MONTREAL, Nov. 15, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Mount Royal's integrity is at
risk. With the imminent closure of numerous institutions located on the
flanks of the mountain, the next 10 years will mark Mount Royal by the
most profound changes it has undergone in the last 150 years. The
greater metropolitan community must mobilise to address these
challenges head-on.
"With a new provincial government in place and a new municipal
administration on the way, the gains achieved by the community for
Mount Royal's protection cannot be taken for granted," said Peter A.
Howlett, C.M., President of Les amis de la montagne, at a press
conference held today at Maison Smith in Mount Royal Park.
The four major challenges facing the mountain in the short-term are:
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The vocation changes of numerous institutional properties on the flanks
of the mountain, such as the relocation of the Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu
(2014), the Royal Victoria Hospital (2015) and the Shriners Hospital
for Children (2015), and the conversion of the Sulpicians' former
philosophy seminary and the former convent of the Soeurs des
Saints-Noms-de-Jésus-et-de-Marie;
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The densification of downtown by increased building heights that, little
by little, contributes to the disappearance of the mountain's
silhouette as a dominant landmark in the urban and metropolitan
landscape;
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The preservation of great institutional domains of heritage interest
located outside the perimeter of the protected territory, such as the
Grand Séminaire de Montréal and the overall Villa-Maria property;
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The complexity of the management mechanisms in place for the mountain
territory.
In order to encourage the community's pursuit of these challenges, Les
amis de la montagne have decided to organize a summit in the spring of
2013 that will bring together all stakeholders interested in seeing the
mountain flourish.
"We must mobilize the community and harness the knowledge of experts
from a variety of fields to find acceptable solutions to the challenges
related to the impending changes of numerous institutional properties
on the mountain. It will be essential to prioritize the search for
solutions in advance, in consultation with the public authorities,
institutional property owners and representatives of the community, to
ensure that the changes to these properties are in the best interest of
the entire community," said Marcel Côté, founding partner of Groupe
SECOR, Director of the Board of Les amis de la montagne and honorary
chairman of the Summit of 2013.
ABOUT LES AMIS DE LA MONTAGNE
Les amis de la montagne is a non-profit registered charitable
organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of Mount Royal
through community involvement and environmental education. Led by a
Board of Directors comprised of citizens and members of the business
community of Montreal, the organization counts on the support of nearly
200 governors, ambassadors who represent different sectors of the
community and contribute, via their interests and their capacity, to
the mission of the organization.
SOURCE: Les Amis de la montagne