Technoparc: Montreal buys $30M site to protect natural environment

Territory that was earmarked for development by Montreal Technoparc is home to dozens of species of birds, some of which are rare or at risk.

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.