Montreal, Quebec — Investing in green infrastructure helps communities reduce their carbon footprint and increase their resilience to climate change. It also helps safeguard public health, protect the environment and create a clean-growth economy.
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and Vicki‑May Hamm, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), today announced investments totaling nearly $2.8 million for four projects funded under the Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program.
In Montreal, the Ruelles bleues-vertes project aims to relieve the pressure of rainwater on municipal infrastructure in the Sud-Ouest borough. The city’s underwater drainage network was not designed to handle the kinds of extreme rain events that are becoming more frequent, causing overflow and flooding. This project aims to redirect water from roof drains into alleyways and also planting vegetation.
For its part, the City of Boucherville is building a new environmentally responsible park-and-ride facility. The new lot, located at the intersection of de Montarville Boulevard and Highway 132 East, will have 230 spots and will facilitate and encourage the use of alternate, innovative and collective modes of transportation. The new parking lot will also foster a modal shift (single-occupant car-bus) during work on the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel, which is slated to begin in two years.
The City of Laval will be undertaking demineralization operations and planting more than 7,000 plants to help lower the surrounding temperature, reduce the impact of urban heat islands and thus help to protect vulnerable populations.
Lastly, the City of Beloeil will be integrating green infrastructure into the redevelopment of Duvernay Street to allow rainwater to filter naturally into the soil, lower ambient heat, and revitalize the commercial strip. The work includes planting 200 trees and installing urban furniture, two charging stations for electric vehicles, and bicycle racks to promote green travel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Source : Government Of Canada