Respecting the desire of the majority for the future of Rosemère’s former golf course

On behalf of a growing group of Rosemerites - comprised of financial services experts, entrepreneurs, environmental scientists, teachers, seniors, families and long-time residents, we would like to respond to your August 19, 2020 article "Mayor Westram reassures citizens".

As citizens, we are far from reassured. Quite the opposite.  

This summer, more than 2,200 people signed a petition calling on the town of Rosemère to preserve and restore 60 hectares (90%) of the green space that is the site of the town’s former golf course. This site is a jewel in our community. It’s a popular destination for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter and walking in summer. It has rich biodiversity, extensive plant cover and mature trees that act as a counterbalance to the adjacent heat islands of Place Rosemère and Faubourg Boisbriand. It is also one of the 69 sites (former golf courses) in the Montreal region whose future is threatened by development. As Rosemerites, we have a unique opportunity to preserve this space and take part in a green and just recovery for all. Let’s not miss this chance. The site is currently zoned public (recreational use) and we want to keep it that way.

In response to questions about the issue, the mayor repeatedly recalls Rosemère’s three-year consultation on a variety of themes related to the city’s future. We appreciate and respect the professionalism of the firm that led the work and the time our fellow citizens have devoted to discussing the future of our community. However, the mayor interprets the findings and the data very selectively. Upon closer review, it’s apparent that the consultation about the future of this space was, in fact,much less exhaustive than the Mayor suggests. Yes, over 3 years, 1,700 people participated. However, the future of the golf course was only one theme among many discussed and the subject of a twenty-minute roundtable exercise in which fewer than 400 residents participated. This is less than 3% of the total population of Rosemère. Despite these low numbers, the vast majority of respondents identified maintaining this green space and the current zoning as a priority. The report concludes: “Although the 50% share is deemed the minimum acceptable, many citizens would like this share to be increased significantly, in order to conserve this urban gem.” Why then today, is the mayor talking about protecting only half of the site?

We are proud of our community's heritage and long history of protecting the environment. In 2020, in the context of a global pandemic and in a race against climate change, it seems inconceivable that the municipality is not doing everything in its power to explore all the possible alternatives to maintaining this green space. Make no mistake: potential solutions do exist, including opportunities for cities like ours to access multi-million dollar grants from the Montreal Metropolitan Community and other federal sources to buy back the land for the purpose of ecological preservation. With a truly innovative business plan, the land could become profitable for the City, which fears losing taxes. Unfortunately, the current administration is not even bothering to apply for such funding or explore other avenues for solutions. More importantly, the work of the administration is done in a lack of transparency that is worrisome. We know little about the potential promoter and even less about the state of negotiations. As citizens who democratically elected this council, we have a right to clear and timely information. 

While voters will have the opportunity to exercise their democratic right in the next municipal election in November 2021,we can’t afford to wait until then to make ourselves heard on this vital issue for the future of our community. The majority of Rosemerites want their city to remain green. If you are a Rosemère citizen and haven’t yet, you can still sign the petition today. We invite anyone else in the region interested to learn more about these efforts to follow our Facebook page.  Let’s come together for the future that we want. 

Green Rosemère Coordinating committee: Initiative citoyenne pour la protection et la restauration écologique du site de l’ancien golf de Rosemère