Montreal’s first citizen conference on the protection of natural spaces, Forum Nature, was held at the Maison du Développement Durable April 16, 2016. More than 100 academics, scientists, and environmental experts, from over 40 organizations, shared research and ideas about how to protect Montreal’s few remaining green spaces. The Charter for the Protection of Montreal’s Green Spaces and Natural Environments (Green Charter) was developed and approved at this historic forum.
At the May 16, 2016 Montreal City Council meeting, the Green Charter was presented and copies were distributed to the mayor and city councilors.
Why a Green Charter and why now?
At the beginning of 2015, the Montreal Agglomeration, under the Coderre administration, promised to protect 10% of Montreal Island as natural space. Since then, the City has allocated no budget, set no timetable and provided no specifics about the location of that 10%. The truth is that only 5.34% of the island is protected, and only 2.21% of this small amount was added over the last 24 years!
At the same time, major development projects threaten to destroy some of the few remaining unprotected green spaces including the L’Anse-à-L’Orme Corridor in western Pierrefonds and Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Golf Anjou, Technoparc and Dorval municipal golf course.
Montreal must formulate a coherent policy and act quickly to meet its goal of protecting 10% of the Island. Otherwise, these green spaces will be lost.
Responding to the need for immediate action, city planners, biologists, sociologists, economists, and public health and social housing experts took it upon themselves to tackle this important issue at the Forum. The Green Charter, an urgent call to action, emerged from this historic first in Montreal.
For more details : Montreal Green Charter
This article was copied from Les amis du parc Meadowbrook web site