August 27 2009
Dear Bronwyn,

Upon receiving your note regarding the meadow I asked our services to explain how and why they proceeded in both the newly acquired space as well as in Parc Lafontaine. The Plateau has integrated greening through the increase in Biomass and Biodiversaity into all its practices. We have even moved our Parcs department from public works to social, community and recreational development to have a more horizontal approach. Trees, bushes and plants are appearing in places where they were hitherto forbidden. You only have to check out the Bernard design, the new St Viateur sidewalks, our greenlanes or look at the trees on St Joseph.
We have very strict directives that are followed closely but we have to also respect other realities such as in the case of the meadow. The eradication of ragweed had gone unattended for too long whilst the meadow belonged to CP despite warnings and tickets.
Following the consultations in Mile End we are looking into partnering the management of the meadow through the Mile End Citizens' committee en attendant the the final plans for the public works yard.
As for Lafontaine park, the wild flowers are a direct result of our integrated practices.
I hope this clears up some of your questions and rest assured that our objective is to continue working on expanding our ilots de fraicheur and reducing the ilots de chaleur.
Best regards
Helen

Bonjour madame Fotopulos,

Après avoir constaté visuellement la présence abondante d'herbe à poux sur le dit terrain nouvellement acquis, l'ordre de procéder à la tonte fut donné, l'éradication manuelle devenue impossible compte tenu du niveau de prolifération. L'herbe à poux, faut-il le rappeler est la principale cause du rhume des foins et parfois, la sinusite chronique ou l'asthme au moment de sa floraison au moins d'août. L'élimination de cette plante sur le domaine public est sous la responsabilité de l'arrondissement en vertu du règlement sur les mauvaises herbes (H-1).

Les membres de la division des parcs sont prêts à évaluer la possibilité que ce terrain puisse faire l'objet d'une gestion différenciée quant à la tonte. Cette zone ne serait pas laissée à l'abandon, mais l'intervention y serait différente.

Finalement, les gestionnaires de la division des parcs se montrent ouverts et intéressés à rencontrer les représentants du comité de citoyen du Mile End afin d'évaluer la possibilité de leur confier l'entretien (éradication des mauvaises herbes) temporaire de cet espace, la vocation de ce terrain étant destinée à recevoir la cour de voirie de l'arrondissement..

Concernant les fleurs sauvages du parc Lafontaine, il s’agit ici d’une gestion différenciée qui nous permet, après évaluation de laisser pousser les herbes hautes sans que cela puisse nuire à l’environnement immédiat. Nous constatons certains avantages à conserver cette approche.

Premièrement nous évitons de répandre des résidus de gazon inutilement dans l’étang. De plus, l’endroit ciblé est escarpé et rend dangereux le travail des employés. Finalement, contrairement au terrain en bordure de la voie ferrée, l’herbe à poux est inexistante dans ce secteur ce qui nous autorise à y laisser pousser des espèces naturelles représentant des intérêts floraux des plus diversifiés.

En espérant que ces informations vous seront utiles.

Je demeure bien à vous,

François Le Brun
Directeur par intérim
Direction CSLPDS
Arrondissement du Plateau-Mont-Royal
tél.: 514-872-6310
télécopieur: 514-872-8995

----- Original Message -----
From: Bronwyn Chester
To: Helen Fotopulos
Sent: Monday, August 24, 2009 12:49 AM
Subject: why was the Mile End Meadow mowed?

Hi Helen,

As you will read in the blog I posted today on SpacingMontreal, I am disappointed and saddened by the mowing of the Mile End Meadow (CP railyard).
A lot of biological diversity was lost awfully quickly.

I am wondering who called for the field to be mowed and for what reason.

I am also wondering how Union Montreal interprets biodiversity in the Montreal context. i.e. Might space be allocated for the naturalization of certain settings. I noticed this summer, for instance, that the steeper slopes (where no on sits) surrounding both ponds in Parc La Fontaine were left unmowed resulting in an abundance of wild flowers. Was this intentional?

All the best,

Bronwyn

See foretmontreal.blogspot.com for all upcoming walks. Check regularly as I will be adding more through to the end of October.

Re: ragweed - A very wise friend once said there is no such thing as a 'weed', only a plant in the wrong place whose purpose is misunderstood. I was told that ragweed is one of the most carbon dioxide-absorbent plants in the world, thus its abundance in our cityscapes, rich as they are with pollution. I would hazard that the ragweed is fulfilling a vital function in cleaning the soil and air, and that our negative reaction to it would best be addressed by removing its food source - oil-consuming cars! - and allowing it to run its natural course. In a lovely and beautiful installation at the bottom of the big triangular factory next to the Rosemont overpass a few years ago, I read that one may drink a tea or tincture of ragweed to neutralize its effects homeopathically. Let's not demonize that which we do not understand, or give tacit approval to a destructive city practice.

I would say talking to Tremblay is likely a waste of time. He's made his interests clear and I certainly hope his reign of terror is at an end. Enough corruption, enough waste already! Vancouver's new mayor is Gregor Robertson - founder of Happy Planet juices! If such a progressive mayor can be found here, why not Montreal???

Wasn't aware of the meadow or the black walnut trees. Will go play there with the kids and tell them to throw rocks at whoever tries to mow anything anywhere near meadow. Gotta occupy the land if you don't wanna loose it.

Cheers; and please run for mayor.

To answer your questions: I don't know who ordered the mowing but I have written Helen Fotopulos, mayor of the arrondissement and in charge of green matters on the executive committee, to find out.

Ragweed, the infamous l'herbe à poux, is usually the pretext for suppressing urban meadows and it certainly grows in the Mile End Meadow. Mowing in August, however, is not the solution. For one, you obviously remove far too many other plant species, for one easily-identified and easily uprooted plant. Secondly, August is too late. According to the literature of the province's campaign against this allergenic plant: L'herbe à poux: ça s'arrache!, you pull it out in July before it goes to seed. Cutting or pulling in August, you run the risk of distributing the seed in the meadow, increasing next years quantity of the plant.

Frankly, I think we could ritualize a great day of ragweed pulling in mid-July, ending the day with a great bonfire to burn the troublesome plant.

Je ne me suis pas traduite mais la prochaine chronique sera en français. Si ça vous tente de la traduire ... je serai bien reconnaissante.

Bronwyn

Does anyone know who ordered the meadow to be devastated/mowed down like this? It must have been some generic municipal clerk/manager who ordered it mowed, no? Or was it someone higher up? Or was it the mayor himself?

It just seems ridiculous to me to have the field mowed down like this. Firstly, it cost the municipality money to do so, and secondly it was quite malicious and environmentally unconscious to do so. I find it hard to believe that Mayor Tremblay would be so insensitive as to order something like this.

I would really like to know who gave the order to destroy Mile End Meadow. This kind of unnecessary action and degradation of green space - no matter how temporary - is very saddening and upsetting. Whoever it was should be fired - or at least reprimanded - for negligence and unnecessary municipal spending.

otherwise, very enjoyable.