For the second year of implementation of the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery's green plan, the Union des artistes and the Artists’ Foundation announce their support for and association with the cemetery’s objectives of reducing its impact on the environment and maximizing its contribution to the development of biodiversity on Mount Royal.

The Union des artistes and the Artists’ Foundation hold two major concessions at the cemetery that total over 2,000 sq. ft. Since their creation in the heart of the cemetery, these concessions have been home to many artists who've developed and enriched Montreal’s and Quebec’s cultural life in their professional lives.

As part of the agreement between the parties, the Union des artistes and the Artists’ Foundation agree to have their land included in the ecological restoration project of the cemetery grounds, which involves replacing the grassy areas with a variety of native and/or biodiversity-friendly perennials approved for planting and representing species found in Mount Royal’s natural environment.

A variety of plant species will be featured in the new landscape. The first zone will be seeded with “Eco-Louse” mix, which includes the following species: yarrow, woodland strawberry, ground ivy, allheal, wallpepper and dwarf thyme. The second zone will be seeded with “Renature Sauvage” mix, which includes the following species: cornflower, black-eyed Susan, yarrow, red fescue, Canada bluegrass, sheep fescue, birdsfoot trefoil, Rocky Mountain fescue and white clover.

This transformation of the land’s vegetation cover will significantly reduce maintenance work, eliminate the use of polluting practices and equipment, enhance biodiversity for the benefit of Mount Royal’s flora and fauna and increase the area’s resilience to climate change.

The land conversion work is underway, and the seeding of the new species is complete. The cemetery will monitor the growth of the new species on a regular basis and maintain the grounds using methods and equipment that limit noise and other forms of pollution, and that consider the grounds’ aesthetic and landscape qualities. These environmentally friendly practices will include pruning of plants in cold periods and natural composting of pruning residues.

“The green plan, which we began implementing two years ago, brings together a series of initiatives aimed at significantly improving our environmental performance to meet the expectations of our clients, while developing a range of new services that allow our clients and bereaved families to participate in the ecological conversion of the entire site. These collaborative agreements with the Union des artistes and the Artists’ Foundation illustrate the new partnerships that will allow us to move forward, and we are very pleased about it,” says Éric Choinière, Director of Customer Service, Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery.

About the Union des artistes

The Union des artistes (UDA) is a professional union representing 13,000 artists in four artistic fields: actors, singers, hosts and dancers. The UDA represents professional artists working in French in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada, as well as all artists working in a language other than French except in a production made and performed in English and intended primarily for an English-speaking audience.

About the Artists’ Foundation

The Artists' Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide one-time financial assistance to local artists going through a difficult period. The assistance is aimed at artists from all disciplines, allowing them to pursue their vocations.