Harmonious urban integration
It's possible to be an industrial neighbour and stay attentive to residents and accountable for the actions it takes. Through its sustainable projects, mitigation measures and environmental protection initiatives, the Port of Montreal seeks to promote cohabitation with neighbouring communities and to limit the impact of its activities.
The Port of Montreal has designed and completed a number of developments adjoining its facilities. As part of its Strategic Plan 2023-2027, an investment of $10 million has been earmarked for city-port interface projects. Its objectives are to blend harmoniously into the urban fabric and promote cohabitation with neighbouring populations. An urban promenade has been developed along Pierre-Dupuy Avenue, in the Cité-du-Havre sector. A pedestrian path, tree planting, street furniture, a balustrade and information panels let visitors observe port activities at Bickerdike Terminal and the Grand Quay, and learn more about local history. The rehabilitation of Alexandra Pier, now the Grand Quay, is the largest urban development project in the Port’s history. Once occupied by four huge hangars and totalling 38,000 square feet of concrete, the site now welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors annually with a cruise terminal, an observation tower, a green roof 180 metres long, a grassy waterfront area with access to the river and a Port Centre. As part of the renovation of the facade of its buildings at 3400 Notre-Dame Street East, which house infrastructure management, mechanical shops and rail operations, the MPA incorporated design elements that embody the Port’s brand image, and chose sustainable, local materials to enhance the street-facing building. To reduce the noise impact of port activities, green the area and improve the visual appearance of Port facilities, an 8-metre-high planted embankment was created in the Viau sector. In 2022, an embankment 70 metres long by 4 metres high was planted along the full length of the Canada Malting plant in the Bridge-Bonaventure sector, featuring 15 trees, 104 shrubs and 167 perennial plants. This project is helping to green the facilities in a highly mineralized area and, in turn, reducing urban heat island effects. Various measures have been put in place to reduce the impacts of overall port operations. To reduce noise pollution caused by container handling activities, white noise alarms have replaced audible backup alarms for equipment on all terminals. Unlike traditional audible alarms, which emit a higher pitched noise level, multi-frequency backup alarms use a broad white noise frequency range: less noise while still ensuring worker safety throughout Port territory. At the request of residents during public consultations, the cranes at Viau Terminal were painted grey instead of red, as originally planned, to blend better into the landscape. In March 2018, Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership (MGTP), which operates the Cast and Racine terminals, acquired ten new electric rubber-tired gantry (ERTG) cranes from Liebherr Container Cranes. These electrically-operated, environmentally-friendly cranes will provide many benefits in terms of noise and emissions reduction.Sustainable projects
Promenade Bickerdike
Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal
Facade of the Port of Montreal building on Notre-Dame Street
Planted embankment in the Viau sector
Planted embankment along the Canada Malting plant
And also...
Mitigation measures
Installation of broadband (white noise) backup alarms
Change of crane colour
Electric rubber-tired gantry cranes now at Cast and Racine terminals
And also...
The Port of Montreal has carried out several greening projects in recent years on and around Port areas. Every year since 2011, MPA employees have taken part in shoreline cleanup actions, as part of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. The Port of Montreal helped develop Barbe-Denys-De La Trinité Park in Contrecœur. A network of multi-use trails was cleared, developed, marked and enhanced, allowing the residents of Contrecœur and the surrounding area to enjoy an outing in nature. Barbe-Denys-De La Trinité Park is a protected conservation area of approximately 5.3 million square feet. In winter, the trails are accessible by snowshoe. A raised culvert has been built to protect the wetlands and link the approximately eight kilometres of trails. In addition, the MPA pledged to plant two trees for each tree cut down in the course of its Contrecœur Terminal project.Environmental protection
Greening projects near Port facilities
Shoreline cleanup
Barbe-Denys-De La Trinité Park in Contrecœur
