The mandate entrusted to the Office de consultation publique is twofold. The first part consists in consulting the population on draft Chapter 18 of the Montréal Master Plan for the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro and on the draft by-law to bring it into compliance with the Plan. The second aims to ascertain the citizens’ opinions on draft amendments to the zoning by-law of the Pierrefonds sector, and on the Site Planning and Architectural Integration Programs (SPAIP) of the borough as a whole.
Despite the particulars provided by the borough, the commission observed that the duality of the mandate and gaps in the borough’s document preparation and presentation frustrated and confused citizens who participated in the consultation process. This made the commission’s work more complicated and, on several occasions, it had to ask the borough for additional information following hearings. These exchanges were made public on the OCPM Web site.
The present chapter deals with the commission’s analysis of draft Chapter 18 of the Montréal Master Plan for the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro,90 and with its opinions and recommendations. The issues raised in public hearings are divided among the following topics:
- the importance of a distinct urban vision for Pierrefonds-Roxboro - the borough chapter, the Montréal Master Plan and other planning tools - road infrastructures, public transportation and traffic
- sustainable development and urban planning - Detailed Planning Areas
- the protection of natural environments: eco-territories, parks and green spaces - the protection of woodlands and trees
- documents and information made publicly available
3.1. The importance of a distinct urban vision for Pierrefonds-Roxboro
According to the borough council of Pierrefonds-Roxboro, the Montréal Master Plan, adopted in 2004, constitutes a social contract with a time horizon of ten years.91 Sustainable development, at the heart of the Plan’s planning approach, is indissociable from a long-term vision aimed at establishing a stable framework for the enhancement of city territory. This approach is in keeping with the citizens’ stated objectives.92 The commission finds that these are legitimate concerns and, even though the Master Plan is not written in stone, it is important that it ensure the continuity of interventions for a foreseeable future.
However, the commission believes that the borough must do more than reproduce the general orientations outlined in the Plan. This is an opportunity to implement its vision for the future and to highlight the territory’s assets, while preserving and enhancing natural resources. From the outset,
90 Doc. 1.1.1
91 Idem, word of council
92 Doc. 6.2, p. 3 – Lewis Poulin
Pierrefonds-Roxboro has presented its draft borough chapter as an adaptation for the Pierrefonds sector of the objectives and issues of the Pierrefonds-Senneville chapter, in force since 2005, and not as a revision.93 Similarly, it adds considerations for the Roxboro sector drawn from the preliminary version of the Dollard-des-Ormeaux-Roxboro borough chapter in the 2004 Plan. The commission notes that the draft borough chapter for Pierrefonds-Roxboro essentially reproduces the content of Part II of the 2004 Plan, for the sectors combined. The April 2007 draft makes only a few amendments to it, save removing considerations relating to the Senneville sector and adding those pertaining to the new Roxboro sector, the modification of the limits of certain Detailed Planning Areas, and the addition of the Roxboro village core area, as to sustainable development.
The commission invites the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro to develop its own urban vision, one that is inspiring and dynamic and that represents a true social contract closely involving citizens throughout its planning and implementation.
3.2. The borough chapter, the Montréal Master Plan, and other planning tools
The Montréal Master Plan, which includes 19 borough chapters, falls within the scope of a larger context involving the island of Montréal, the Montréal agglomeration, and the Montréal metropolitan community. The Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough chapter falls within the scope of an urbanization dynamic touching several municipalities. The commission believes that land-use and service planning for Pierrefonds-Roxboro should better reflect that reality, especially with respect to issues involving border territories. It is important that the boroughs, the City and the Montréal metropolitan community co-ordinate their common vision and objectives in their respective jurisdictions.
The borough chapter, following its adoption by the Montréal city council, will become an integral part of the Montréal Master Plan. In that context, it must not only reflect the Montréal-wide orientations outlined in the Plan, but also support and develop them for the benefit of the borough’s territory and residents. Those city-wide orientations weave a fabric encompassing and affecting the territory of neighbouring boroughs and adjoining municipalities. The coherence and continuity of planning and interventions on the territory are essential, and call for sustained coordination among the various municipal entities of common issues.
