11- Sustainable Cities and Communities
Here are the actions that UdeM and its community are implementing for preserving its land and its biodiversity, designated as protected area within the City of Montreal. Also, UdeM support the Darlington Ecological Corridor, a sustainable partnership project within the City of Montreal.
Biodiversity
Our university's policy on sustainable development provides guidelines on integrating conservation and sustainable use of ecosystems into all its activities in order to reduce its ecological footprint.
For information : https://secretariatgeneral.umontreal.ca/public/secretariatgeneral/documents/doc_officiels/reglements/administration/adm10_50-Politique_developpement_durable.pdf
To put this policy into action, our university co-signed with 10 other Quebec universities the United Nations' Nature Positive pledge. By joining this initiative that groups 117 universities around the world, our university recognizes the role of education and research in the fight against the decline of biodiversity and for ecological restoration.
For information :
https://durable.umontreal.ca/amenagement-biodiversite/biodiversite/engagement-envers-la-biodiversite/
Legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:
Mount Royal was granted the Provincial status of Historical and Natural Patrimonial Borough of Mont-Royal in 2003. This status was recently revised to a Heritage Site. Since the Université de Montréal has been on this site well before it was recognized as a protected area, the new status of Mount Royal encourages and stimulates changes in the operations. In short, the entire campus of Université de Montréal, because it is located on the mountainside of Mount Royal, is considered a protected area.
A list of endangered and vulnerable species with habitats on land owned or managed by the institution, by level of extinction risk:
The list of flora species currently threatened on the campus:
Carex dephalophora, Sanguinaria canadensis, Trillium garndiflorum, Juglans cinerea.
GREBE ( Research and Studies Group in Biostatistics and Environment) has recently conducted studies to inventory status species in the Mount Royal woodlands on the university campus.
Areas of biodiversity importance on land owned or managed by the institution:
The oak grove in the upper part of the campus is considered a site of High ecological value because of the presence of Carex dephalophora which is listed as a vulnerable or threatened species by the Quebec Ministry of Environment.
The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or areas of biodiversity importance and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:
Three professors from the University did a study in 2005 in which they created an empirical tool to give an ecological value to different sections of the campus (high, moderate, low, not applicable).
Title: "Les espaces boisés du flanc nord-ouest du mont Royal: une richesse à découvrir sur le campus de l'Université de Montréal. (Boivin, P., Brisson, J., Bouchard, A.), 2005.
In addition, a variety of studies have looked at the flora and animals found on the moutain. Among other works, a meta-analysis was done by Alexandre Beaudoin, a biologist, for his Master’s degree in Sustainable Development. The conclusions of those various studies were presented in 2012 and are still used as guidelines for on-campus actions.
The study conducted by Alexandre Beaudoin in 2011 focused on the three kingdoms:
- wildlife;
- the flora;
- mushrooms.
Also:
- wildlife;
- the flora;
- education;
- land planning;
- humans;
- the potential for other similar studies and internships.
Plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats, and/or ecosystems:
In 2011 and for a period of 50 years, 13.42 hectares was given to the City of Montreal for the creation of a public park of 23 hectares. The objective is to protect the natural aspect of the land.
In 2009, a Protection Plan for the whole mountain was made by the City of Montreal. The University of Montreal has signed and still proudly upholds this commitment.
In 2019, the city of Montreal has created the Tiohtià:ke Otsira’kéhne (kanyen’kéha native language) parc on the third summit according tu the 2009 agreement between the University of Montreal and the City of Montreal.
Estimated percentage of areas of biodiversity importance that are also protected areas :100
Website URL where information about the institution’s biodiversity initiatives is available:
Biodiversity (English) - Développement durable - Université de Montréal (umontreal.ca)
https://durable.umontreal.ca/amenagement-biodiversite/biodiversite/projets-en-biodiversite/
Additional documentation: Rapport de stage_A.Beaudoin_VF_oct 2016_1.docx
Biodiversity initiatives report - Université de Montréal campus (2018)
Community Partnerships
The institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability:
The Darlington Ecological Corridor Project is one of the flagship projects of the Sustainable Development Unit. Indeed, this project links both the maintenance of biodiversity, sustainable development and the teaching mission of the University. The goal is to create an ecological corridor (through greening, urban agriculture, stormwater management, and other ecological interventions) to link the Mount Royal's campus to the new Science Complex, the Mil Campus, to the abandoned racecourse grounds. This corridor should allow native Mount Royal flora and fauna to disperse throughout the island of Montreal, while improving the quality of life of citizens. The sustainable development unit is teaming up with the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough and residents to complete the various stages of the project. This includes, among other things, the establishment of urban gardens, the demineralization of a section of streets near the mountain and the planting of trees.
