Mount Royal Consultation: General Public Invited to Weigh in

Montréal, April 3, 2008 – In its consultation on the Mount Royal Master Protection and Enhancement Plan, the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) is seeking to obtain the opinions of as many Montrealers as possible about the future of the mountain. To that end, the Office will again have an information stand at the chalet at Beaver Lake on Sunday, April 6, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., allowing citizens who use the mountain to review documents submitted for the consultation, to speak with Office staff on site, and to complete the questionnaire issued last week, which is also available on the Office Web site. A first presence of the OCPM team last Sunday was very successful.

The questionnaire, handed out at thematic workshops on more specific issues of the Plan, may also be filled out at the public meeting for the presentation of briefs, on April 23. Aimed at gathering citizens’ views on some of the issues surrounding the development of Mount Royal, it is also available for completion on social networking sites, such as Facebook, and includes a space reserved for citizens’ comments.

“The Office wants to circulate as widely as possible the information about the mountain’s protection and enhancement plan, and is therefore making it possible for Web surfers to complete the questionnaire on line, for users of the mountain to obtain information on site, and for experts and groups to have a more formal forum to be heard. Because everyone concerned about the mountain does not dispose of the same tools to be heard, it is our job to go to them and provide them with a wide range of such tools,” says OCPM President Louise Roy.

The main issues addressed in the plan submitted for consultation are:

• The protection of green spaces, plants and animals;
• Automobile circulation and parking;
• Access to the park and activities;
• New constructions and facilities;
• The protection of views and landscapes.

The questionnaire may also be completed on line at www.ocpm.qc.ca, from March 20 to April 20, 2008. The answers will be compiled and provide a basis for the discussions of the commissioners responsible for the consultation.

Created by the Charter of Ville de Montréal, the OCPM has, since its inception in 2002, managed some 60 consultations and held almost 300 public meetings attended by over 15,000 citizens. We invite you to visit the OCPM Web site, www.ocpm.qc.ca, for complete information about the Office. You may also call the Office at 514 872-3568.

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Luc Doray
Tel.: 514 872-3568
Cell.: 514 977-8365

Catherine Escojido
Cell.: 514 927-8807