Breadcrumb Path Hyperlinks
Information Native Information
Are involved about creation of a warmth island, poisonous runoff and a fence limiting entry to the Côte-des-Neiges inexperienced house.

Article content material
A residents’ group has known as on the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough to withdraw its plan to put in an enclosed subject on artificial turf in Mackenzie-King Park to exchange the present soccer subject of pure grass.
Commercial 2
Article content material
Members of Mackenzie-King Park pure inexperienced are involved the plan would destroy a pure multi-use space and deprive residents, park customers and mates of the park of a beloved house, they stated at a press convention on Sunday on the Snowdon park. The park was crammed with residents basking within the sunshine and the balmy breeze as some loved noon meals.
Article content material
The group has gathered greater than 2,200 signatures, 1,240 on paper and the remainder in a web-based petition began by Sonny Moroz, metropolis councillor for Snowdon and certainly one of 23 Ensemble Montréal councillors at metropolis corridor who make up forming the official opposition. “I’m attempting to cease the challenge in my space,” Moroz stated.
“This choice is senseless for this park subsequent to Decarie, on condition that we’re attempting to restrict warmth islands and that our borough sorely wants greenery,” he stated.
Commercial 3
Article content material
They’re involved in regards to the warmth island that might be created by artificial turf — the temperature on a man-made floor is 16 levels Celsius increased than on a grass subject. Synthetic turf additionally comprises PFAs, per- and polyfluoroalkyl subtances utilized in merchandise together with lubricants, water and grime repellents, textiles, foams and packaging.
They’ve been known as “endlessly chemical compounds” as a result of they don’t naturally break down; slightly, they accumulate in water, soil and the human physique as increasingly proceed for use. Research have proven excessive ranges of PFAs enhance the danger of most cancers and different adversarial well being results, together with elevated charges of cancers resembling kidney and testicular most cancers, thyroid issues, infertility and pores and skin points.
Article content material
Commercial 4
Article content material
Côte-des-Neiges resident Line Bonneau, an initiator of Mackenzie-King Park pure inexperienced, stated the heat-island impact of an artificial subject would rob residents and park customers of the benefits of the Boisé Dora Wasserman, a woodland within the northwestern nook of the park and an oasis of greenery.
Members say they’re involved about poisonous runoff from the substitute turf leaching into the bottom and affecting the well being, new development and biodiversity of the Dora Wasserman woodland.
“One of many issues I’m attempting to do is shield inexperienced areas for the following era,” stated Geneviève Gareau. “You don’t destroy the setting for 3 months of soccer.”
They are saying they’re involved the fence that might accompany development of a subject of synthetic turf would restrict entry to that space of the park — about one-third of the leisure website — to customers, most of whom are apartment-dwellers and wouldn’t have backyards.
Commercial 5
Article content material
They’re involved as effectively, they are saying, timber must be chopped all the way down to accommodate a subject of synthetic turf and in regards to the impact of such components as high-intensity lights that might be added for nighttime video games, and in addition about noise that might accompany these occasions.
Whereas some residents oppose the challenge, others say native youths desperately want extra sports activities infrastructure.
“Our administration is anxious in regards to the crying lack of high quality sports activities infrastructure in Côte-des-Neiges,” stated Claire De Muns, a particular adviser to Côte-des-Neiges–Notre Dame de Grâce borough mayor Gracia Kasoki Katahwa. “There’s an actual disparity between the variety of sports activities fields out there in Côte-des-Neiges and … the encompassing neighbourhoods and a man-made turf would permit many extra hours of play than a pure one,” she stated.
Commercial 6
Article content material
Caroline Bourgeois, the manager committee member accountable for the file, echoed De Muns’s statements and stated town administration would work along with the native borough workforce “to search out options which can responds to the wants and considerations of residents.”
Laura Renteria Diaz, a mom who lives close to Mackenzie-King Park, stated pure fields can be utilized a most of 15 hours per week, whereas artificial turf can be utilized for as much as 90 hours. Côte-des-Neiges, one of many most-populated areas on the island of Montreal, has just one artificial subject, in Martin-Luther-King Park, and it’s used closely and can’t accommodate all of the neighbourhood’s sports activities actions, she stated.
To her, the advantages of a second artificial subject within the borough for 100,000 residents outweigh the heat-island impact. “Focusing on artificial fields for local weather adaptation could be very inefficient and would have little or no affect on warmth islands,” Renteria Diaz stated. “The actual culprits are the abundance of concrete and asphalt, and the shortage of timber.”
Commercial 7
Article content material
De Muns acknowledged the significance of contemplating the environmental affect of the proposed challenge. A public session was held on March 22 and attended by about 50 individuals, she stated, and, as a part of the session, 23 written paperwork had been acquired from residents. The session report was tabled on the June borough council assembly.
Bourgeois stated town’s administration is “additionally dedicated to implementing options that respect the environment.” She stated choices exist to make artificial turf “extra ecological,” citing the usage of black bark infill as a part of the artificial turf within the renovated Gary-Carter baseball stadium in Ahuntsic Park.
“Now that the session is over, we’re completely different choices to protect Mackenzie-King Park whereas guaranteeing that younger individuals in Côte-des-Neiges have entry to high quality sports activities services,” De Muns stated. “We’ll be making a call within the coming weeks.”
Commercial 8
Article content material
Though Canada lags behind america and Europe when it comes to legal guidelines and laws limiting PFAs, amendments to the Canadian Environmental Safety Act enshrining the best to a wholesome setting had been handed into legislation this month.
The legislation additionally updates how poisonous substances are assessed and features a requirement to search for safer alternate options, information on cumulative results if mixed with different substances and whether or not they could cause most cancers over the long run.
sschwartz@postmedia.com
Proposed synthetic turf subject spurs debate in C.D.N.-N.D.G.
The Proper Chemistry: The issues with PFAS







Feedback
Postmedia is dedicated to sustaining a full of life however civil discussion board for dialogue and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Feedback might take as much as an hour for moderation earlier than showing on the location. We ask you to maintain your feedback related and respectful. We’ve got enabled e mail notifications—you’ll now obtain an e mail when you obtain a reply to your remark, there may be an replace to a remark thread you observe or if a consumer you observe feedback. Go to our Neighborhood Pointers for extra data and particulars on learn how to alter your e mail settings.
Be a part of the Dialog