Montreal receives federal funding for flood control project

Greater Montréal will be receiving federal investments of up to $50 million to protect and enhance several wetland areas, in addition to upgrading stormwater outfalls in order to better protect neighbouring communities against spring floods.

The upgrades, including pumping stations and valves, will help prevent spring flooding from the Rivière des Prairies in the areas of Chemin de la Rive-Boisée, Boulevard Jacques-Bizard, Boulevard Pierrefonds, and Boulevard Gouin.

The project will also strengthen wetlands to support their ecosystems and improve local flood resilience – helping to create the largest urban park in Canadian history, the Grand parc de l’Ouest (Great Western Park)

The park will be the largest urban green space in the country and one of the biggest municipal parks in the world.

The federal funding for this large-scale natural infrastructure project will come from the $2 billion Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund

 Grand parc de l’Ouest

• The Ville de Montréal plans for the “Grand parc de l’Ouest” to cover 3,000 hectares, of which 1,600 hectares will be new protected areas. The park will connect Île-Bizard to the Parc-nature du Cap-Saint-Jacques, through the Parc-nature de L’Anse-à-l’Orme, the Parc-agricole du Bois-de-la-Roche, and the Morgan Arboretum.
• It will be eight times the size of Central Park in New York City and 15 times the size of Mount Royal Park.
• The project includes organic vegetable farms, walking and cycling trails, and a river shuttle linking Île-Bizard to Pierrefonds-Ouest.