Protecting the birds in Saint-Laurent

Last updated June 25, 2024
Reading time: 2 min

Birds play an important role in ecosystems, not only as pollinators and seed dispersers, but also by helping to control pests.

That’s why Saint-Laurent has decided to take concrete action to protect birds on its territory. Here’s how…

Adoption of new bylaw

Collisions with a glass surface are one of the main reasons for human-caused mortality among birds, due to the transparency or reflectivity of glass.

According to a federal government estimate, up to 42 million birds die in Canada each year as a result of collisions with buildings, and no less than 70,000 birds per day during the seasonal migration period.

Saint-Laurent adopted a bylaw on June 25, 2024 to reduce the risks of bird collisions with glass surfaces on new buildings.

Some types of buildings with more than 50% glass or windows on the exterior walls will require special treatment for new construction, extensions, curtain wall replacements or exterior modifications.

These are the following categories:

  • Multi-family dwellings (h4)
  • Multi-family service dwellings (h5)
  • Multi-bedroom dwellings (h6)
  • Industrial (I), retail (C) or service (S) buildings
  • Buildings in a park or green space

Special treatment

For the exterior walls concerned, 90% of glass panes, including greenhouses and railings located less than 16 m from the ground or less than 4 m from

the green roof level, must therefore undergo a detailed special treatment from now on, including the following, among other things:

  • Acid-etched visual markers certified by the manufacturer
  • Ultraviolet markers certified by the manufacturer
  • Fritted glass certified by the manufacturer
  • Manufacturer-certified film affixed by an expert in the field

This treatment not only reduces the reflectivity of the glass surface, and, consequently, the risk of bird collisions, but also makes the clear glass more visible.

This list is not exhaustive and only the current bylaw applies.

Sites that include or are adjacent to a natural environment—since they are likely to be home to more birds—are subject to additional regulations, such as:

  • modified site planning and architectural integration programs (PIIA)
  • a new PIIA added for land adjacent to natural environments, in order to design buildings and landscaping that minimize the risk of bird collisions

    These requirements include preventing or reducing the reflection of woodlands and ponds in building windows.

    This list is not exhaustive, and only the current regulations apply.

Clear glass is prohibited from now on for exterior railings throughout the territory. Only opaque, frosted or fritted glass, or glass incorporating visual markers, may now be used as railings on buildings or structures throughout Saint-Laurent territory.

This list is not exhaustive, and only the current regulations apply.

Everyone can do their part

Saint-Laurent residents are invited to take concrete action to help protect the birds on our territory.

Here are a few tips:

  • Cover windows with visual markers to make them more visible to birds. To be effective, a pattern should be applied across the entire surface and aloe on the outside, in a colour that contrasts well with the vegetation.
  • Install external screens, sunshades or shutters
  • Use collision-prevention products such as self-adhesive tape or dots, oil-based paint markers, etc.
  • When renovating windows, choose bird-friendly patterned glass or materials designed for bird safety.
  • Place feeders less than one metre (1 m) from windows. This will prevent the bird from gaining enough speed to suddenly strike the window as it leaves the feeder
  • Keep houseplants as far away from windows as possible to reduce the risk of attracting birds to them.
  • Close blinds or curtains to minimize the view through windows on opposite sides of the house. However, this may eliminate the effect of transparency, but not reflection.

Actions already taken by Saint-Laurent to protect the birds

  • Protection and restoration of local biodiversit
  • Promotion of connectivity between natural spaces: biodiversity corridor
  • Habitat management: tree inventory and forestry plan
  • Preservation of snags in certain natural environments that can be used by many bird species as nesting or breeding sites and food source
  • Adaptation of interventions to avoid disturbance of nesting (mowing and management of parks and natural environments).
  • Promotion of the planting of native plant species in the borough’s natural environment restoration projects as well as in the distribution of plants to residents
  • Periodic inventory of bird life in the borough’s natural environments
  • Membership in the BeeCity program to promote the protection of pollinators and their habitats
  • Installation of nesting boxes and perches in some of the borough’s parks and green spaces
  • Sale of low-cost bird feeders to residents

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