Les Amis has been closely observing this section of Côte Saint-Luc Road for many years now and over the years had organized a series of nature walks with environmentalist David Fletcher who had revealed the secrets of the area.
From Westluke Avenue, west of Westminster Avenue, to the entrance of Meadowbrook, Côte Saint-Luc Road used to have a country air to it with the tall trees arching over the road. However, with the years, the area was somewhat neglected and buckthorn bushes started to multiply. (Yes, they are pretty when they flower — which explains why they were first introduced in Canada — but they are invasive and leave very little space for any other species.) Add to this the emerald ash borer and quite a few of the big trees were lost on this stretch of road.
The City of Côte Saint-Luc then created the Joe Raie Nature Path and the dog run on the north side a few years ago. And les Amis had also reserved a small space for a bench in memory of one of its founders, Alex Davis, next to Richard Schwartz Park.
It all came to a head last fall when a tree was uprooted during a storm, fell on hydro lines and caught fire. For sure, the solution was drastic. Hydro Québec took charge and cut down the trees that impinged on its lines. However, it does give us a clean slate from which to work.
Les Amis has met with the City of Côte Saint-Luc and is bringing Nature Québec on board to help with redesigning this stretch of Côte Saint-Luc Road. The idea is to renaturalize the area by planting native trees and bushes that provide food and shelter to birds. Just imagine what it could look like….
We’ll keep you posted!
