Present “local initiatives that make our neighborhoods ecological and friendly”; such was the goal of the Fair of Possibles. The event brought together a few hundred curious people on Saturday at Molson Park, in the borough of Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, in Montreal.
The organizer, Solon, has always relied on citizen participation. The organization was born in 2015 from the collaboration of “five neighbors who wanted to change the way things are done,” says Daphné Le Templier, coordinator of socio-ecological transition projects.
” The goal [de la Foire des Possibles], it’s really about giving a showcase to neighborhood initiatives” and creating a space for “discussion”, she explains. Solon then follows up with the various exhibitors.
The Committed Citizen Team notably provides access for seven months “to training, discussion evenings and moments of networking to consolidate the power to act” of about fifteen citizens, explains Chloé Dodinot, coordinator of Solon.
The organization also oversees the Espace des Possibles in Petite-Patrie and Ahuntsic, which offers networking and awareness-raising activities to residents.
“Everything that happens at the Espace des Possibles contributes either to creating social cohesion between the inhabitants, or to raising awareness of the issues of socio-ecological transition”, summarizes the volunteer Marin Thomas.
For this, Solon can count on the support of the City, which collaborates with “many projects” presented at the fair, indicates the mayor of Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie, François Limoges. “They are borough partners on a regular basis. »
Among the few kiosks visited, it was the Bois Public project that appealed to Michel Lalande. “I find that we throw away a lot of things, then I fix everything at home. I wish I could help on that level,” he says.
Founded in 2016, the non-profit organization “promotes the dying trees of municipalities across Quebec” condemned to felling, explains general manager Marie-Ève Dontigny. By collaborating with socio-professional integration workshops, Bois Public manufactures street furniture, kitchen tables and beds, lists Ms. Dontigny, pointing to a bench in Molson Park designed by the organization.
Involved in the Share your land committee, which “pairs citizens who have land and do not use it with people who want to garden”, Selma Vorobief is often looking for arable land to meet demand. Facing her, the members of the Petite Plaza say they lack gardeners. ” It’s interesting. […] We are going to make connections like that between initiatives,” she comments.
Funded by the borough, the Petite Plaza notably grows fruits and vegetables on the terrace of the CHSLD Auclair, which are then donated to the neighborhood Resource and Community Action Center, explains Juliette De Maeyer.
“What really interests us is the neighborhood, forging ties within our living environment,” adds the neighborhood resident involved in the project.
Born in 2021, the group of citizens was “helped a lot by the pandemic”, estimates Laurier Beaudoin. “People wanted to go out, they wanted to do something, and then they couldn’t travel.” “I also think that with the pandemic, people have understood that their living environment is important,” adds Ms. De Maeyer.
A social project
However, the environment was not the only subject in the spotlight. In the early afternoon, giant gnomes and a marching band strolled among the intrigued citizens. Comedian Coralie LaPerrière was expected at 7 p.m. for a “committed humor show”.
“We are talking about a social project. And behind a social project, it is as much the fight against poverty, social issues, living things and the environment, but also culture. It is a vector of imagination and change [et les artistes] are essential in this kind of event,” says Ms. Dodinot.
A second fair will take place on September 24 at Tolhurst Park, in Ahuntsic, and Daphné Le Templier assures us that in the long term, Solon would like to see the birth of Fairs of the Possible in all neighborhoods.
Proof of this is that the event does not only interest the inhabitants of the borough. Maude Labonté, a development agent for the Longueuil agglomeration community development corporation, came with a colleague to “draw inspiration” from Solon’s initiatives and citizen projects. “We want to see what is happening and what it would be possible to do, with our reality, the motivation and the ideas of the people we work with”.