City plans to reforest autoroute interchanges to cut impact of heat islands
On Nov. 12, the City of Laval was recognized by agricultural experts from across the province with an award for the city’s project last year to restore a more natural environment to four autoroute merger areas.
The project, which was launched in the spring of 2020, was inspired by the City of Laval’s desire to reduce the impact of heat islands.
“Keeping in mind the need to adapt the territory to climate change, recognition of this initiave can only make us happy while encouraging us to put into place other innovative solutions in the coming years,” said city councillor for Sainte-Rose and executive-committee member Virginie Dufour who is responsible for environmental dossiers.
Controlling heat islands
The city is working towards reforesting the autoroute interchange areas in order to reduce their contribution to rising temperatures in urban settings. Trees will help to do this. The city plans to plant more than 23,000 shrubs and small trees of around 30 species at the following autoroute intersections:
- Boulevard des Laurentides and Autoroute 440;
- Boulevard Industriel and Autoroute 440;
- Boulevard Chomedey and Autoroute 440;
- Boulevard Saint-Martin and Autoroute 15.
The project is being conducted in conjunction with the Quebec Ministry of Transport, the Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM) and Prof. Alain Paquette and his lab team from the Centre d’étude de la forêt (CEF) at UQAM.
