Despite significant opposition from a group of residents, the Verdun borough council has officially approved a $973,000 contract for the construction of a pump track in Adrien-D.-Archambault Park on Nuns' Island. The decision was made during Tuesday's council meeting, with the project slated to begin this summer and be inaugurated in the fall.
Resident Concerns and Legal Challenges
Some Nuns' Island residents have vowed to continue fighting the project, citing a range of issues. One resident filed a request in Quebec Superior Court last April for a declaratory judgment on the legality of building the pump track, given the city's documented commitments to preserve the area. Additionally, 4,000 people signed a petition expressing concerns about increased traffic, noise, crowding, vandalism, graffiti, and enforcement pressures.
Opponents argue that the facility will attract high volumes of minors, creating foreseeable safety risks. They also note that the project has not yet received authorization from Quebec's environment department and express dissatisfaction with the borough's attempts to address environmental concerns. The cost of the project has ballooned from an initial estimate of $800,000 to just over $2 million, including preparation work and various changes to the surrounding park.
Mayor's Defense and Project Details
Verdun borough mayor Céline-Audrey Beauregard defended the project, stating that the cost is reasonable compared to similar projects in the region. She pointed out that a pump track in Argenson Park in the Sud-Ouest borough cost $2.3 million, and another in Sablon Park in Laval cost $2.1 million. Beauregard acknowledged that costs have increased as the project evolved to include environmental and structural improvements, such as protecting the at-risk brown snake, planting trees, and improving lighting.
The mayor emphasized that Nuns' Island has a flagrant lack of infrastructure and that this facility can be used by all ages during all four seasons. She noted that the track will be about 30 metres from nearby homes and 80 metres from the Domaine Saint-Paul Forest. The area will remain mostly green, with asphalt covering only 850 square metres, about the size of a tennis court and a half. Currently dominated by invasive phragmites reeds, the site will see these removed while preserving all healthy trees and planting 45 more trees along with 150 bushes.
Funding and Political Context
The borough will fund about 50 percent of the project under its Ten-Year Capital Investment Program, with the central city covering $766,000 through its outdoor sports facilities program and the federal government contributing $80,000 from a tree-planting program. Beauregard expects the provincial environment department to approve the project, noting that it is normal to award a contract before such authorization is granted.
Christopher Brière, one of the opposing residents, expressed frustration that Mayor Beauregard has ruled out moving the facility to a different location. He claims that most Nuns' Island residents voted against her party, Projet Montréal, partly because of the pump track project, and criticized her for being tone-deaf to constituent concerns. However, Beauregard countered that opposition to the pump track was not a major reason for the election results and that most residents understand the need for more public recreational facilities.
A pump track is a recreational looped track with banked turns designed for in-line skaters, cyclists, skateboarders, scooters, and off-road wheelchair users to gain speed and maintain momentum. These tracks have become popular in many cities, including Montreal, as relatively low-cost outdoor public recreational facilities.
