The Grand Parc de l'Ouest: Protecting natural environments and biodiversity

Last updated January 26, 2024
Reading time: 1 min

The Grand Parc de l’Ouest project aims to preserve the woodlands, forests, swamps, agricultural lands and ecosystems found within the parks it comprises. The project includes the Anse-à-l’Orme, Bois-de-l’Ile-Bizard, Cap-Saint-Jacques, Rapides-du-Cheval-Blanc and Bois-de-la-Roche parks.

The Grand Parc de l’Ouest stretches across 2 boroughs (Pierrefonds-Roxboro and Île-Bizard – Sainte-Geneviève) and 4 neighbouring municipalities (Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Kirkland, Beaconsfield and Senneville).

It consists of existing parks as well as new areas that will be developed and enhanced. With more than 3,100 hectares, or the equivalent of 15 times the size of Mount Royal Park, it has the potential to become the largest municipal park in Canada.

A new destination

The city wants to make the Grand Parc de l’Ouest a place where you can enjoy nature without leaving the island of Montréal. The ecosystems that make up the park are conducive to the development of new and varied outdoor activities. In some areas of the park, there is even access to the waterfront. Five new Réseau express métropolitain train stations will make it easier for visitors to get to the parks.

Land acquisition

A delimitation by-law was adopted to designate the location of the Grand Parc de l’Ouest. The city can make agreements with property owners to convert certain parts of land into regional parks. To date, the city has acquired more than 200 hectares of land.

A collective project

Valuable discussions with partners and the public have inspired the desire to develop this collective project. This guide sets out the actions that will be taken to complete the project, which is scheduled to be carried out over the next few decades.

Diversified ecosystems

To learn more about the next steps, visit Making Montréal (in French) Réalisons Montréal.

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