Every spring, Les Amis de la montagne celebrates the return of the month of May! The 2022 edition of May: Mount Royal Month focused on the rich legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted, the visionary who created vast parks throughout the continent, including Mount Royal Park.
With nature as a backdrop
There’s nothing like a guided discovery walk on the mountain to get your circulation flowing as a new season begins. There were several such activities on offer this spring, including two brand new ones: the Shinrin Yoku Walk: Forest Bathing on Mount Royal, and A Glimpse into the Therapeutic Value of Mount Royal, organized in partnership with the Musée des Hospitalières de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal. The walks proved to be so popular that they’ll be offered again during the summer and fall, so stay tuned!
A helping hand makes all the difference
Nature lovers took advantage of the fine weather to get involved in activities on the mountain. The month’s festivities kicked off with the return of the Mount Royal Clean-Up, but as two separate events this year, on May 8 and 29. In total, about 200 people took part. This year, in addition to picking up litter, clean-up participants were encouraged to analyze important indicators of the health of the mountain’s natural spaces, such as the diversity of plant and animal species and the condition of the forest and undergrowth.
Les Amis also benefited from the support of up to 20 volunteers who signed up for the Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP). This year’s program involved monitoring the growth rate and survival of planted trees and shrubs. A huge THANK YOU to all!
A look at Mount Royal’s past and a glimpse of its future
Did you know that Mount Royal Park was designed with the health of Montrealers in mind? Two enlightening conferences highlighted the current issues affecting the mountain and urban parks, while focusing on the rich legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted. The Olmsted and Mount Royal Park, Past and Present conference, held on May 24th, brought together some 180 history, urban planning and outdoor recreation aficionados. The invited speakers were Patricia M. O’Donnell, landscape architect, urban planner specializing in heritage protection and founder of Heritage Landscapes, LLC, and Daniel Chartier, a landscape architect who dedicated his professional career to the development of Mount Royal Park.
Organized jointly by Les amis des parcs and Les Amis de la montagne, the 2nd Park People of Montreal forum, which focused on citizen engagement in urban parks, was held on the mountain on May 26 and 27, 2022. The two-day conference enabled the more than 150 online and in-person participants to discuss the importance of green spaces and participatory government in promoting and managing urban parks.
Finally, organized by the Coalition des Montérégiennes, a group of 12 conservation organizations that operate in the area of the Monteregian Hills, a webinar entitled Les Montérégiennes, un ensemble de collines exceptionnel à protéger took place on May 30. Close to 70 participants at the event learned about the Monteregian Hills and their importance in the lives and landscape of nearly half the population of Québec, as well as about the inspiring measures being taken to preserve the Hills’ rich natural environment and the efforts to ensure that this unique set of hills is recognized and valued throughout Québec.
St. Joseph’s Oratory hosts the Prix du Mont-Royal
This rich month of celebrations ended with the ceremony to award the Prix du Mont-Royal in the majestic setting of St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal in the presence of over a hundred invited guests. The first of two honourable mentions was awarded to Coralie Deny, Executive Director of the Conseil régional de l'environnement de Montréal from 2010 to 2020 and active member of the Table de concertation du Mont-Royal. The second was awarded to architect Jean-François Hallé, who dedicated much of his career to promoting the interests of Mount Royal as a staff member of Les Amis de la montagne from 2005 to 2008, and the City of Montreal from 2010 to 2021.
The 2022 Prix du Mont-Royal was awarded to Father Claude Grou, C.S.C. As Rector of Saint-Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal from 2005 to 2020, Father Grou stood out by his remarkable contribution to the protection and improvement of Mount Royal’s Westmount summit, as well as the full renovation of the Oratory Museum and the construction of the future observatory at the top of the dome of the basilica.
Les Amis de la montagne would like to thank the City of Montréal, the TD Bank Group and Rio Tinto for their support for the 2022 edition of May: Mount Royal Month.
