Par Quentin Lehmann
On a beautiful sunny day, Transition en Commun (TeC) took to the streets of Ahuntsic on Monday June 19, as part of its Steering Committee meeting. Following on from Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in April and Pointe-aux-Trembles in February, the members of TeC came to meet a number of socio-ecological transition initiatives rooted in the neighborhood, to take stock of the challenges and opportunities. Accompanied by Ahuntsic-Cartierville en transition and these project leaders, we were able to meet over nine different initiatives and organizations.
We started the day over coffee at the Au courant vegetable garden supported by Ville en vert. It was an opportunity to discuss Ville en vert and the social and ecological role of the potager for the community. (https://villeenvert.ca/).
Vegetable Garden Au Courant (Ville en vert)
We continued our discussion with Joakim Lemieux of the Comité Youville. Stopping first in front of the future site of the famous Youville Station and ending up in the heart of the Youville garden, Joakim told us about the citizen’s efforts to revitalize the neighborhood and offer residents their own food and cultural alternatives. We were also able to take a look at the Station’s impressive 2023 program, available on their Facebook page.
Future Youville station site
Youville Garden
We then listened to Jacques Lebleu, an Ahuntsic resident and ACeT representative for Mobilisation environnement Ahuntsic-Cartierville (MEAC), dreaming of the possibilities of a “Coulée verte” stretching across the entire neighborhood to enable safe circulation in a green environment. (https://comitemeac.com/)
Coulée Verte
Our cohort headed to the backyard of Ahuntsic’s Entre-Maison for a chat with Kenny Thomas. The director of l’Entre-Maison spoke to us about the issues surrounding the borough’s various low-income housing projects and the role of community centers rooted in their environment. Everyone is welcome at the inauguration of Le Spot, the new community Barber Shop in the neighborhood! (https://www.facebook.com/entremaisonsahuntsic)
Entre-Maison d’Ahuntsic
Our group then headed for the placottoir of the future ecological district of Louvain-Est. Ghislaine Raymond and Barbara Mass, members of the Louvain Est steering committee, took the time to talk to us about the possibilities and difficulties of the neighborhood in the making. A project to keep a close eye on for the urban transition on https://www.realisonsmtl.ca/louvainest.
Placottoir of the future ecological district of Louvain-Est
Jacques Lebleu took a moment there to talk about the Ligne Verte Millen project submitted to the City of Montreal’s participatory budget. Winner of the CASES competition, the Ligne Verte project proposes a green corridor between Ahuntsic Park and Youville. https://www.concourscases.org/fr/gagnant-details/ligne-verte-millen
After taking the bus to the borough’s waterfront, we went to meet the Comité de la promenade du Sault d’Ahuntsic, which is fighting for universal public access to the Rivière des prairies. An explanatory video was produced about the committee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isu385ztwe0&t=1s. https://www.facebook.com/groups/498198107826494/user/100080316020866/
Promenade du Sault site – Rivière des prairies banks
After a stroll along the river, we dined at the Centre communautaire d’Ahuntsic, thanks to SNAC, in the company of the many community organizations that inhabit it, and MP Haroun Bouazzi. https://solidariteahuntsic.org/le-centre-communautaire-ahuntsic/
A short presentation of the Ahuntsic Street Farm, followed by the Marché Ahuntsic-Cartierville (MAC) solidarity market on Sauvé, was a must on the way to the Espace des possibles to showcase part of the district’s food hub. These two players enable many citizens to eat healthy and locally!
Ahuntsic Street Farm
The day ended with a very pleasant 5à7 gathering of Ahuntsic actors, Transition en Commun Steering Committee members and members of Culture Montréal’s Culture and Ecological Transition Commission. Drinks, appetizers and lively discussion were the order of the day!