Expansion of the Rivière-des-Mille-Îles Wildlife Refuge

Laval aims to help create one of the largest urban wildlife refuges in Quebec

Laval, January 28, 2022 — The City of Laval’s Executive Committee is recommending that City Council approve the first phase of creating one of the largest urban wildlife refuges in Quebec. To this end, the City proposes to include 432 municipal lots—totaling 568 hectares of islands and waterfront lots or those with ecological connections to the river—in the Rivière-des-Mille-Îles Wildlife Refuge. These lots, most of which are already protected by municipal regulations, will now have internationally recognized legal status and will benefit from additional protection measures, notably provided by wildlife protection officers from the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife, and Parks (MFFP). Thus, their inclusion in the sanctuary helps advance the City’s goal of protecting 14% of its territory.

Photo credit: Francis Allaire

“I am proud of this significant step toward fulfilling my commitment—great news for the people of Laval. These additions will increase the size of this protected area twentyfold, making it nearly twice the size of Central Park. The refuge is home to nearly two-thirds of Quebec’s wildlife species. By protecting and connecting these habitats, we will ensure the survival and reproduction of the hundreds of animal and plant species that live there, while also providing Laval residents with exceptional access to our natural heritage.”

— Stéphane Boyer, Mayor of Laval

“The Rivière-des-Mille-Îles Wildlife Refuge is an exceptional site in terms of both its flora and fauna and represents an environment of tremendous biodiversity. I would like to highlight the announcement of the renewal and signing of resolutions by the City of Laval to add 568 hectares to the existing refuge. This represents a significant area of protected private land. It is an important milestone and a major asset in the project to expand the Rivière-des-Mille-Îles Wildlife Refuge, carried out by our biologists in collaboration with Éco-Nature.”

— Pierre Dufour, Minister of Forests, Wildlife, and Parks; Minister responsible for the Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec regions; and Member of the National Assembly for Abitibi-Est

This major expansion is part of the City’s ongoing mission to conserve and enhance natural environments and follows the implementation of Laval’s Green and Blue Network.

A long-awaited first step

Éco-Nature, the organization that manages the Rivière-des-Mille-Îles Park, approached the City of Laval and eight other riverside municipalities to protect new areas within the wildlife refuge, a project that has been underway since 2009. Obtaining wildlife refuge status will allow for better protection and conservation of these natural environments, in part through monitoring by Éco-Nature’s wildlife protection assistants and the MFFP’s wildlife protection officers, in addition to preserving certain areas for various activities accessible to the public while respecting wildlife, habitats, and ecosystems.

“For over 20 years, the City of Laval has supported, through concrete actions, Éco-Nature’s mission to protect, conserve, and enhance the Mille Îles River and its tributaries. The addition of these islands, riverbanks, and wetlands to the wildlife refuge is the most recent example of this. The entire team at Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles is delighted with this decision. Laval residents can be proud of the mayor’s commitment and his involvement in this magnificent ecological and recreational tourism project, a major legacy for future generations.”

— Christine Métayer, Executive Director of Éco-Nature

Three islands included in the expansion project

The incorporation of these municipally-owned parcels—which were acquired by the City of Laval as part of its natural habitat acquisition strategy—into the wildlife refuge brings the vision of Laval’s Green and Blue Network to life by ensuring the long-term protection and conservation of the parcels in question. Among these parcels are two of the largest islands in the Mille Îles River: Île aux Vaches and Île Saint-Pierre, exceptional natural habitats acquired by the City in 2020 and now included in the wildlife refuge expansion project. Île Locas, which the City is in the process of acquiring, will also be integrated into the project once the acquisition transactions are completed. It should be noted that these three islands alone cover an area of 166 hectares and are home to a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna that significantly impacts the quality of habitats at the heart of the Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles.

Highlights

• Established in 1998, the Rivière-des-Mille-Îles Wildlife Refuge is unique in the province.
• It currently covers an area of 26 hectares, 9.5 of which are located in Laval, and includes 10 islands owned by Laval, Rosemère, and Éco-Nature.
• Of the 350 species that live there, 92 are designated or likely to be designated as endangered or vulnerable, including the spotted snake, the peregrine falcon, the map turtle, and the little bittern.

Additional information

To learn more about the goals and initiatives of Laval’s Green and Blue Network, visit envertetbleu.laval.ca

Photo credit: The photo credit is included in the caption of each photo

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