Green Coalition thanks the
City of Montreal on re-zoning

Environmental group states that it is essential to preserve all of the Technoparc wetland ecosystem

Montréal, May 4, 2022

In the beginning of May 2022, Montreal’s Green Coalition wishes to congratulate and support the City of Montreal for its decision announced on February 17, 2022, to re-zone and save the Technoparc wetlands and their varied natural spaces, all of which are part of an integrated ecosystem, the last of its kind on the Island of Montreal.

In February, when the executive committee expressed its determination to re-zone 16 hectares of ecologically sensitive land, it followed through on the laudable goal explained by Mme Caroline Bourgeois, Vice-President of the Executive Committee: “We really favour development in the north sector of the Technoparc, and in the south,” she said, “where there are lands with significant ecological value, we want to conserve it.” The re-zoning is an “important first step” towards the city’s goal of tripling the conservation zone in the Technoparc area.

Green Coalition applauds the zoning change and also wishes to underline a central fact. The wetlands, woodlands and prairies of Technoparc and adjacent federal lands form an integrated ecosystem of 215 hectares of precious habitat for Quebec, and for Canada, which has lost 90% of its urban wetlands in the last generation. Much of this natural ecosystem north of Montreal’s airport is on land owned by the Canadian government.

This ecosystem is what scientists call a “biodiversity island.” In the Technoparc wetlands, 211 different species of birds have been recorded, more than the world-famous biodiversity island of New York’s Central Park, which has only 134 registered species visiting.

Fragmentation is the great mortal danger for a wetland ecosystem, and fragmentation is the reason that Canada has already lost so much.

Green Coalition wants to state now that it is essential to preserve all 215 hectares of the Technoparc wetland ecosystem. The federal government of Canada has been working with the City of Montreal toward such a goal. Now Canada must show its determination not to fragment this irreplaceable ecosystem.

As a landowner, the Canadian government can and should play the major role in the conservation of these 215 hectares. Such an important conserved natural area in proximity to Pierre-Elliot-Trudeau Airport would make Montréal’s airport famous throughout the world and signal that the Canadian government is truly committed to biodiversity conservation.

Canada has the power to create an environmentally distinct and extraordinary airport complex – with all 215 hectares of an integrated and conserved wetland ecosystem.

Canada can, and should, step forward to realize this goal and to show Canadian environmental leadership at this crucial time.

For more information:

David Fletcher: fletcherdavid@me.com • 438 526-7684
Patrick Barnard: pbarnard@videotron.ca • 514 463-0573

Feature image: Canada goose family with golden nuggets, by Ilana Block

Read other articles about the Technoparc Wetlands

The Green Coalition – representing more than 80 citizens groups dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Environment. Founded in 1988.