Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Significant Events Timeline

● In this activity, your group will collaborate to create a timeline of the growth of your assigned city. Consider identifying a significant global or national event and looking through old newspaper or magazine archives for current local reporting on the issue. Feel free to start with a source such as Wikipedia – but supplement your entry with primary sources. In particular, focus on events relevant to this module’s topics, such as:

○ Growth of environmentalism ○ Cultural and social aspects of the city ○ Local issues of social/environmental justice

● You cannot pick an event that another student has already contributed to the presentation ● Make sure to have the events in a chronological order ● Try to complete your entry as quickly as possible to start the online discussion ● You should have your slide done by Friday 10/22 ● Your initial post in the discussion board is due by the end of Saturday 10/23 ● Example of one event in a different city is on next slide

Example Slide – City of Freiburg’s beginning as Eco City 1971 -1975 ● In 1971 an area just outside the city of Freiburg was considered as a potential site for nuclear power

plant ○ Protest movement started to form almost immediately with little impact on decision makers at first.

● Official permission for the plant was granted and earthworks began on 17 February 1975 ○ Opposition started to grow with riot police being forced to intervene in February 18th. Rough treatment of the protesters by the

police was captured by national TV stations and other media outlets. ○ On 23 February about 30,000 people occupied the construction site again. ○ On 21 March 1975, an administrative court withdrew the construction license for the plant. The plant was never

built

● A significant amount of the protesters were local farmers, young professionals, and members of the large academic community in Freiburg, especially college students.

● After the successful protest, many protest leaders joined the political arena, the administration, found a job in educational or research activities, or founded green-spirited companies

● As a result, the successful protest is now often credited as the start of the cites focus on becoming more sustainable. One of the protest leaders became the first mayor of the city from the green party. Another protest leader is today a well known architect with expertise in solar houses. He is the mastermind behind the Vauban neighborhood in Freiburg, a sustainable model district with great focus on solar energy and car-free living

● Today, the city of Freiburg is considered as one of the most sustainable city in the world

Sources • https://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inhalt.wyhl-ein-kernkraftwerk-wird-nicht-gebaut-vom-zorn-der-braven-kaiserstuehler.3468230a-4018-4163-9e41-

db167165be1b.html • http://www.environmentandsociety.org/arcadia/new-watch-rhine-anti-nuclear-protest-baden-and-alsace • https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/words-most-successful-model-sustainable-urban-development/229316/

Anti nuclear power plant protest, 1975

Vauban Neighborhood, City of Freiburg

The Montreal Botanical Garden By: Kendall Walker

https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/lhn-nhs/det_E.asp?oqSID=2199&oqeName=Montr%25E9al+Botanical+Garden&oqfName=Jardin+botanique+de+Montr%25E9al

● Opened June 9, 1931 in Montreal, Quebec ○ Brother Marie-Vicotrin (botany teacher) established with Henry Teusher (became chief

holticurist of garden) during the Great Depression era ○ Developed various buildings and gardens on the property. In 1956, exhibition greenhouses

were renovated ● Brother Marie-Vicotrin wrote a plea to the mayor asking for a “royal gift” to the city

of a botanical garden ○ Maintained importance of education and opened on the garden the School of Horticultural

Learning (1938), the School of Awakening (1939) ■ Both aimed at exposing younger people to nature and getting them involved with

gardening ○ Garden worked closely with the University of Montreal

● Garden flourished around 1970s ○ Research activities and international flower shows began here

■ Greenhouses were renovated to become more sustainable ● The ever present mission of the garden i to preserve collections of plants and to spread a love and

appreciation for horticulture and botany, while taking part in research of such

Lachine Canal Closure of 1970 (Caleb Roberts) The Canal

- Built in 1825 to help boats and cargo navigate around the Lachine Rapids. - Was an efficient means of transporting goods and nearly 15,000 ships used the canal

annually. Closure of the Canal

- In 1959 the Lawrence Seaway was built replacing the Lachine canal. - Soon after, the canal depleted at a rapid rate do to the lack of repair to to the main

infrastructures of the canal and was eventually closed to ships In 1970. - After closure the canal became an illicit dumping ground for old cars and the bodies of

victims of underworld killings. - Causing this part of Montreal to become an industrial slum.

Revitalization of the canal began in 1974 - The Government of Canada began transforming the canal, while using small interventions

including the creation of a linear park system along its banks and a paved path for pedestrians and cyclists.