The project through time
The Darlington Ecological Corridor is a project that focuses on the ecological connectivity of green spaces in urban areas. The fallout is primarily to facilitate the movement of wildlife in the urban fabric, but many co-benefits are attached. Among them, the project promotes greater citizen empowerment, provides food, develops habitats for bees and, as a result, offers a pollination service, offers ecological alternatives to rainwater management and becomes an interesting playground for both UdeM students and the local community.
In 2014, the Université de Montréal, through the Sustainable Development Unit, the Biodiversity Advisor and a trainee in landscape architecture, proposed a project to connect green spaces linking its two campuses and crossing neighborhoods. Boundary. First proposed as a project of ecological connectivity between the green spaces of the environment, this project quickly integrated the social sphere.
In fact, in 2015, a dialogue workshop, organized by the Sustainable Development Unit and a student in human geography, took place with organizations working on the environment, conservation and development, as well as some citizens who took part in discussions about main deliverables of a project of this size for the community. This workshop was held at the summit of Mount Royal, a natural site where the University has its main campus. Also in 2015, a second student completed his internship in food sociology to better understand the profile of the surrounding community and their relationship to food. The main findings of this study still guide our various interventions. In partnership with the local borough, we have set up 40 giant jars to encourage citizens to garden and quietly develop links with the most committed people.
In 2016, a fourth student completes an internship with us. After the landscape architecture, geography and sociology, it is now the turn of a student in sustainable development with studies in biology that comes to help us develop new ideas and create our second consultation workshop, targeting mainly citizens. These reflections allow us to identify a priority intervention zone and leads us to develop relationships with the urban garden community. This is how the UdeM gardening group comes to lend a large composter for a year to weave the first links and allow them to develop a special project on in situ composting. A first direct material contribution from UdeM to the community. Until then, the Darlington project office acted as a facilitator between the community, the university and the borough. That same season, Sustainable Development Unit secured first external funding from the TD Bank Friends of the Environment Foundation. This money is directly reinvested in the community by inaugurating a nourishing forest in a rather moribund sector. The planting takes place with a group of young people whose summer job is to bring concrete solutions to the city in environmental matters, the Green Patrol. The project thus made it possible both to provide a place for young people to learn about tree planting, to green a sector while socially opening up the local community.
The Sustainable Development Unit gets for the season 2017, a second funding for a project of development of flowery meadows to provide habitat for bees. This project will take place in the field of our new partners, the community gardens. The maintenance of this site always takes place in the summer of 2019. During the same summer, we target a sub-community more specifically, realizing that a project of too great scale did not call the citizens. We have a first party in a park with food offered to start the discussion with the community and collect the specific needs of the community. This approach, the report of which is given to the local decision-makers, has made it possible to target certain projects and will have resulted in the creation of a dog park. We have repeated this model of celebratory consultation since then.
In 2018, a student of urban planning, supervised by the team of the UDD comes to contribute to the project by proposing new areas of intervention, while proposing a linkage of the project with other boroughs (Ville Mont-Royal and Ville Outremont). The Borough of Côte-des-Neiges - Notre-Dame-de-Grâce offers funding starting this summer to hire a horticulturist, a community animator, two students in urban planning (respectively specialized in active transportation and management of rainwater), a project manager in social mobilization and a project coordinator. This funding was renewed in the summer of 2019.
In summer 2019, a student in socio-ecology and sustainable development develops a program of integration of citizens through a calendar of activities (gardening, BBQ, children's party, permaculture workshops, etc.). The benefits exceed expectations. Citizens are contacting us and want to join the Darlington team on a volunteer basis in order to develop new project areas and new activities (green alleys, cleaning chores, citizen workshops, in situ composting). In addition, we started a first development with a hospital center (CIUSSS). It is a first project carried out by the team of sustainable development of the health system on the territory. This is a new and important partner.
