BIOPOLIS PROJECTS

The project Un jardin pour tous was initiated on November 26th 2014, within the framework of a citizen workshop in which more than 30 Rosemont residents took part. At the end of this workshop, participating citizens established the project’s guidelines, such as layout and programming of the space in question. Collectively, citizens were able to imagine an edible landscape on the grounds of the Rosemont Library.

The project took the shape of a low maintenance food production garden, with angles on permaculture and nature observation, that respects natural cycles and that aspires self sufficiency.

From the very beginning, citizens partaking in the project wished to learn about gardening as a group and inspired each other with their respective talents, desires and dreams. Participating citizens get together regularly on site to garden, and those who wish to join in are welcome to do so throughout the season. With no barriers or fences, anyone can stop by and harvest fresh produce, as long as it is done in way that respects the principles of sharing and collective living. On site gatherings include picnics, workshops, or events involving local community organizations, and contribute to enliven the garden.

In 2016, new parcels were opened and wilder spaces with wildflower prairies were established in order to create habitat for bees and other pollinators.

The collective of the Un jardin pour tous project comprises of citizens who are also members of the Green Committee of the Démarche Décider Rosemont ensemble. The project is supported by various organizations and institutions such as Éco-quartier Rosemont – La Petite-Patrie (SODER), the CDC de Rosemont and the borough of Rosemont – La Petite-Patrie.

In the framework of an urban boulevard extension, the City of Montréal has put in place different measures to enhance quality of natural habitats and connectivity in an area of ecological interest. A wildlife crossing was built as an integrated component of the civil engineering infrastructure in order to facilitate animal movement between natural habitats on both sides of the boulevard. Infrared wildlife cameras have demonstrated its efficiency: several animals are seen using the corridor, including the Milk Snake, a species of special concern in Canada, and likely to be designated as threatened or vulnerable in Québec.

The ILEAU project (interventions in local environment and urban architecture) is a program running until 2017 that fights urban heat islands in eastern Montreal. Coordinated by the CRE-Montreal (Regional Council for the Environment of Montreal) (CRE-Montreal) the project is being realized in close collaboration with several local and regional partners who are working together to create major changes in the area. The entire community is invited to tangibly participate in the project by taking action on the ground.

Launched in 2015 in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough, the IDENT-Cité project has two interlocking spiralled paths that were designed to help visitors experience the importance of biodiversity as they explore them. They feature different varieties of deciduous and coniferous trees, with species becoming more diversified as you move towards the center of the first spiral path, only to become more and more similar during the second path. This is the first urban project for the IDENT network, who have already led several experiences showcasing the benefits of biodiversity across the world.

Initiated in 2009, the urban agriculture project Paysage Solidaire consists in transforming mineralized, contaminated or underused urban spaces into educational and productive food gardens in the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. Since 2014, project team members have been specifically working on setting up a local and alternative food strategy throughout the borough. The objectives of the project are to improve food safety for the citizens of the borough, to develop a local and organic food production and to market fresh harvests in a short circuit through two produce stands. The project also aims to supply local grocery stores, restaurants, caterers and food safety community organizations with fresh local produce.

Paysage Solidaire comprises of:

• Three food production sites within the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, in partnership with the SAQ, the CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, and the Saint-François-d’Assise Parish.

• Three educational gardens in partnership with the Centre jeunesse du Mont-Saint-Antoine, the Saint-François-d’Assise Parish, and the Olympic Stadium Esplanade.

The educational component of the project consists of workshops and training sessions on different topics relative to urban agriculture offered to schools, community organizations, and citizens of the borough.

A green alley is a place in the city where citizens mobilize (with the help of an éco-quartier, a borough or other partners) to create, green and enliven spaces conducive to environmental actions, sharing and play. Citizens participating in green alley projects share common objectives and values. Together, they pool their efforts and their talents to improve their family’s and their neighbours’ living environments.

Greening activities carried out in green alleys reduce the effect of urban heat islands, improve air quality, capture runoff water, increase plant biodiversity and provide habitat for small mammals, birds and insects.

Interventions aimed at limiting vehicle traffic in green alleys enable for the creation of safe spaces for play and for active transportation. The organization of festive events and activities in these alleys contribute to the strengthening of community bonds and to the improvement of safety and belonging feelings of citizens toward their neighbourhood.

In 2016, Montreal éco-quartiers were involved in over 300 green alley projects. Eleven of the nineteen Montreal boroughs have at least one green alley project developed on their respective territories with the help of engaged citizens and local éco-quartiers. Throughout the Island of Montreal, 346 green alleys can be found, which represents a total length of over 69 kilometres.

Public trees of Montreal is a digital tool designed to view more than 250,000 trees in the city. The tool is presented on the QuéBio website, a platform managed by the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science. The tree inventory was carried out by the employees of the different boroughs of the City of Montreal and was made available on the city’s open data platform.

