Montreal, province invest $150M in green spaces
The City of Montreal is teaming up with the provincial government and neighbouring municipalities to push for the creation of new green spaces in and around the island.
Montreal Mayor Michael Applebaum, Transport Minister Sylvain Gaudreault and the minister responsible for Montreal Jean-François Lisée announced a $150 million investment today.
The money will be used to create a new 143-kilometre cycling path that will connect Oka to the Boucherville Islands, Mount Saint-Bruno and Mont-Saint-Hilaire.
The $60 million invested in the project will be used to acquire land, develop infrastructure and protect green spaces over the next six years.
The province will also be spending an additional $700,000 for development projects around transit hubs in the Montreal area.
Seven sites, including the Namur metro station in the city's west end and commuter train stations on the north and south shores will receive investments of $100,000 each.
The parties investing in the project will also help fund the creation of four different parks and green spaces around the island of Montreal.
Applebaum said $90 million will be used to create a park along the Mille-Îles River, a park and beach near the Saint-Lawrence Seaway, a 18,000-hectare green corridor near Mount Saint-Bruno and a 79,000-hectare corridor between Chateauguay and Léry on Montreal's south shore.
Applebaum said the projects will allow municipalities to protect 17 per cent of the green space in and around Montreal.
