Mayor Valerie Plante, announced today that the City of Montreal has acquired 140 hectares of land located in the western sector of the Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough, in the heart of the Great West Park (Grand Parc de l’Ouest). Purchased from Grilli Developpement inc. for $73 million, it includes agricultural wastelands and natural environments and will significantly consolidate the territory for the park. The transaction represents the largest acquisition of a natural environment since the adoption of the Policy for the Protection and Enhancement of Natural Habitats in 2004.
“This acquisition demonstrates the seriousness of our intentions for this sector that was, until recently, dedicated to residential development. By adding 140 hectares to the areas already designated for the Grand Parc de l’Ouest, we are making our vision concrete – of creating a vast green space dedicated to the protection and conservation of biodiversity and natural environments in Montreal. In 5 months, my administration has acquired more natural environments than in the last 15 years. It is a real paradigm shift that we are operating, for the benefit of future generations,” said Plante in a press release.
During last autumn, other acquisitions were made for the park in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and L’ÃŽle-Bizard, as well as a 0.26-hectare site located in another part of Pierrefonds-Roxboro. Combined with the addition of the 140 hectares just purchased and other acquisitions during the last five months, close to 175 hectares of natural environment will now be protected.
The Great West Park will encompass more than 3,000 hectares of land. The area will include the Anse-Ã -l’Orme, Bois-de-L’ÃŽle-Bizard, Cap-Saint-Jacques, Rapides-du-Cheval-Blanc nature parks, as well as the Bois-de-la-Roche agricultural park. The City will be holding public consultations on the ‘development vision’ for the project in the New Year. You can follow the consultations by registering online
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