William Crooks
REVE Nourricier staff and volunteers on the forecourt of Basilique-Cathédrale St-Michel during the Sept. 2 de-paving, with the church in the background; the team removed sections of asphalt to make way for a new bioretention garden

By William Crooks

Local Journalism Initiaitive

REVE Nourricier led a community “de-paving” at Sherbrooke’s Basilique-Cathédrale St-Michel on Sept. 2, pulling up about 132 m² of asphalt to make room for a bioretention garden designed to divert more than 50 m³ of stormwater from the sewers each year. The half-day action, backed by a $25,000 Wawanesa Climate Champions grant, also aims to give nearby students and neighbours a greener place to sit and breathe in the heart of downtown.

On the cathedral forecourt Tuesday morning, Director General Gabrielle Rondeau-Leclaire summed up the work at hand: “We are de-paving, so we’re removing the concrete in front of the church,” she said. “There will be a garden planted instead of this concrete. We’re removing a few parking spots—just a few—and turning them into green space.”

Rondeau-Leclaire said the site—wedged between two secondary schools—was chosen with youth in mind. “These two high schools, being downtown, don’t have much green space,” she said. “We want to help them enjoy more green space when they can rest,” she added, as students helped lift broken slabs.

Beyond shade and seating, the design is about water. “The intention is to bring green space and more fresh air, but also to manage water,” she said. “We have two small areas: one just by the roof, where water will infiltrate the soil, and another down the slope with a basin to collect water and filter it into the ground.”

She described the environmental logic in plain terms: asphalt “doesn’t let water sink.” It behaves “like plastic,” sending runoff straight to storm sewers, whereas planted areas let it soak and be cleaned by the soil. The group hopes the St-Michel project can serve as a pilot for more such sites across the city.

Turnout on Sept. 2 reflected that community focus. “Today we were 20 people,” Rondeau-Leclaire said, adding that they hope to double that for the next work bee.

According to the organisation, the de-paving was supported by a roster of local partners that handled everything from logistics and hauling to materials and refreshments, including the Corporation archiépiscopale catholique romaine de Sherbrooke, the Séminaire de Sherbrooke, Collège du Mont-Notre-Dame, Pixel Nord, Jardin Pro, Groupe Désourdy, Agropol, Hibisera and La Cime Arboriculture.

REVE Nourricier says the goal is as educational as it is environmental: to reduce impermeable surfaces, build small oases that cool and beautify streets, and show how modest interventions can meaningfully cut runoff in older neighbourhoods.

With the de-paving complete, the project now moves into its next phases: planting is scheduled for Sept. 16, and an inauguration is planned for Oct. 5 following Sunday Mass. Rondeau-Leclaire credited a coalition of church staff, funders and in-kind sponsors for bringing the effort to this point, calling it “a collective job” and saying the team is “really well surrounded” as the garden takes shape.