A deal to maintain a wooded area full of sugar maples, bittternut hickory and red ash trees by banning development in the Angell Woods is being praised by nature lovers and denounced by at least one former owner.
The new designation for permanent protection and conservation as a nature park in Beaconsfield will ensure that no development takes place on much of the territory.
One owner who recently sold part of the forest to the city of Montreal said that the protected designation has cost her.
“We are willing sellers but both Montreal and Beaconsfield are acting in complete bad faith. Labelling it for conservation is a way of slashing its value so they don't have to pay us what it's worth. Of course we will fight it," said Diana Shahmoon in a statement to CTV Montreal Friday.
Beaconsfield Mayor George Bourelle expressed satisfaction with the arrangement, which formalizes a 30-year initiative to obtain official protected status for the 1.3 million square foot (105 hectare) forest. His municipality purchased a chunk of the woods in 2007 and this new designation protects 10 percent more.
“It's a location for conservation. Look, it's a forest with exceptional value in terms of what it has and we feel we need to keep it as a green space,” he said.
One green space activist was also jubilant.
“It's a victory for the people of Montreal. We've tried to pitch it over the years that Montreal is the least well-endowed of any city in Canada any city of Canada for the number of hectares per 1,000 people,” said David Fletcher.
The announcement comes about a week after a similar deal was struck to prohibit development on the Meadowbrook Golf Course.
In that case, a onetime land owner has also threatened to sue the city for lowering the value of its property for resale.
