Montreal, August 16, 2007 – Les Amis de la montagne are concerned by the recommendations made by Montreal’s public consultation office this week on the expansion project of the Université de Montréal in the former rail yards in Outremont.

Les Amis’ position paper submitted to the office last April drew attention to the fact that the institution’s development has been managed by an accord signed in 1995 between the university and the City of Montreal. The university was one of the first mountain institutions to have complied with the city’s request to provide long-term (15 years) development plans for public consultation as a tool to monitor development on the mountain. Les Amis recommended that the evaluation of this 1995 accord and its follow-through be completed prior to any further expansion of the institution.

Les Amis regret to see that the report by the public consultation office makes no mention of the 1995 accord, despite the foreseeable impact the expansion project will have on the Mount Royal landscape.

"The expansion project will have a great impact on the mountain campus by reducing the development pressures on the mountain site. However, the project also generates critical questions about the mountain campus’ enhancement and remaining uses. The lessons learned from the development of the main campus in the past should help in making decisions today regarding the creation of the Outremont campus," said Sylvie Guilbault, Executive Director of Les Amis de la montagne. "Mount Royal is a protected, emblematic territory. Citizens expect large-scale projects, such as the one in question, to be in harmony with the history of the mountain and to meet the highest possible standards in ensuring its longevity."

Les Amis’ position paper submitted to the public consultation office contained the following recommendations:

1. Evaluate the efficiency of and the projects completed in the 1995 accord signed between the university and city, and make the conclusions public prior to the signing of a new accord for the Outremont campus.
2. Integrate follow-up mechanisms to all new development accords.
3. Arrange for public consultations on the development plan for the site overall, as well as at each step of the accord-approval process and each phase of construction.
4. Widen the scope of the accord to both campuses and include all vested parties in discussions in the spirit of concerted planning for a global vision of the university’s place in the city.

Les Amis de la montagne continue to follow a number of other major dossiers on the mountain:

Expansion of the Montreal General Hospital on the mountain
The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) includes the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Montreal General Hospital, both located within the protected mountain perimeter. The MUHC recently changed its mega-hospital construction plans to create two health-centred campuses, one at the Glen Yards and the other on the mountain. The MUHC intends to consolidate and expand the Montreal General Hospital site.

In meetings with the MUHC and the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communications, Les Amis expressed deep concern over further construction on the mountain due to the sensitivity of the area given its proximity to Mount Royal Park and the existing accessibility constraints. Les Amis questions the pertinence of expansion on the mountain site and continues to search for viable alternative solutions.

Expansion of the Percival-Molson Stadium on the mountain
Les Amis’ position paper presented to Montreal’s public consultation office in June 2006 outlined the organization’s generally favourable stance on the project, on the condition that four major issues be resolved: reduction of the impact of the installation of a giant screen; compensation for the reduction of forested areas, as well as green spaces used for parking; increased participation by McGill University in the management of the site; and creation of a set of rules for the usage of the stadium.

Les Amis are waiting for the official decision on the project by Quebec’s Ministry of Culture and Communications and the distribution of the Alouettes’ final building plans to the public prior to commenting further on the topic.

Re-use of the Marianopolis College property on the mountain
The college held its final classes in this magnificent mountain property belonging to the Sulpician order in 2007 to move to the more spacious Marguerite-Bourgeois complex in Westmount. The future of this large property located adjacent to Mount Royal Park is in question and Les Amis continue discussions with representatives of the Sulpicians to explore solutions for its conservation as a heritage property with an institutional vocation.

UNDERSTANDING MOUNT ROYAL: LES AMIS COLLABORATE ON A SEMINAR ON THE HISTORIC AND NATURAL DISTRICT

Finally, in order to increase our understanding of the mountain’s heritage conservation issues, Les Amis de la montagne are pleased to collaborate with the Montreal College of Art and Design (MOCAD) to offer a professional development seminar this fall titled, Historic and Natural Heritage District: Examination, Evaluation, Recognition and Conservation, The Case of Mount Royal.

The main objective of this seminar to be held in Montreal from October 29 to November 2 is to examine the application of both the theoretical and practical tools at our disposal in the process of the examination, evaluation, recognition and conservation of a site bearing natural, built and landscaped historical elements.

Details can be found on the MOCAD website.

Information:
Gabrielle Korn
Director of Communications
514 843-8240, ext. 237