Protection, Restoration and Highlighting of Thomas-Chapais Park

Thomas-Chapais Park encompasses one of the richest woodlands found in the eastern portion of the Island of Montreal. The park covers an area of 15,2 hectares and is home to over 11,000 trees and to an impressive diversity of native plant and animal species. In order to preserve the park’s biodiversity and ecological value, a habitat protection and restoration project, funded by the Fondation Hydro-Québec pour l’environnement, was developed. The project has three components:

Education and outreach

• An educational pamphlet, aimed at raising public awareness with regards to the protection and richness of the woodland, will be created and distributed to visitors and other interested citizens;
• A program of educational activities will be developed and offered to youth in the neighbourhood;
• A network of interpretive signage will be developed along the paths that will allow visitors to learn about the park’s biodiversity and the ways to preserve it;
• An educational website will be created in order for citizens to learn about Thomas-Chapais Park and its biodiversity.

Buckthorn eradication

Uprooting and removal activities will be organized in order to eradicate buckthorn, or at least, to slow down rapid propagation of this invasive alien species. Furthermore, because buckthorn form a dense opaque wall-like bush, control operations will increase the feeling of safety among citizens in the park.

Restoration of biodiversity

Trees and shrubs will be planted in order to restrain buckthorn regeneration and to offer complementary habitat and food sources for wildlife.

All activities will be planned and executed by the coordinator in charge of biodiversity projects at éco-quartier Mercier – Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, in collaboration with the Thomas-Chapais Park Citizen Committee.