Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) has acknowledged that a contractor cleared 2,500 square meters of meadowland near Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, disregarding environmental protections. This incident has raised concerns among conservation groups, who argue it reflects a pattern of neglect by the airport authority regarding its environmental commitments.

The meadow, located on Crown land in the St-Laurent borough, is part of the 230-hectare Parc-nature des Sources conservation project. This area has garnered support from environmentalists, scientists, and local officials. Katherine Collin, president of the conservation group TechnoparcOiseaux, discovered the destruction last week while inspecting the site. She had been aware of ADM's plans to replace a perimeter fence but was shocked to find a significant portion of the meadow flattened and covered with construction materials.

"To my dismay, I found an entire section of meadow with native plants for pollinators and phragmites had been completely clearcut, with a layer of topsoil removed," Collin said. "I’ve never seen anything like it in the sector."

Collin noted that as a federal agency, ADM is required to register land use projects with the Canadian Impact Assessment Agency (CIAA). She had seen the notice regarding the fence project, which included environmental protection measures that were ultimately ignored. In a notice dated September 29, ADM stated that the project would not likely cause significant adverse environmental effects if certain mitigation measures were followed. These measures included minimizing topsoil removal and preserving existing vegetation.

ADM spokesperson Émilie Chevrette explained that the contractor was responsible for the error. "The contractor working on the project to replace a portion of the fence has cleared a portion of land for equipment storage. This intervention was neither shared with, approved by, nor authorized by ADM," Chevrette said. She added that the airport authority was informed of the situation on October 3 and has since demanded that the contractor restore the area after the work is completed by the end of the month.

However, Collin expressed skepticism, recalling a similar incident in 2022 when 4,000 milkweed plants were destroyed in the Monarch Fields, another section of Crown land. She criticized ADM for failing to adequately restore the plants and called for collaboration with independent experts for the meadow's restoration.

Chevrette stated that ADM has its own environmental management team to ensure proper restoration of the site. St-Laurent borough mayor Alan DeSousa criticized ADM as a "repeat offender" in habitat destruction. "As mayor, I am tired of hearing excuses. We saw that same excuse used with regard to the Monarch Fields," DeSousa said. "Ultimately, the responsible party is the airport authority, and they’ve got to make sure this does not happen, period."

Motions supporting the conservation of the land north of the airport have been passed by various councils, including the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal and the Montreal agglomeration council. The Parc-nature des Sources project encompasses 170 hectares of Crown land leased to ADM since 1992, with the lease set to expire in 2072. So far, ADM has indicated a desire to preserve only 24 hectares, with plans for development on the remainder.

Conservation groups, including TechnoparcOiseaux and the Green Coalition, are advocating for a modification of the lease to create a conservation area, potentially an "urban national park," to address the ongoing climate and biodiversity crises. The area is home to approximately 220 bird species and serves as a habitat for endangered species like the monarch butterfly.

The issue is expected to be a topic of discussion at an upcoming candidates' debate focused on environmental issues, scheduled for October 14. Participants will include candidates from various political parties, highlighting the growing concern over conservation efforts in the region.