A collaborative project has taken shape between the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery (NDN) and Université de Montréal (UdeM) as a result of the Rencontres des grands propriétaires institutionnels du mont Royal [meetings of the large institutional owners of Mount Royal] on the ecological management of their properties organized by Les Amis de la montagne.

Since last summer, the two institutions have sought to bring about a major change in the approach to planning and maintaining their exterior spaces through the implementation of a joint ecological restoration project on their respective properties. Using the differentiated management of green spaces (DMGS) model, they have replaced small, grassy areas with a variety of native plant species with a view to transforming these spaces into sites that better support biodiversity. The two partner institutions plan to extend the practice to a larger land area over the next few years.

Refer to our project sheet for more information on the ecological restoration initiative and the differentiated management of green spaces.

Following the meetings, Les Amis organized a community of practice* to address the DMGS approach in further detail. On October 12, 2021, all the institutional partners met with experts and representatives from community organizations and the City of Montréal to talk about how DMGS is to be implemented on their properties. The group discussions were inspired by input from the conferences held with Horticulture and Green Space Management Specialist Jean-Jacques Lincourt and Université de Montréal Biodiversity Advisor Alexandre Beaudoin.

Refer to the report to find further DMGS resources, read the recommendations of our two conference speakers and view the details of the discussions.

*The communities of practice are the result of the Rencontres des grands propriétaires institutionnels du mont Royal initiated by Les Amis de la montagne in December 2020. The meetings consisted in bringing representatives from the institutions located on Mount Royal together with the objective of forging partnerships and promoting informed decision-making in support of environmentally responsible actions on their properties. Together, these local decision-makers intend to help maintain the integrity of our natural ecosystems and biodiversity and showcase the natural and cultural heritage of Mount Royal.