Also, as recommended by the communication students, in the 2018-2019 school year, we started workshops in local elementary schools with the aim of creating a new generation of young farmers to maintain the gardens and raise students' awareness related to urban ecology issues.
In addition to these partnerships with local organizations, residents, the University, the boroughs and elementary schools, UdeM has developed a partnership with École Polytechnique. In the fall of 2017 and 2018, the CIV-4940 course for graduating students in civil engineering offers students the opportunity to develop an integrated approach to stormwater management in the corridor to address an infrastructure problem while providing a water supply for local biodiversity. The best works are then selected by the professor and are given to the sustainable development office of the borough to stimulate reflections on the next steps to develop. This successful project will become a continuing education workshop offered by École Polytechnique in the form of a MOOC. The latter is offered in English and all Canadian engineers. This makes it possible to integrate new notions of urban ecology into an engineering curriculum.
Also, since 2015, each year a professor from a different discipline has taken over the project concept in order to make it a session project. We were able to work with students in urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture, communication and sustainable development. We hope to integrate students of geography and biological sciences in the short term.
2022 - FIRM Project
This project consists of developing plots of land on public, institutional and private rights-of-way. Its main objective is to allow the community to come together to exchange around ecological and food planning. This programming, motivated by urban health milestones, will aim to empower the community in terms of food while providing interfaces for cultural mediation interfaces.
https://durable.umontreal.ca/biodiversite/milieux-de-vie/projet-darlington/
https://unpointcinq.ca/article-blogue/corridor-darlington-montreal/
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/recit-numerique/4151/environnement-vert-darlington-ecologie-sommet-terre
The institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
The Extension is a support centre in pedagogy and health, and is affiliated with the Université de Montréal. Its objective is to support the development of children in difficulty and to help their families by providing them with educational services and accessible health care.
The extension is made up of an interdisciplinary team, including teaching (orthopedagogy) and health professionals (optometry and dentistry). Together, they work to ensure comprehensive follow-up and complete intervention with children and their families.
This model offers several added values that make the learning of each individual highly significant:
Collaboration between children and student trainees
Interrelation between student trainees from different disciplines
Complementarity of care and services
Extension advances research and knowledge related to community services and care.
3 priorities for action :
- Accessible services and care
- An innovative training facility for students
- A place to advance research
http://www.extension.umontreal.ca/
The institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3nd partnership):
The starting point
Accelerating climate change, massive loss of biodiversity, depletion of natural resources: the question is no longer whether we are heading towards a profoundly different society, but whether this transition will be entirely undergone, or at least partially chosen.
From an ideal to be achieved, sustainable development has become for many a profound source of anxiety about our ability to actually get there. This growing sense of urgency contrasts sharply with the apparent inertia of our societies and the attitude of denial adopted by a considerable part of the population as well as decision makers.
In this context, and even more so today, the role of experts as well as that of citizens is called upon to change, with a more pronounced need to collectively regain leverage over our future. Both the promotion and the critical approach of ideal models of sustainability are no longer enough: we also need to better know and debate the possible transition pathways, formidable or desirable, that humanity will take to ensure its survival.
Energy, food, health, production and consumption modes, economic and cultural models: together, we must rethink everything.
Transition Pathways
Faced with the unprecedented ecological crisis facing humanity, the Université de Montreal and Space for Life have joined forces to propose Transition Pathways, a major project to engage the academic community, alongside other vital forces in society, in the necessary debate on the transition in Quebec.
Since 2019 and for the next few years, Transition Pathways (Chemins de transition) will mobilize the knowledge of several disciplines, and multiple actors, to collectively identify the paths that have the potential to lead Quebec society on a more desirable trajectory.
This work is structured around three major challenges:
- How to feed more and more humans in health without depleting the earth's resources, in a context of climate change?
- How to make the digital transition and the ecological transition converge?
- How to live in Quebec in a sober and resilient way in a context of ecological transition?