The Quebec Green Party is accusing the province of neglecting green spaces, saying Montreal is one of the worst Canadian cities when it comes to protecting park land.
The Greens held a campaign event in Angell Woods on Montreal's West Island on Monday, a highly contested green space that's been subject to a longstanding tug-of-war between private developers and environmentalists.
Quebec Green Party Leader Scott McKay campaigns in Montreal in early March. The Greens are demanding that the Quebec government do more to protect urban green spaces.
(Peter McCabe/Canadian Press)
Home to rare snake species and wild leeks, Angell Woods is mostly owned by private developers and is zoned for residential use.
It's an example of West Island green space that is falling to development, said Ryan Young, a Green candidate in the West Island riding of Jacques-Cartier.
"There are many areas now that I used to birdwatch in, and I used to take walks in the woods, and they're all concrete and houses now," Young told CBC News.
His party is calling on the Quebec government to do more to protect urban green spaces, especially in Montreal, a city that Young said was falling behind other Canadian cities.
"We are at the bottom of the list. The Quebec government has never in the last 10 years put money into Montreal's budget to purchase green space. The City of Montreal cannot afford to do it on its own," he said on Monday.
The West Island in particular is rich in green space but time is running out, Young said.
"This is the last chance, these are the last ones that are left."
The Greens also want stricter provincial rules to govern the use of endangered green zones.
Related
| Party | Elected | Leading | Total | Vote Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIB | 48 | 0 | 48 | 33.08% |
| ADQ | 41 | 0 | 41 | 30.80% |
| PQ | 36 | 0 | 36 | 28.32% |
| QS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.65% |
| GRN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.89% |
| OTH | 0 | 0 | 0 | .26% |
| Last Update:March 27, 12:52:21 AM EDT | ||||
Quebec Votes 2007 Headlines »
- Que. Liberals take minority win with grain of salt
- Quebec Premier Jean Charest said he'll build bridges with the Parti Québécois and the Action Démocratique du Québec to ensure a stable minority government.
- Dumont will work with Quebec Premier Charest
- Quebec's new Opposition Leader Mario Dumont said he wants stability at the national assembly and pledged to work with the Liberal minority government on a case-by-case basis.
- Boisclair remains at helm after PQ finishes 3rd
- André Boisclair is staying on as leader of the Parti Québécois and vowed to help rebuild the fractured party after it suffered major losses in Monday's provincial election.
- Quebec election result 'good news' for Canada: PM
- Stephen Harper says voters in the Quebec election have used their ballots to reject calls for another referendum in a "great result" for Canada.
- Charest keeps seat as Liberals cling to power in Quebec
- Quebecers are waking up to a minority Liberal government — the first minority in the province in 130 years — and a new official Opposition.