Technoparc: Montreal buys $30M site to protect natural environment
Montreal reached an agreement with Groupe Hypertec to acquire and protect 11 hectares of greenspace north of the Montreal-Trudeau airport.
It will cost the city $30.6 million to get its hands on the lands, made up of marshes, ponds and forests that are home to urban foxes, coyotes and even beavers.
More than 222 bird species have been recorded in this area, which is highly prized by ornithologists.
The company Hypertec, which owns the site, wanted to build an industrial complex there, but after a year of talks with the city, Hypertec will instead carry out its project in the LaSalle borough.
“Thanks to an important collaboration with the Hypertec company, the City of Montreal will acquire and protect the equivalent of 15 soccer fields in the Parc-nature des Sources,” said Mayor Valérie Plante at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
An 'example to follow'
Parc-nature des Sources is a natural area located in the heart of an industrial sector, with Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport to the south and the Technoparc, home to some 100 companies, to the north.
According to Plante, this conservation project would not have been possible “without the fight” and “tenacity” of a group of citizens.
Katherine Collin, president of Technoparc Oiseaux, has been campaigning for years to protect the area's biodiversity.
“We're absolutely thrilled and stunned, this is a major victory for conservation,” said Collins.
She heads an organization of nature enthusiasts who catalogue species in this area of the city.
“What's unique about this site is that we have three major marsh complexes, wetlands, shrubby wastelands, swamps, an exceptional forest,” she said.
Collins added that "the action taken by Hypertec is an example to follow" and pointed out that the company could have decided not to sell its land to the city, but instead decided to act "in an exemplary fashion."
Her organization hopes this agreement between the city and the company will inspire the federal government to protect the "Monarch Field."
This green space is linked to the natural environments of the Technoparc and belongs to the federal government, which leases it to Aéroports de Montréal. It is home to thousands of milkweed plants, which provide food for endangered monarch butterflies.
“We applaud the recent inclusion of the monarch butterfly on the endangered species list, but we remind you that the most effective way to preserve this species is to protect its habitats, in particular the monarch field,” said Collins.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 16, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Liam Payne, former One Direction member, dies at 31 in Argentina hotel fall
Former One Direction singer Liam Payne, 31, was found dead after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, local officials said.
Group of Liberal MPs plan to verbally ask Trudeau to step down next week
Liberal MPs who have spent the last 10 days organizing to ask Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step aside from the leadership of the Liberal party plan to plead their case directly to him at next Wednesday's caucus.
W5 INVESTIGATES Ontario woman alleges sexual assault by junior hockey players; details what happened when she called police
The Ontario Provincial Police has acknowledged that one of its employees did not follow the organization's policy when an alleged victim of sexual assault called a local detachment earlier this year to report an incident involving eight former junior hockey players.
Investigators name person of interest in disappearance of Vancouver Island woman
Mounties have released startling new details about their investigation into the disappearance of Amber Manthorne, who was reported missing on Vancouver Island more than two years ago, and is believed to have met with foul play.
Harris' interview with Fox News is marked by testy exchanges over immigration and more
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris engaged in a combative first interview with Fox News on Wednesday, sparring on immigration policy and shifting policy positions while asserting that if elected, she would not represent a continuation of Joe Biden's presidency.
Canada Revenue Agency fires 330 employees over CERB claims during pandemic
The Canada Revenue Agency says it has terminated 330 employees for inappropriately receiving the Canada Emergency Response Benefit during the pandemic, giving its final update on an internal review.
'The risk is real': Book on Manitoba mushrooms suspected to be written by AI
A Manitoba professor is warning the public after a book on regional mushrooms that he suspects is AI-generated was delisted from Amazon.
'Immediately stop using': Health Canada warns against use of banned baby walkers
Health Canada released an advisory Wednesday warning that baby walkers available online may pose a risk of injury and reminding consumers the items are already banned in Canada.
Trudeau says he has list of Conservatives vulnerable to, or engaged in foreign interference
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has refused to get the security clearance necessary to be briefed on a list of people in his party who are involved in or vulnerable to foreign interference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a federal commission of inquiry Wednesday.