“One of the most spectacular restoration projects”

How an old field became one of Greater Montreal’s most prized wetlands

Eric-Pierre Champagne
The Press

“If you build it, they will come. This famous quote from the movie Field of Dreams could well apply to wetlands, which are gaining popularity with Quebecers. This is particularly the case of Ruisseau de Feu, north of the city, where former agricultural land in a flood zone has become one of the most popular wetlands in Greater Montreal.

Along Highway 40, in Terrebonne, ornithology enthusiasts meet regularly to observe different species of birds. If they are lucky, they will be able to photograph a peregrine falcon or a sharp-tailed sparrow, two species listed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

“There was none of that before, they were fields,” recalls biologist André Michaud, head of habitat conservation at Ducks Unlimited, whose mission is the conservation and restoration of wetlands. . Today, part of the sector has become a conservation park, inaugurated in July 2021 by the City of Terrebonne.

The site is now considered by Ducks Unlimited as “one of the most spectacular restoration projects in Quebec”. A project like that of the Ruisseau de Feu, however, benefited from circumstances favorable to its realization, explains André Michaud.

“As early as the 1980s, the area had been identified as a site of interest for a wetland restoration project due to the nearby presence of the Rivière des Prairies,” explains the biologist. In 2004, the owner of the land, the Romano family, decided to donate 41 hectares to Ducks Unlimited. André Michaud and his team are working on the creation of some forty hectares of wetlands, consisting of a 1.6 km dyke, a marsh, a swamp and a fish passage.

A “home run”

At a cost of $1.2 million, the work was finalized in 2012. The public has access to it, but the site was mainly known to a circle of insiders during the first years. In July 2021, the City of Terrebonne inaugurates the marsh sector of the Ruisseau de Feu conservation park. Investments of 3.6 million have notably made it possible to install a wooden footbridge on stilts and a tower for bird watching.

André Michaud considers this project as a “home run”.

The biologist also says that he has noticed a change in mentalities during his 28-year career as a biologist at Ducks Unlimited. According to him, the public is increasingly aware of the importance of natural environments, including wetlands. A change that has accelerated with the pandemic. “Because of COVID-19 and restrictions, people have really taken ownership of nature,” he says.

The Ruisseau de Feu is one of the most popular sites for birdwatchers in the northern crown of Montreal, confirms the director general of the Regroupement Québec Oiseaux, Jean-Sébastien Guénette. “It’s a very good site, especially since there aren’t that many wetlands in the Montreal region. About 200 species of birds have been identified at the site, he adds.

More and more popular

According to a recent study led by Professor Jérôme Dupras, from the Research Chair in Ecological Economics at the Université du Québec en Outaouais, 83% of Quebecers say they are concerned about the loss of wetlands and 84% believe that the Government of Quebec should do more to protect them. In addition, Quebecers say they are ready to make an average annual donation of $42.55 to finance initiatives to restore and create wetlands, the study concludes.

Among the activities that Quebecers say they prefer in sectors with wetlands, hiking (81%) ranks first, followed by healing (53%) and bird watching (37%). study titled The value of wetlands for Quebecers.