Mount Royal is getting greener and greener!

Four departing members of the Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Committee signed an opinion letter last week in which they expressed that Mount Royal Town Council has not been paying attention to environmental issues.

Nothing could be more untrue. As the person in charge of environmental matters, I feel that it is important that Mount Royal citizens be given the facts.

Here are those facts: in just two years, the Danyluk administration has taken steps that are unprecedented in our Town’s history to favour the environment. The following cases serve as examples:

-Adoption and implementation of our Town’s first Sustainable Development Plan, which includes 28 measures intended to make our Town greener;

-Adoption of a Tree Policy (another first) intended to protect our Town’s urban forest;

-Adoption of By-Law No. 1407 governing the idling of motor vehicles;

-30% increase of the budget allocated for planting and maintaining trees;

-Two new lots purchased by the Town which it converted into green spaces;

-Setting up of green waste collection;

-Active promotion of composting with citizens (in two years, over 125 composters have been distributed);

-Guidelines for putting an end to the use of polystyrene (styrofoam) in all Town buildings;

-Purchase of energy-efficient hybrid vehicles for the Public Security patrol;

-Creation of parking spaces in the Town Centre reserved for residents favouring the use of the commuter train;

-Distribution of bio-degradable dog-waste bags;

These examples clearly show renewed political enthusiasm on the part of Town Council for green matters and increasing determination on the part of the entire community when it comes to the proper action to take locally to counteract the ecological threats of our times.

And we are not done yet. Town administration, along with the new members of the Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Committee, intends to continue the work and multiply efforts in order to make our community more respectful of the environment.

Philippe Roy, Town of Mount Royal Councillor