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The City of Montreal’s decision to transform Camillien-Houde Way into a pedestrian and cyclist-only space is courageous and coherent.
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Some decisions blaze a trail and, by their audacity, have the potential to bring about change on a much larger scale. We feel the proposed redesign of the road over Mount Royal announced this week by the city of Montreal is one of these decisions.
In our view, the city’s decision to transform Camillien-Houde Way into a pedestrian and cyclist-only space is a courageous and, above all, coherent move.
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It’s coherent because it’s the kind of action that’s needed in a world of threatened and fragile biodiversity, of overheating and extreme weather events — a world where, more than ever, humans need nature to rest, rejuvenate and take a breath of fresh air.
It’s coherent because it’s in line with the commitments the city made at COP15, in Montreal in 2022, on biodiversity. It’s in line with what the IPCC recommends to adapt to the effects of the climate crisis.
In all future public decisions, nature needs to win over asphalt as much as possible.
We, therefore, invite all Quebec municipalities and cities to join Montreal in this forward-looking movement to restore urban forests to their original purpose. Notable other examples are Toronto with its High Park, Boston with Franklin Park, New York with Prospect Park, Washington with Rock Creek Park and San Francisco with its legendary Golden Gate Park.
Of course, some will argue this decision will restrict access to the mountain. We believe, however, the mountain will be more accessible than ever. The city has promised improved public transit service, and we have high expectations on this. Montrealers and tourists will be able to reconnect with a significant portion of this unique green space. The equivalent of three soccer fields will be restored.
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Our urban forest’s capacity as a giant air-conditioner will be reinforced, to help combat the heat island effect. Its role as a sponge to absorb rainwater will be enhanced, and its capacity to filter and purify the air will be increased.
In short, by taking care of the mountain, it will take care of us.
We’re also confident beyond all the environmental, social and economic benefits this redesign of Camillien-Houde will bring, the mountain experience will be transformed for the better.
It will bring us closer to the original vision of Frederick Olmsted, the creator of Mount Royal Park. His vision was to immerse visitors in a soothing succession of eight distinctive natural environments, including a clearing, a pond, a belvedere and escarpments.
The mountain’s proposed redesign, therefore, draws the right lessons from the past — while looking to the future.
It’s also important to highlight, unlike when the city attempted and failed on a similar pilot project in 2018, the city seems to have done its work diligently on this decision. Key players like emergency services and firefighters have been brought in to ensure the final project is sound.
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However, some questions and concerns about certain aspects of the project remain. We have several years to collectively work on them — the mountain’s transformation is to begin in 2027 — and find solutions to achieve the best possible outcome for everyone.
Giving back space to nature and people, as will be done on Mount Royal, should never again be seen as a losing bet.
Colleen Thorpe, ÉquiterreSandrine Cabana-Degani, Piétons QuébecPatricia Clermont, Association québécoise des médecins pour l’environnement (AQME)Alain Branchaud, SNAP QuébecAlice-Anne Simard, Nature QuébecSuzanne Lareau, Maison du développement durableJean-François Rheault, Vélo QuébecKarel Ménard, Front commun québécois pour une gestion écologique des déchetsVéronique Fournier, Centre d’écologie urbaine de MontréalEmmanuel Rondia, Conseil régional de l’environnement de MontréalJulie Lafortune, Chaire de recherche du Canada en économie écologiqueJohanne Elsener, Santé UrbanitéSarah-Katherine Lutz, ENvironnement JEUnessePatrick Bonin, Greenpeace CanadaSabaa Khan, Québec et l’Atlantique, Fondation David SuzukiGabrielle Spénard-Bernier, Mères au front
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