Desjardins commits to protecting the Châteauguay-Léry green corridor

Héritage Saint-Bernard is announcing a partnership with Caisse Desjardins de Châteauguay; an agreement worth $30,000 over three years to protect the Châteauguay-Léry green corridor.

Translation Amanda Bennett

The organization will use this money to approach 80 property owners with a view to eventually acquiring a total of 102 unprotected lots representing 7.5 hectares of the corridor," explained Dominic Gendron, Director of Land Protection and Development at Héritage Saint-Bernard, in an interview with Le Journal.

"Thanks to this new partnership, Héritage Saint-Bernard will be able to establish a management fund, contact landowners, carry out site visits and surveys, and assess the fair market value of the land for all of the private lots affected by the conservation project," said the organization in a press release.

When the time comes to negotiate, Mr. Gendron expects that half of the 102 lots will be donated by the owners. 

These lots are home to several barnyard hawthorns, one of the most endangered tree species in Quebec and also the municipality's floral emblem, which is found mainly in the Châteauguay-Léry green corridor.

"The main objective is to ensure that the green corridor is protected in its entirety, thereby avoiding the subdivision of the habitat, which poses a threat to the preservation of biodiversity," says Dominic Gendron.

"We are convinced that this example [from Desjardins] will inspire other companies to become actively involved in protecting our precious biodiversity," concludes Marie-Hélène Dorais, the organization's general manager.