- A federal agency also in 1978 began planting lawns and trees along the linear park as well providing a green environment out of this industrial slum

The Canal is now known to be the link between the city of Montreal and nature. - The canal is now also open to pleasure boats as of 2002.

Sources: Lachine Canal National Historic Site Review - Montreal Quebec - Sights | Fodor’s Travel (fodors.com) Lachine Canal | The Canadian Encyclopedia Lachine Canal - QC | CDNUrbanStrategies (canadianurbanstrategies.com) The course of history - Lachine Canal National Historic Site (pc.gc.ca)

Image showing the bike and walk paths accessible to all pedestrians along the banks of the Lachine Canal.

Construction of The Lachine Canal

James Bay Project by Desarae Lopez 1970-1975

● In 1970 hydroelectric power Hydropower is capable of converting 90 percent of available energy into electricity

● 1971 ● 1974 Opposition to the project, however, was strong among the 5,000 Crees of James

Bay, the 3,500 Inuit to the north and several environmental groups. ○ They believed the government of Quebec was acting in violation of treaties and

committing unlawful expropriation and destruction of traditional hunting and trapping lands.

○ The Cree and Inuit had not been informed of the hydroelectric project until after construction of the access road had begun.

● 1975 negotiations between the Cree and the Inuit and the provincial and federal governments, resulted in the first northern comprehensive land claim to be settled in Canada, the James Bay Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA).

● 2002 the Bernard Landry government and the Grand Council of the Crees, signed the Peace of the Braves and the Boumhounan Agreement, establishing a new relationship between Quebec and the Crees, agreeing on environmental rules for the construction of three new power stations built between 2003- 2011

Sources:

https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/james-bay-damming-project-water-under-dam

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/james-bay-project

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-climate-movement-1.5297668/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bay_Project

Parc Jean-Drapeau Biosphère (Nick Garlisi) The Biosphére

- The Biosphére was first the pavilion for the U.S. at Expo 67 but was destroyed by a fire in 1976 then bought by Environment Canada in 1990 for $17.5 million.

- Before becoming a museum it hosted many things like exhibitions, works of are and more. - It wasn’t until 1995, when the Biosphére became a museum dedicated to environmental action. - The mission of the biosphere “ to bring people closer to nature and to encourage action and citizen participation in favor of a

socio-ecological transition.”

Sources:

https://www.parcjeandrapeau.com/en/the-dome-biosphere-history/ https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/canada/quebec/articles/whats-the-story- behind-montreals-biosphere/ https://www.mtlblog.com/10-things-to-do-at-montreals-biosphere-this-summer

What does the Biosphére offer?

- The Biosphére holds many different exhibitions like “ + 1˚C: What difference does it make?”where you can learn the effects of climate change and its effects on human health.

- Other topics of the exhibitions are about protecting species that cross the border between the U.S. and Canada as well as an ecolab where you can learn about environmental science in an interactive lab.

- Planet MTL lets you become the mayor of Montreal and lets you see the all the challenges first hand and lets you try and solve the issues of the city.

The Montreal Protocol (Kate Obrien) The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

- Finalized in 1987, went into effect in 1989 - A global agreement dedicated to protecting the ozone layer by limiting and eventually phasing out the production and

consumption of ozone-depleting substances - The first treaty to be endorsed by all countries in the world; initially signed by 46 countries, and currently 200 - Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol was developed to provide funding to developing

countries so they are able to adhere to the Montreal Protocol

As a result

- The ozone hole over Antarctica has slowly began to recover - Concentrations of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the ozone have either diminished or plateaued - Due to the protocol, 280 million cases of skin cancer, 1.5 million deaths due to skin cancer, and 45 million

cases of cataracts will have been prevented in the US (2015 Study by US Environmental Protection Agency

A Treaty That Evolves With Science: The Next Step

- As new science unfolds, the treaty evolves to address modern concerns: HCFCs and HFCs developed to replace CFCs are10,000 times more corrosive to the ozone than CFCs, and the next chemical to be phased out by 2030

“Perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date.” -Kofi Annan, 7th Secretary-General of the UN 1996-2006)

Sources:

https://www.state.gov/key-topics-office-of-environmental-quality-and-transboundary-issues/the-montreal-protocol-on-su bstances-that-deplete-the-ozone-layer/

https://theozonehole.com/montreal.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Protocol

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Protocol#cite_note-15