In that context, it would also be to the borough’s advantage to take into account the major orientations outlined in the Projet de schéma métropolitain d’aménagement et de développement of the Montréal metropolitan community94 that affect its territory. This applies, among other things, to the protection of agricultural lands, rural zones and landscapes, the conservation and enhancement of shorelines, waterways and woodlands that have been the object of many citizen interventions.95 One of the longest segments of the littoral land on the island of Montréal is located on Pierrefonds-Roxboro territory, along the Rivière des Prairies and Lac des Deux Montagnes,
93 Doc. 2.4, p.1
94 Projet de schéma métropolitain d’aménagement et de développement de la Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), adopted by the CMM council in February 2005, and currently undergoing a consultation process.
95 See Chapter 2 of the present report
over almost 30 km.96 It will therefore play a major, even leading role in the “Blue Montréal”
project.97
The draft Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough chapter briefly refers to City-wide orientations taken from the Montréal Master Plan. These orientations pertain to the enhancement and protection of waterways, shoreline development, the enhancement and protection of woodlands, public transportation, major road axes of inter-municipal and city-wide vocation, major networks of bicycle and pedestrian paths, and rural zones and agricultural lands. It would be in the borough’s best interest to develop and enrich its reflections with that of neighbouring territories, and to combine their interests.
This reflection should address common issues such as public transit, the road network, the protection and development of eco-territories and natural environments, the rural zone and agricultural lands, the extension and integration of the network of bicycle paths, and the development and revitalization of the shorelines of the Rivière des Prairies, Lac des Deux Montagnes and other waters within its territory.
The following table highlights City-wide issues of common interest for Pierrefonds-Roxboro and neighbouring municipalities and boroughs.
96 Site of the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro
97 A partnership among public, municipal and other authorities
Table 1 Montréal-wide issues relevant to Pierrefonds-Roxboro
Elements of the borough chapter of the Plan Other boroughs and municipalities affected
Public transit and alternate modes of transportation, commuter trains, extension and integration of bicycle paths
Kirkland; Dollard-des-Ormeaux; and maybe Beaconsfield
Road infrastructure, extension and integration of Pierrefonds and Jacques-Bizard Boulevards and of the road link with the Highway 440 right-of-way
Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève; Kirkland;
and maybe Beaconsfield
Detailed Planning Areas
• Eastern area of Pierrefonds
• Sources commercial area
• Central area of Pierrefonds
• Saint-Charles commercial axis
• Western area of Pierrefonds
Saint-Anne- de- Bellevue; Senneville;
Dollard-des-Ormeaux; Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève
Eco-territories, parks, green spaces and natural heritage
• permanent agricultural zone and rural area
• the Rivière à l’Orme eco-forest, also considered a high-potential area of archaeological interest
• Coulée verte du ruisseau Bertrand
Ahuntsic-Cartierville; Saint-Laurent;
Senneville; Dorval; Dollard-des-Ormeaux
Development of the Rivière des Prairies shoreline Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève; Laval
The commission invites the borough, and the City of Montréal as required, to discuss common issues with neighbouring boroughs and bordering municipalities.
The commission invites the borough to address in a more comprehensive manner in its borough chapter City-wide orientations that have a direct effect on Pierrefonds-Roxboro territory.
3.3. Road infrastructures, public transportation and traffic
Many citizens spoke about the absence of transportation infrastructures linking the West Island to the rest of the borough and to the highway network, the extension of Pierrefonds Boulevard and the north-south links to be developed, the improvement of public transit, and other forms of transportation. The development of efficient and productive transportation networks is one of the main issues for the borough.98 The commission also considers this issue to be of primary importance not only for Pierrefonds-Roxboro, but also for the West Island as a whole. In addition
98 Doc. 1.1.1, p. 11- 12: issue 18.3.3, objectives 6 to 10 inclusively; p.31.
to being essential to making a dynamic expanding community work, it is a structuring element of all new development based on sustainable development principles. The commission encourages the borough to explore various avenues of thought that could lead to a positive turn in public transportation.
The commission invites the borough to explore the unique potential of the Highway 440 right-of-way between Gouin Boulevard West and Highway 40, with a view to developing, in conjunction with the proposed road link, major and maybe innovative public transit facilities, serving Pierrefonds-Roxboro, especially the Western area of Pierrefonds, and the municipalities of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Beaconsfield, and linked to the Beaurepaire train station in Beaconsfield.
