Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery is undertaking a multi-year plan that will focus on an in-depth review of its development and maintenance practices to:
- Continue to reduce its consumption of fuel, energy, abrasive products and water, as well as the pollution associated with its maintenance activities.
- Improve its contribution to biodiversity on Mount Royal through the implementation of new initiatives that meet the needs of its clientele and the aspirations of its partners.
- Respect, enhance and develop quality natural environments (flora and fauna) in a sustainable way.
Some initiatives had already been launched prior to the implementation of the green plan:
Water management – Last year, after carefully considering the environmental impacts of the development and maintenance of its 1.4 million m2 of grounds, criss-crossed by over 33 kilometres of private roads, the Cemetery stopped operating its antiquated water supply system, which wasted water due to frequent breakdowns and leaks. As a first step, 22 water tanks were installed at multiple locations on the site to meet the needs of visitors who wish to landscape or have flowers on their loved ones’ plots. Over the next few years, the Cemetery plans to recover rainwater and runoff water to meet all of its needs and those of its clients and visitors ecologically.
Collaboration with partners – The Cemetery also worked in close collaboration with Les amis de la montagne, which organized the first meeting of Mount Royal's institutional owners about the ecological management of their property from a sustainable development perspective on December 1, 2020. This meeting identified the main development issues related to biodiversity and landscape quality on Mount Royal, including landscape and ecological planning, maintenance and waste management, energy efficiency and accessibility.
Innovative projects – At this meeting, the Fabrique proposed the implementation of two new development projects: the conversion of a large grassy area (93,000 m2) into a space for native perennial plants and the creation of ecological burial areas that allow people who choose cremation to replace the installation of a monument with the planting of a tree of a quality native species.
Moreover, the Cemetery surveyed over 4,000 clients about them in March 2021, as well as about the possibility of making visitors responsible for the recovery of their waste to considerably reduce the volume of residual materials. The families surveyed strongly supported these changes. Indeed, 88% of respondents were in favour of converting large areas of lawn into spaces sown with flowers and native perennials, 81% of respondents supported the project to develop new woodlands to place the ashes of deceased persons under new native-species trees, and 79% of respondents were in favour of visitors recovering residual materials.