do a great project! »