The commission recognizes the importance of an integrated, protected and enjoyable network of bicycle paths for the entire island of Montréal. The waterside path along Gouin Boulevard West and Lalande Boulevard is an important segment of that network. The commission supports the borough’s intention to develop an integrated network of bicycle paths. It underscores the importance of making it a legitimate mode of travel on roads conducive to user transportation and safety, not only along the waterside path, but also on major north-south axes. Similar considerations apply to the place accorded pedestrian travel, whether on sidewalks, along walkways and paths, or at intersections and entrances and exits of parking lots along the major commercial axes, among others. Both a bicycle path and a pedestrian path could easily be built on the Highway 440 right-of-way, in conjunction with transportation infrastructures, thereby encouraging north-south bicycle and pedestrian travel, and developing the full potential of the Highway 440 right-of-way as a multimodal and ecotourism transportation corridor.
The commission recommends that the borough prioritize the development of integrated and protected bicycle paths and pedestrian paths; that those networks be formally recognized as public travelways, and that they be included in the draft borough chapter.
3.4. Sustainable development and urban planning
Sustainable development is visibly a shared concern among the citizens who attended the hearing.
They have many expectations regarding the preservation of fragile environments, the healthy use and preservation of natural resources, the reduction of dependence on the automobile through appropriate means, the improvement of public transit and alternate modes of travel, urban planning and development, and risk management and the borough’s share of responsibility in efforts aimed at reducing green-house gases and the impact of climate changes. Participants would like the borough to meet those expectations in the planning, development and management of its territory, and this concern be reflected in the draft borough chapter under review. The commissions shares those concerns.
3.4.1. Planning guidelines for sustainable development
In this Kyoto era, with discussions on a post-Kyoto already underway, the commission is impressed by the quality of citizens’ comments on the risks that the cities and boroughs will be called to manage in the future. Some citizens are concerned about sustainable development, both in terms of integrating it into their own activities and seeing how the borough takes it into account in setting its objectives and carrying out its activities. Incidentally, the draft Pierrefonds-Roxboro
borough chapter identifies the achievement of a healthy, sustainable and safe urban environment99 as one of the main planning issues. In 2004, the Montréal Master Plan already took a position favouring sustainable development, underscoring the important role the City would play in implementing the Kyoto Protocol, both as a municipality and as a member of the Montréal metropolitan community. The sustainable development model proposed by the City aims, among other things, to diminish dependence on automobiles and protect natural environments. Until now, except for a certain control with respect flood risks, as required by law, the other aspects do not seem to be have been addressed by the borough.100
The commission strongly supports the borough’s intention to take into account the growing concerns of the population regarding sustainable development.101 It encourages the borough to strengthen its commitment, and to provide a clear and detailed description of that commitment in the draft borough chapter.
Several documents and policies issued by the City of Montréal offer development guidelines, as illustrated in the following table.
99 Doc. 1.1.1, p.7
100 Montréal Master Plan, November 2004, p. 5 – Planning approach
101 Doc. 1.1.1, word of the borough council; Doc. 3.8.1, p. 1
Table 2 Development guidelines relevant to Pierrefonds-Roxboro Development guidelines - City of Montréal Source
A concern for economically efficient, socially equitable and ecologically sustainable development.
Montréal’s First Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development. April 2005.
The protection of natural environments as natural habitats for the fauna that feeds and reproduces there.
Policy respecting the Protection and Enhancement of the Natural Environment, 2004.
The protection of plantations of rare, mature, and hundred-year-old trees, or trees of local interest in new development projects (including forest plantations of interest).
Tree Policy, 2005 http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/page
/conseil_patrimoine
Restriction of construction and work in floodplains and along shorelines.
2.7 Master Plan Section 2.7. November 2004.
The maintenance of the water regime of inland waters by controlling project development planning.
Master Plan Section 2.6 An enhanced built, archaeological and natural heritage, September 2005
The conservation of energy, water and other natural resources.
Montréal’s First Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development, April 2005.
The replacement of landfills with recycling, reduction at source, re-use, reclamation and composting.
