A natural heritage, a living legacy

Enbridge Green Corridor officially opens in Quebec

Sébastien Léonard knows how to dream big.

As in, 30 football fields big, 95 National Hockey League rinks big, or 12 aircraft carriers big.

That’s the size of the Enbridge Green Corridor – an ambitious urban reforestation project, spearheaded by Citizens’ Projects Quebec and supported by Enbridge, which recently enjoyed its official opening across several Quebec municipalities.

Using land donated by several municipalities, the Enbridge Green Corridor offsets the space used by Enbridge’s Line 9B right-of-way by giving those municipalities along the Line 9B route more green space, increasing biodiversity, and boosting quality of life for generations to come.

While Citizens’ Projects Quebec is focused on major environmental projects to create green communities, the Enbridge Green Corridor is a first for Enbridge in North America.

“We are delighted with this project. The Enbridge Green Corridor is an initiative that will help improve the quality of life for present and future generations,” says Léonard, president of Citizens’ Projects Quebec. “It’s a win-win for participating municipalities – because thanks to the strength of a public-private partnership such as this, they can enhance their green spaces without cost to the taxpayer.”

The Enbridge Green Corridor project began in the fall of 2013 with a goal of planting 15,000 trees in three municipalities – Rigaud, Mirabel, and Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines. A second phase, which began this year, involves the planting of as many as 11,000 more trees in Mirabel, Saint-André-d’Argenteuil, and potentially other communities as well – with Citizens’ Projects Quebec ultimately hoping to plant more than 26,000 trees in total.

“At Enbridge, we exist to fuel people’s quality of life by connecting them with the energy they need – and we aim to make a difference in the communities where we live and work. The Enbridge Green Corridor is a perfect example,” says Eric Prud’Homme, Enbridge’s Quebec-based Manager of Public Affairs. “We’ve been one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations for six straight years, and this initiative demonstrates our commitment to continue in this direction.”

The first 15,000 trees planted as part of the Enbridge Green Corridor project will capture the equivalent of 2,843 tons of carbon dioxide, retain between seven and 22 per cent of rainwater destined for storm-water drainage channels, improve urban aesthetics, preserve intimacy of residential areas, significantly reduce summer air-conditioning costs, and contribute to the reduction of respiratory diseases.

The 16 different tree species used represent those best suited to the local environment. To ensure success, Citizens’ Projects Quebec has also taken care over the choice of soil, employed deterrents against rodents and invasive species, and ensured long-term care of the trees through a geopositional registry – and, to date, has achieved a survival rate of 97.8 per cent.

“We invite residents to fully take advantage of these new green spaces,” says Prud’Homme.