A hug for
Mother Nature

Montreal gets its green on for
the 39th annual Earth Day

by TRACEY LINDEMAN

For a city that likes to toot its own green horn, Montreal could stand to be a little greener, or so say the folks over at Jour de la Terre. In the second year of its two-year theme, the focus of Jour de la Terre 2009 is once again on the idea of the eco-municipality—that is, a city that actively searches to improve upon the environmental status quo. The theme couldn’t come at a better time, with the controversial Turcot Interchange makeover looming ahead.

“We’re supposed to be a greener city,” says Jour de la Terre director Pierre Lussier. He feels building new roads to get old cars around is a step in the wrong direction, but Montrealers can take a few steps in the right one on Sunday, April 19. Demonstrators will meet up at both Lionel-Groulx metro and at 780 St-Rémi at 1:30 p.m. and head towards the Interchange.

Or you can listen to Rex Burkholder, Portland, Oregon’s transportation guru and a guest at Montreal’s official 2009 Earth Day celebrations. “Portland is considered the mecca of green cities” due in great part to the way its people get around, says Lussier. UQÀM will be receiving Burkholder on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 21 as part of a transportation colloquium. It’s free, but registration is required. E-mail to reserve your spot: info@vivreenville.org

If neither protesting nor attending lectures are your cup of tea, many local organizations, museums and schools have jumped on this year’s Earth Day bandwagon. For a complete (French-only) listing, visit jourdelaterre.org.

Trees, bees and seeds

To kick off the 39th annual Earth Day, the Jour de la Terre people are planting 39 fruit trees at Parc des Habitations Jeanne-Mance (de Maisonneuve and St-Dominique). The photo-op—errr, tree planting—happens bright and early on the morning of Wednesday, April 22 and Jour de la Terre spokespeople and representatives will be on hand.

Learn about the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees, at the Biodome, Insectarium and Botanical Gardens, which all have events within and outside of Earth Day. For info, visit the Jour de la Terre Web site.

The fashion-savvy can sashay over to Friperie la Gaillarde in St-Henri for an ethical and eco-friendly fashion show. Seven local designers’ spring and summer collections will be on display. Twenty bucks gets you in and gets you some organic wine. The money goes to La Gaillarde, a not-for-profit organization that recycles material and gives local designers a place to show their wares. Wednesday, April 22 at 4019 Notre-Dame W. Cocktail at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. For tickets, call (514) 989-5134.

The Planetarium is inviting Galileo wannabes to set their sights on Saturn at Jarry Park on Saturday, April 25 from 8–11 p.m. (Telescopes provided). For details, see planetarium.montreal.qc.ca.

Decidedly 21st-century scavenger hunters can scour Île-Ste-Hélène on April 25–26 with GPS devices in search of questions and clues on science and the environment. Head to the Biosphere first to get a GPS and a quick rundown on how to use it (they want the GPS back, though, and they know how to find you).

What better way to have your children feel at one with nature than to have them knee-deep in it? Many Montreal-area schools are celebrating Earth Day one way or another, either by getting the kids to clean up the school grounds, organizing recycling drives and challenging parents to prepare zero-waste lunches.

New life for dead tech

If you’ve ever fretted over the final resting place of your ancient computers, fret no more. If you’ve gathered more than 10 old computers—at home, at work, wherever—give Recyc-Ordi a call. From April 20–24, they’ll pick up and recycle your old, busted computers for free. (514) 617-2039

Small businesses in the borough of Ville-Marie can bring their hazardous materials to St-Dominique and René-Lévesque E. on April 22, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Businesses can bring old electronics, paint, pesticides, batteries and more, but must first register with Jour de la Terre by Friday, April 17 by calling (514) 522-4053. Individuals aren’t left out in the cold, though—you can bring your household products that don’t go in your green box to one of the six Montreal eco-centres. Get a pair of free passes to one of the nature museums if you’re one of the first 1,000 people to drop off items on April 25. For a list of accepted materials and eco-centre locations, look up “ecocentre” at ville.montreal.qc.ca or call 311.