By Quentin Lehmann
Marked by a beautiful sunny day, Transition en Commun (TeC) came for a walk this Monday, June 19 in Ahuntsic as part of the holding of its Steering Committee. After Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in April and Pointe-aux-Trembles in February, TeC members came to meet several socio-ecological transition initiatives rooted in the neighbourhood in order to take stock of the issues and possibilities. Accompanied by Ahuntsic-Cartierville in transition and its leaders, we were able to meet with more than nine different initiatives and organizations.
We started the day with a coffee in 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 that the vegetable garden represents for the community. (https://villeenvert.ca/).
Potager Au Courant (Ville en vert)
We continued the discussion with citizen Joakim Lemieux of the Youville Committee. S’arrêtant d’abord en face du futur site de la fameuse station Youville pour finir au cœur du jardin Youville, Joakim nous a fait part des efforts citoyens pour dynamiser le quartier ainsi que pour offrir une alternative alimentaire et culturelle propre aux résident·e·s. Nous avons pu aussi constater l’impressionnante programmation 2023 de la Station disponible ci-jointe sur leur page Facebook( https://www.facebook.com/youvillemtl/?locale=fr_CA)
Future Youville Station Site
Youville Garden
We then listened to Jacques Lebleu, a resident of Ahuntsic and leader of ACeT for Mobilization environnement Ahuntsic-Cartierville (MEAC), make us dream of the possibilities of a “Green Corridor” extending throughout the neighbourhood to allow safe circulation in a green environment. (https://comitemeac.com/
Coulée Verte
Our cohort made its way to the backyard of the Entre-Maison in Ahuntsic to talk to Kenny Thomas. The director of the entre-maison presented to us the issues surrounding the various HLMs in the borough and the role of community centres rooted in their environment. Everyone is welcome at the inauguration of the Spot, the new Barber Shop of the beighbourhood! (FB: https://www.facebook.com/entremaisonsahuntsic)
Entre-Maison of Ahuntsic
Our group then headed to the placottoir of the future ecological district of Louvain-Est. Citizens Ghislaine Raymond and Barbara Mass sitting on the Louvain East Steering Committee took the time to talk to us about the possibilities and difficulties of the neighborhood in the future. A project to follow closely for the transition in an urban environment on https://www.realisonsmtl.ca/louvainest .
Placottoir of the future Louvain-Est ecological district
At the same place, Jacques Lebleu took a moment to talk about the Millen Green Line project submitted to the City of Montreal’s participatory budget. Winner of the CASES competition, the green line project proposes a green corridor between Ahuntsic Park and Youville. https://www.concourscases.org/fr/gagnant-details/ligne-verte-millen
After taking public transit to the banks of the borough, we went to meet the Promenade du Sault committee of Ahuntsic, which fights for public and universal access to the Rivière des Prairies. An explanatory video was made about the committee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isu385ztwe0&t=1s . https://www.facebook.com/groups/498198107826494/user/100080316020866/
Sault Parkway Site – Banks of the Rivière des Prairies
After a walk along the river, we had lunch at the Ahuntsic Community Centre thanks to the SNAC in the company of the many community organizations that live there and the MNA Haroun Bouazzi. https://solidariteahuntsic.org/le-centre-communautaire-ahuntsic/
A short presentation of the Ahuntsic Street Farm, then the solidarity market on Sauvé held by the Ahuntsic-Cartierville Market (MAC) was a must-see on the way to the Espace des possibles in order to present part of the neighbourhood’s food hub. These two actors allow nombreux.se citizens to eat locally and healthily!
Ahuntsic Street Farm
The day ended with a very pleasant 5 à 7 bringing together the actors of Ahuntsic, the members of the OC of Transition en Commun and those of the Culture and Ecological Transition Commission of Culture Montréal. Drinks, appetizers and fascinating discussion were on the agenda!