Technoparc Oiseaux applauds
land conservation decision

Congratulations to Hypertec and the City of Montréal for the protection of 11 hectares of greenspace and wetlands

October 17, 2024

Technoparc Oiseaux is delighted with today’s decision by the City of Montreal to acquire and protect 11 ha of wetlands, urban forests and meadowed fields in the municipal sector of Parc-nature des Sources. This action – the fruit of public, scientific and union mobilization – is a major victory for conservation. We salute the commitment of Hypertec, the City of Montreal, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP), and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), for this shining example of collaboration in conservation. We would also like to thank all the stakeholders for their openness to dialogue over the past eighteen months. Today marks a remarkable step towards that near future when the entire Parc-nature des Sources, including all the remaining federal and private lands, will be fully protected and restored for the benefit of all.

We would like to emphasize that it is urgent that this collaborative effort continue in order to protect the rich biodiversity of this site. In particular, we urge the Canadian federal government to become more involved in protecting this area. While we applaud the recent inclusion of the monarch butterfly as an endangered species on the Species at Risk Registry, we remind everyone that the most effective way to preserve this species is to protect its habitat, notably Monarch Fields. We also call on developers of the site’s unprotected land, such as ADM, Morguard and FP Innovations, to follow Hypertec’s example and assume their responsibilities to protect these last threatened lots within the Parc-nature des Sources. Finally, we urge all levels of government to respect Indigenous leadership on this and other issues, particularly that of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke, in protecting the site.

The scientific consensus is clear: economic development can no longer be achieved at the expense of the natural environment. Today’s example shows that nature-positive economic development is possible. Hypertec demonstrates entrepreneurs can develop their business while contributing to the protection of Montreal’s natural spaces and biodiversity. This victory is a collective one. From the anonymous voices who worked behind the scenes to protect this green space; to the members of unions such as the CSN, who stressed the need to protect the site for the well-being of workers; to the scientific community who came together to publish an open letter signed by over 250 experts, asserting the site’s undeniable ecological value; or the many organizations that supported our fight, such as Québec Oiseaux and Bird Protection Quebec, the deal reached today is proof that we can achieve collective conservation goals, parcel by parcel.

Benoit Gravel and Katherine Collin
for Technoparc Oiseaux

Feature image: Technoparc wetlands, by Patrick Barnard

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