How the Campaign Against the Emerald Ash Borer Will Affect Mount Royal and Its Users

As we mentioned in a previous article on the fight against the emerald ash borer, the City of Montréal will undertake major work over the next three years in the woodlands of Mount Royal Park and Tiohtià: ke Otsira'Kéhne Park (Outremont Summit) as part of a major campaign against the emerald ash borer. Operations will be carried out in such a way as to minimize the impacts on soils, vegetation and wildlife, in addition to users. It should be remembered that these measures against the emerald ash borer are unfortunately necessary and will ultimately help maintain the integrity of Mount Royal's woodlands.

Work Will Take Place in Different Sectors in 3 Phases

Winter 2018: felling operations in Outremont’s Summit Woods and Tiohtià:ke Otsira’Kéhne Park as well as at the summit of Mount Royal Park.

Fall 2018 and Winter 2019: felling operations in the Piedmont, Brackenfell (Fougeraie), Beaver Lake Glades and at the Peel entrance to Mount Royal Park.

2018 to 2020: reforestation activities in the different sectors.
 

What Will the Impacts Be on Users this Winter?

In the coming weeks, access to cross-country ski trails and forest paths will be disrupted. During work, sections of cross-country ski trails and portions of Olmsted Path will be temporarily closed to the public. Temporary paths will be created to allow users to continue their activities. For details, please visit “Conditions and Work Done” in our website on a regular basis.

Mount Royal woodlands constitute a priceless public treasure that we must all protect. As part of an awareness and interpretation mandate entrusted by the City, Les amis de la montagne will implement signage and be present on site to inform the public of the various operations under way and to advise Mount Royal users on ways to reduce the pressure on soils and limit their degradation. For your safety and to protect the mountain, we invite you to respect the signs in place and to stay on marked paths and trails during the work.

The Benefits of Reforestation

To compensate for the loss of ash trees and preserve the exceptional quality of Mount Royal's natural environment, the City will plant some 40,000 trees and shrubs by 2020, a ratio of ten trees for every tree cut down. Reforestation is a vital operation that will close gaps caused by the felling of trees, prevent space from being taken over by invasive plant species and increase the forest’s overall resilience by increasing the diversity of trees.

Les amis de la montagne will play a key role in reforestation operations by overseeing a series of actions on the mountain. In the first place, we will support planting efforts thanks to our Environmental Stewardship Program, which will prioritize the control of invasive plants in the intervention zones. Les amis de la montagne also wishes to invite research interns to document work being carried out and its impacts on the natural environment. Obviously, these are only the first steps we need to take, but other actions will follow according to the needs.

We’ll make sure to keep you updated on actions being carried out on the mountain. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive news or visit our “Conditions and Work Done” page to find out about work being done in and around Mount Royal Park.