Beaconsfield buys another slice of Angell Woods

BEACONSFIELD — Beaconsfield councillors voted earlier in the week to buy a 15,000 square foot patch of Angell Woods, north of the corner of Lakeview Boulevard and Elm Avenue.

The purchase was part of a bigger plan by municipalities in Greater Montreal to preserve the green space.

Residents living nearby, like Eric Dewar, lauded the move as a step in the right direction.

“It’s about time the city figured out what to do with it,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's about time the city figured out what to do with it," he said.

The green space has been a political football for years.

Most of it — almost 6 million square feet — is privately owned.

“We are hoping we can reach an agreement with the two larger owners of Angell Woods,” said Georges Bourelle, Beaconsfield mayor.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We are hoping we can reach an agreement with the two larger owners of Angell Woods," said Georges Bourelle, Beaconsfield mayor.

“If so, we can establish a nature park that will go from Angell Woods to l’Anse-à-l’Orme.”

Diana Shahmoon, one of the owners of Angell Woods who owns just under 2 million square feet of land with Seda Holding, said the situation is ongoing.

She’s been trying to sell the plot for years, after arguing she should pay nominal taxes on land she can’t build on.