“Les Trois R-V”; Web site of the City of Montréal.
The integration of sustainable development criteria in decision-making processes to add to the economic analysis an evaluation of social and environmental impacts, notably through strategic environmental evaluation.
Montréal’s First Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development. April 2005, Action 1.23.
The decrease of travel by private automobile and increase in public transit use.
2007 transportation plan, consultation document, May 17, 2007
The reduction of dependence on the automobile through increased use of public transportation and active modes of transportation.
Transportation plan, May 2007.
The improvement of air quality and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Montréal’s First Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development, April 2005, Priority orientation.
The evaluation, using indicators, of progress towards sustainable development.
Montréal’s First Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development.
Appendix 3: Detailed description of indicators.
The increased availability of waterside public spaces;
the improvement of the quality of the shoreline.
Les objectifs du Réseau bleu
http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pagei d=3096,3533465&_dad=portal&_schema=PO RTAL
The commission recommends that the borough include sustainable development guidelines in the detailed planning of identified areas and amend the draft borough chapter accordingly.
In addition to those considerations, two other current approaches to sustainable development seem absent from the policies and implementation of the Montréal Master Plan: the employment/housing balance; and environmental responsibility and energy efficiency.
3.4.2. Employment/housing balance and sustainability
The first issue involves a better employment/housing balance that, through a greater mix of uses, offers residents the possibility of working close to home. This urban planning approach is increasingly common in many communities in Canada, the United States and Europe. It has even been addressed by Québec authors: “Measures such as employment/housing balance are not miracle cures to mobility problems... but together they can make a difference by improving mobility and access to activities and jobs.”102
The commission recommends that the borough include guidelines pertaining to the employment/housing balance in planning its territory, especially for the Western area of Pierrefonds.
3.4.3. Environmental responsibility and energy efficiency
The second issue involves environmental responsibility and energy efficiency, not only for buildings, but in land-use planning. The program Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED-Canada), adapted from the initial program developed in the United States,103 and drawn up based on Canadian climates, construction practices and regulations, is sponsored in Canada by the Canada Green Building Council. It is used extensively throughout Canada. LEED®
certification, which is highly coveted, is granted to buildings that have demonstrated a concern for the environment by applying higher performance standards in terms of environmental responsibility and energy efficiency. Montréal has several such buildings.
A new program on land-use planning is currently being developed in the United States. This program, called Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design for Neighbourhood Development (LEED-ND),104 encourages the creation of neighbourhoods geared to reducing dependence on automobiles, proximity of housing to employment, and better use of resources.
LEED-ND is used to evaluate Smart Growth105 goal achievement levels. Smart Growth is another land-use planning model that takes environmental impact into account. Many U.S. cities106 have already recognized the advantages of such performance evaluation systems.
We recently began to explore the advantages of LEED-ND and to apply its principles in Canada.107 Within ten years, those principles will probably be widely followed by Canadian cities and
102 Paul Lewis, Michel Barcelo and Caroline Larrivée: Améliorer la mobilité en aménageant autrement. Report prepared for the Commission de consultation sur l’amélioration de la mobilité entre Montréal et la Rive-Sud.
Institut d’urbanisme, Université de Montréal, 2002, p.47.
103 http://www.cagbc.org/building_rating_systems/leed_rating_system.php
104 http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=148
105 www.smartgrowth.org
106 Boston, Seattle, Portland in Oregon,, Arlington County in Virginia, among others
107 The Pickering municipal council in the Greater Toronto Area decided in June 2007 to use the LEED-ND system to set real estate development guidelines, notably for the new community of Seaton, as well as for amendments to its planning program. The Westhills Green Community, in Langford, British Columbia, a new community of 5000 to 6000 housing units laid out over almost 200 ha aims to be the first in Canada to obtain LEED-ND certification.
Montréal developers alike. Today, many private, public and institutional developers in Montréal are proud of the LEED certification they received for their individual constructions. This is an opportunity for Pierrefonds-Roxboro to initiate a proactive approach and position itself as a leader in the protection of the environment and resources for the future.
The commission invites the borough to apply the principles of the LEED and LEED-ND
The commission invites the borough to apply the principles of the LEED and LEED-ND