Impacts of urbanization on spontaneous flora and urban vacant lots – IRBV – Université de Montréal

Urban areas are composed of a mosaic of new types of habitat (squares at the base of trees, alleyways, fencerows, etc.) where flora can establish itself spontaneously. Vacant lots and meadows are also part of the urban landscape and are rapidly colonized by vegetation and wildlife.

The objectives of this study are to characterize the vegetation of some of these typically urban habitats, to assess the impact of urbanization on plant community composition, and to evaluate the role of exotic species within these habitats. Sampled habitats include wall margins, fencerows, hedgerows and urban meadows. Surveys were conducted throughout the Montreal and Quebec City regions with nearly 200 habitat parcels surveyed within the boundaries of the City of Montreal.

Preliminary results indicate that spontaneous urban flora is strongly dominated by exotic species and that plant communities are similar to one another regardless of urbanization degree. Also, while native and exotic species in Quebec City are very similar in terms of functional traits, those present in the City of Montreal are very different. For example, exotic species in Montreal were found to be generally short-lived with a greater capacity to disseminate over long distances than the recorded native species.

Impacts of urbanization on plant diversity of Montreal woodlands – IRBV – Université de Montréal

Urbanization is characterized by loss and fragmentation of ecosystems. This process often leads to a decrease of the number of native plant species and an increase of exotic species. This phenomenon ultimately leads to the homogenization of urban flora, which means that there will be a loss of diversity among communities of different ecosystems.

This broad scale project comprises of multiple objectives. Namely, it aims to quantify woodland flora of Montreal and its adjacent municipalities, to assess the impact of urbanization intensity on this flora in space and time, to identify species that may serve as indicators of ecological integrity of urban woodlands, and to assist in the deployment of management plans adapted to these ecosystems.

To date, this project has demonstrated that Montreal woodlands boast a rich and diversified flora and that native species are still very abundant within them. In fact, several native species never recorded in the Montreal area or in the province were identified while conducting vegetation surveys in the course of this study. Results also showed that local woodland density is an important factor that determines richness, which supports the need to preserve the totality of these woodlands, down to the smallest patch. These woodlands also play a role in the fight against urban heat islands, thus improving the quality of life of citizens.

Living Campus is the embodiment of Dawson College’s commitment to the improvement of society and exists with three goals. First, to act as a socially and ecologically responsible agent through the identification and management of sustainability performance indicators. Second, to reconnect people, communities, and nature through the development of nature-based action projects that involve real-world ecological problem-solving, increase biodiversity in an urban setting, and cultivate collaboration. Third, Living Campus aims to advance the understanding and teaching of sustainability by building local and international learning communities that foster collaboration and exchange of best practices.

Within the framework of the Living Campus project, Dawson College created a series of green spaces dedicated to biodiversity and sustainable practices on its grounds, with the collaboration of devoted students and teachers. Among these are:

• Several themed rooftop gardens: food production, apiary, « Three Sisters » garden, medicinal plants, decomposition garden, etc.
• A Monarch nursery garden with more than 200 milkweed plants.
• A Peace Garden.
• Several biodiversity zones such as a pond, a forest floor garden and a meadow garden.

The project also features a nature interpretation program for youth (Naturehood), a Monarch rearing and release project, as well as a network of 6 bird feeding stations.

VERTical is an innovative urban agriculture project that covers an area of 600 m². It is characterized by vertical self-supporting structures that allow to experiment with different types of natural and synthetic growing media, to contribute to the fight against urban heat islands, to densify food production and to transform urban roofs into biodiversity oases.

The project is part of the Urban Agriculture Laboratory of the Palais des congrès de Montréal. The laboratory’s partner organizations, the Palais des congrès, la Ligne Verte and AU/LAB, have created this experimentation space in order to add a second vocation to the roof of the Palais des congrès, but also to develop and apply rooftop food production techniques.

VERTical has been financed by various stakeholders including the Réseau d’Investissement Social du Québec, the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec, the Borough of Ville-Marie, the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, the Caisse d’économie solidaire Desjardins and PME MTL Centre-Ville.

What better way to celebrate our great city than a locally brewed beer? The Beer for the 375th is a large-scale collaboration between citizens and Montreal brewers. For the next few months, participating breweries will meet in order to elaborate a common recipe and will encourage their followers to plants hops in their respective neighbourhoods.

Meanwhile, citizens and local beer enthusiasts across the city are growing hops on walls, roofs, balconies, in back yards, and in alley ways. In the fall of 2017, Montréal Houblonnière will harvest the locally grown hops, and local brewers will produce the Beer for the 375^th anniversary of the city, each in their own installations, using hops harvested from their respective neighbourhoods. The end result will be a harvest beer, offered in a wide range of aromas, and will allow citizens to taste the distinctive flavours for each of the Montreal neighbourhoods.

Montréal Houblonnière is an organisation founded in the framework of the event Je vois Mtl. Its mission is to localise and promote the cultivation of hops within the territory of the City of Montreal, and hence, to contribute to the fight against urban heat islands by the greening of vertical structures.