Elected officials call on federal government to protect biodiversity in Montreal

Montreal elected officials from various levels of government formed a common front Friday, calling on the Liberal government to better protect biodiversity on federally owned lands in the city.

NDP deputy leader Alexandre Boulerice led the green offensive, flanked by members of Quebec’s national assembly and local borough mayors.

The group wants the federal government to protect the technoparc wetlands north of Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport.

READ MORE: Setback for Dorval Technoparc as feds reject calls, petition to protect area

“A decision has to be made. Either we’re letting the Montreal airport administration have the final word or we are not,” said Katherine Collin, Technoparc Oiseaux and defender of the green space.

The technoparc is an ecologically sensitive area that includes wetlands, is home to 200 species of birds and is a refuge for monarch butterflies and other at-risk pollinators.

On Wednesday the federal transport minister rejected a petition to protect lands saying in a statement, “the government of Canada cannot unilaterally intervene to transform lands under the management of the airport into a national urban park, in accordance with the terms of the lease.”

5:02 Conserving the Technoparc Oiseaux wetlands

Boulerice disagrees with the government’s assessment calling it a falsehood.

“It’s been done before. It’s not impossible. The federal government owns the land. They are responsible for the airport, they have all the tools they need to act,” Boulerice said.

Calls to protect the area became heated last June when environmentalists were outraged to discover the airport mowed the land known as the monarch fields — a habitat that is essential to the survival of the at-risk butterfly species.

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says the federal government is working on solutions to protect the land.

Consultations to include the monarch butterfly on the federal government’s endangered species list, Guilbeault said while speaking at COP15 summit in Montreal, will give extra powers to protect the habitat of butterflies, including land under the administration of Montreal airports.

Technoparc Oiseaux says while the action is needed, it will not come into effect in time to save the land that the species needs.

“We would argue the habitat is what matters. It’s not sufficient to protect a single species or several — you must protect the habitat,” Collins said.

1:59 Conservation group upset over Montreal Technoparc fields razed

Across the island of Montreal, 26 municipalities and boroughs representing some 4 million constituents voted in favour of preserving the space.

“I think the minister has to understand that the consensus is overwhelming if not unanimous. The minister has to listen to what the greater community (wants),” Saint-Laurent Borough Mayor Alan DeSousa said.

The Montreal airport administration would not agree to an interview but told Global News any construction project carried out on the airport site is subject to an environmental impact assessment, in accordance with the legislation in effect.

MNA for Saint Laurent, Marwah Rizqy said with the ongoing COP15 the world is watching calling this “a test of credibility.”

“If after COP15 they don’t do anything about this land it’s because they don’t understand the situation. They don’t understand why we were half a million walking for climate change,” Rizqy said.