This text is part of the special Greater Montreal booklet
The protection and enhancement of natural environments—terrestrial and aquatic—are among the major orientations of the Greater Montréal Metropolitan Land Use and Development Plan (PMAD). Thanks to various regional and local measures, 22% of the metropolitan territory is now subject to conservation measures.
“Since the adoption of the PMAD, we have sought a few additional hectares, to reach 10.1% of protected areas in the territory two years ago”, says Nicolas Milot, innovation advisor for strategic files and partnerships at the Metropolitan Community of Montreal (CMM). But to reach the 17% target set by the PMAD (aligned with the 2010 Nagoya Protocol), other means were needed. “Declaring that a territory benefits from the status of protected area involves long processes for which we do not have complete autonomy, because the decision belongs to the Government of Quebec”, explains Mr. Milot.
In 2022, the adoption of an interim control regulation (RCI) concerning natural environments made it possible to exceed the rate of 17% by adding territories which benefit from conservation measures without being registered as protected areas. “Thanks to this regulation, we are at a crossroads. We have reached 22.1% of natural environments covered by protection or conservation measures, which brings us closer to our target of 30% for 2030”, indicates Massimo Iezzoni, Director General of the CMM. This already represents nearly 100,000 hectares, an area equivalent to the island of Montreal.
Towards a modification of the law on expropriation
The new target is ambitious for a densely populated region like Greater Montreal, which has a total of 32% of natural environments (protected or not) on its territory. MWC made this commitment to achieve a key goal of the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP15) held in Montreal last year: to protect 30% of the planet’s land and seas by 2030. .
“We look forward to seeing the government’s proposal to amend the Expropriation Law,” said Mr. Iezzoni. The fair market value of land is a crucial issue, particularly for the Greater Montreal Green and Blue Infrastructure project, which involves acquisition projects.
“The latter are almost essential to ensure the sustainability of our natural environments, but they are extremely expensive. The conditions of expropriation benefit the owner, often compensated for a value that has nothing to do with the historical use of the territory, but with the potential for development in the future”, deplores Nicolas Milot. Between a historic agricultural use and ten virtual condo towers, prices are skyrocketing.
A bouquet of measures in Laval
“There is no magic recipe! We have acted in different ways to better protect our natural environments,” says Laval Mayor Stéphane Boyer. Although Laval is one of the most urbanized areas in the region, the City exceeded its protection target of 14% by reaching 18.27% of protected natural territory.
Thanks to investments of $26 million granted by Québec and the CMM, the City has acquired 68 hectares of protected natural environments in 2022. “As soon as an opportunity arises, we try as much as possible to buy the islands, woodlands, banks and other natural areas of interest that are put up for sale,” explains Stéphane Boyer. Without waiting for the owners to decide to sell their land, the City also sometimes uses the reserve notice (a measure blocking improvements or construction for a given period) to initiate negotiations. “The most effective way to protect natural environments is to own them,” underlines the mayor.
Regulatory measures attached to the PMAD (or in accordance with it) completed this strategy by imposing more restrictive standards and zoning. “For example, we have reduced the number of housing units allowed under construction in certain sensitive areas,” said the mayor, who also widened the protective strips along the banks. “For each construction project, we make sure that a minimum of land remains on plant surface”, he specifies.
The City financially supports the Canopée network, an NPO that protects the woods. “This allowed the hiring of full-time employees, says Mr. Boyer. This is a fine example of a concrete initiative in which the City works with citizens to protect, but also to enhance and make accessible our natural environments. »
This special content was produced by the Special Publications team of the Duty, pertaining to marketing. The drafting of Duty did not take part.