For two years, the pandemic has deprived us of precious moments. Enjoying nature has been a miracle cure for many people during this difficult time. Who knows what the future will hold for us? There will be no turning back if we allow the destruction of these natural environments. Let’s open our eyes to the importance of preserving these last great green spaces in urban areas.
Posted at 11:00 a.m.
We, Mothers at the front of Rosemère and the surrounding area, add our voice and those of our children, still too young to be heard democratically, to the demand for a moratorium on the changes of use of the old golf courses. For more than 18 months, there has been a strong mobilization of parents, grandparents and children campaigning for the protection of the former Rosemère golf course, a remarkable 60-hectare site. Rosemère’s case is not unique. The municipalities of Candiac, Chambly, Beloeil, Montreal (Meadowbrook and Anjou), Terrebonne, Brossard, La Prairie and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, among others, all have a golf course in transition on their territory and oppose also to their residential complex. In a letter sent recently to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, we are 64 Mothers at the front, representing nearly 200 people, to ask for bold decisions to be made so that these precious green spaces are protected, in particular to counter the effects of the climate crisis. The future of our children, our grandchildren and future generations is at stake. We ask that their needs be placed above the pecuniary interests of real estate developers and the will of elected municipal officials in favor of real estate development at all costs. , dictated by a tax system based on property tax, a system that has demonstrated its inability to support the sustainable development of our territories.
It is essential to preserve these vast islands of freshness that are the sites of former golf courses, especially in urban areas. A reform of the Expropriation Act is eagerly awaited by the municipal sector.
The revision of this legislative framework, for the benefit of the collective interest, would contribute to maintaining these sites in green space in a sustainable manner. From a point of view of public health, preservation of biodiversity and ecological services rendered, it is unthinkable to dispose of these spaces to allow the enrichment of a few individuals. These spaces constitute an invaluable and irreplaceable collective heritage. As is the case in Rosemère, the availability of vacant spaces and spaces to be requalified in urban areas, excluding golf courses, represents considerable opportunities to meet demographic projections over several decades. Let us favor the redevelopment of these already artificial and concrete surfaces before destroying the green spaces which often represent refuges for many species, some of which have a precarious status. For some cities like Rosemère, the sites of former golf courses represent real lungs, adorned with century-old trees that help filter the air from adjacent highways and boulevards and regulate the water cycle, an important role especially with the prospect of more frequent floods. Isn’t this the legacy we want to bequeath to future generations?
At a time when we must recognize the environmental emergency, we have a responsibility to build a healthy and safe future for our children. The future National Policy on Architecture and Land Use Planning, which will be published this spring, offers an opportunity to review our priorities to create sustainable, healthy and quality living environments for the well-being of all. . We are therefore counting on the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to intervene diligently in this file and adopt a fair, green and sustainable position by imposing a moratorium. on the changes of use of the old golf courses. The status quo is not an option. We collectively have too much to lose.
*Mères au front is a group of mothers who speak out in Quebec and internationally on behalf of their children in order to influence leaders on the urgency of acting in the face of climate change.