JOSHUA ALLAN
The 1510 West
Several Pierrefonds-Roxboro residents have been reaching out to officials at different levels to voice their opposition to the planting of hundreds of trees in a local park – land that was once enjoyed by many as a large community gathering space.
However, constant blame-shifting by municipal leaders has left these residents with little satisfaction and few answers.
In early July, more than 500 trees and 250 shrubs were planted in an open space in the west end of Parc des-Rapides-du-Cheval-Blanc at the end of Riviera Street in Pierrefonds. This portion of the park, part of the Grand Parc de l’Ouest, had been an open green space that offered a beautiful view of Rivière des Prairies from the neighbouring apartment complexes. The space was also frequently used for gatherings and other outdoor events by local residents.
As they grow, the trees will become a small forest, blocking the view of the river and stripping locals of their much-valued social gathering space.
The planting was done by infrastructure company NouvLR on behalf of CDPQ Infra, the firm that is building the REM train line as part of an effort to offset the environmental impacts of constructing the new light transit network across the island.
At the Aug. 5 Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough council meeting, several residents pressed borough Mayor Jim Beis on why the planting took place.
Resident Mark Eccles, who has frequented the park during the past 15 years, spoke about the environmental disruption that 500 new trees could have on the existing ecosystem. He pointed out how competition for sunlight would see existing plants and flowers wither under a new tree canopy.
Resident Olga Mora questioned why, at the very least, the community was not consulted first.
“It’s a drastic change,” Mora said. “We just felt that it was very inappropriate that we weren’t consulted, and we felt very disrespected because of that.”
Mora offered more detail in an email to The 1510 West: “It should have been a collaborative effort between the residents, the City of Pierrefonds-Roxboro and the City of Montreal to determine what works for everyone. . . that’s what a democratic society does.”
Beis responded by explaining that the borough had not been informed the trees would be planted.
He explained that in 2022, all boroughs were asked by Montreal to provide a list of areas within close proximity to the REM that could potentially receive new tree plantings.
“According to that criteria . . . that green space was one of the areas that was identified,” Beis said.
The borough never received word from the city that trees would be planted – nor was it informed how many trees would be added.
“This was sprung on us, exactly like you,” Beis explained, adding that the borough halted an additional 100 trees from being planted in the park after hearing the outcry from residents.
Over the past month, one resident of Riviera St., D.J. El-Tayar, reached out to different officials trying to track down who to hold accountable for the drastic change to her local park.
At an information session hosted by CPDQ Infra on July 22, she asked about the trees and was prompted to direct her questions to officials from the City of Montreal, El-Tayar told The 1510 West. In turn, a member of Montreal’s executive committee responsible for major parks, Laurence Lavigne Lalonde, encouraged her to take the issue up with her borough.
“Basically, everyone was pointing fingers at each other,” El-Tayar said.
A spokesperson from the CPDQ Infra also suggested that The 1510 West direct questions to Montreal, while Lavigne Lalonde did not respond to a request for comment.
Both Mora and El-Tayar want to have most of the trees removed and replanted elsewhere in Pierrefonds-Roxboro.
Beis said he would look into that option. “Certainly, we can find other areas,” he said. “We have one of the largest canopies on the island of Montreal.”