The Nun’s Island Heritage Committee is the first citizens group to take advantage of a new program allowing Montrealers to initiate public consultations under the Rights of Initiative, created in January by the Office de consultations publique de Montreal.
The historical rapids require protection as they are particularly fragile between Champlain and Mercier bridges, explained Nina Blussé of the Nun’s Island heritage group.
The nuns practiced sustainable development when they occupied the island, she said. But since the 1970s, areas touched by the rapids, including the Lachine Canal, the seaway, and Nuns’ Island, have seen continuous growth, Blussé said: “It’s not just condos on Nuns’ Island.”
The group is seeking to define conservation measures that would limit the growth of commercial and residential developments.
“The changes are cumulative. There’s a continual frittering away and there needs to be strict regulations because it’s not sustainable. This is urgent,” Blussée said.
But although the city has approved their request for a petition, a public consultation will not be held without the requisite signatures.
“We have 90 days to get 15,000 signatures,” Blussé said,
To that end, the group has contacted various high schools to mobilize their senior students through various leadership and community service programs to help protect the rapids.
A former teacher, Blussée says this is an opportunity for youth to influence municipal decision-making.
“It’s pupil power for the environment,” she said. “We’re asking young people to help us make a better Montreal.”
Only those age 15 and older and living in Montreal City boroughs are eligible to sign.
For information on Right of Initiative in public consultations, click here.
12 comments:
Les,
One of the major areas including in the The Gazette article is the former Hydro dam wich is situated between the Champlain and the Mercier brige and is now a bird sanctuary. This is a real success story wich I visited about a year ago and wich I previously posted an article and photos wich can be seen in my Album no. 38 of wich I am including these 3 photos:
The area is well protected and the public appreciates this bird paradise. I ventured unknowingly in the
bird breeding area and the public immediately warned me to keep out of that section.
Guy
Les,
Thanks for the excellant additional information on the former hydro and bird sancuary. I am adding the old aerial view of the hydro dam to my collection.
Guy
the rapids were always a wonder to look at.hypnotizing in a way.long before there was a park there we used to stop by the old dam and watch the rapids
I know I am repeating myself but I also used to walk with my friends on Bannantyne from Galt to the dam, swim or fish and play around and walk back, this is in the early 40s. We sure had a lot of energy then.
Guy
I just came across this Montreal Gazette story,with the Headline
"Dangerous Lasalle Eyesore to get Facelift" it's dated May 1972, and their is a great picture (the only one we've seen to date) of the old dam in ruins,with kids playing on it. Which of course we all did,traversing the dam over to the small island,a few years before they started to make it safer and enclosing the area now known as a bird sanctuary.Heres' the link to read the story & see the photo.you can fit the photo to the size of your screen:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yoIuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=O6EFAAAAIBAJ&pg=7270%2C1706916
BTW: the name of the small island was called Blacks Bank......I've seen it incorrectly identified before,but itname is mentioned in the accompanying story..that's the name I always knew it as,.nice to confirm it in print.
Have Fun & Remember Verdun
Les,
Thats the dam I knew back in the 40s. I was looking for such a photo. How can I print this Gazette photo so that I can add it to my collection of photos on the dam ?
Guy
I am not sure Guy,but I will find out. I too have been wanting to find more photos like this.I will let you know as soon as I can find out. HF&RV
Here are a couple of the photos from the Montreal Gazette article about the Dangerous Eyesore in Lasalle at the old Powerhouse Dam ,it stood in ruins for many years perhaps 30ish or more,I lived right across the street from this old landmark & then lived also on Lasalle Blvd directly across from the old place,when they made it into a causeway to walk over & nowadays the whole enclosed area is a bird sanctuary,which I believed was named as such back in the early 70's.......
here's the other shot from the same paper:
Have Fun & Remember Verdun........
Finding out how to traverse this old dam,was a right of passage,many times ,you weren't sure if you could make it..................but we did,along with cases of beer that made the trek over to 'Blacks Bank' as it was callled......How we made it there was cool,..how we made it back was incredible.......hahahaha Ahhhhh the stupidity of youth known as Invincibilty.......
Cheers ! HF&RV..............
Hi , I just thought I'd ad this shot to this group too.
HF&RV
Les,
The dirt dam on the right is where the old hydro dam was situated. I believe it is underneath the present earth dam wich makes sense as it made a firm base.
Guy
The old dam was a power house supplying electricity to Verdun and ville lasalle. When we kids living in the "POINT" we went there to swim diving off the dam was a dangerous thing. One one our friends nearly drowned when he got swept against the dam boards. He was rescued by two older guys. You could still see the old turbines at the time we swam there.Here's a bit most people didn't know about Nun's Island. It was pregnant nuns went to have their babies so the public didn't know that they had broken their vows to the church. A girl we grew up with who became a Nun told us that's where she had her baby and then was kicked out of the church.
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