Field of possibilities

Mile-Enders are hoping the city takes the
slow approach to an otherwise empty lot

SAVE SPACE, PLANT MUSHROOMS: Emily Rose Michaud

by HEATHER ROBB

At first glance, the meadow that runs along the south side of the railroad tracks between Gaspé and Henri-Julien in Mile-End might look like nothing more than a weedy field. But according to urban naturalist Roger Latour, who leads tours of the field, it is as richly diverse in flora as the Montreal community is in cultural identity. Its biodiversity is one of the many reasons that Latour, artist Emily Rose Michaud and others are fighting to preserve the green space.

In June, the city bought the land from CP Rail for one dollar—with an estimated $4.7-million required in decontamination (to be split with the federal government) before any development occurs. Aside from decontamination, the city’s plans for the field are not entirely set, but may include the construction of a “cour de voirie”—a holding lot for city vehicles—as part of their larger $9-million development plan for the old garment district of the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough.

According to Michaud, “Minimum intervention possible” is the message le Champ des Possibles, the subgroup of the Mile-End Citizens’ Coalition devoted to protecting the field, wants to convey. After the group met with city official Luc Gosselin earlier this month, Michaud got the impression that he is taking the group seriously, as he agreed to consult the group on any future decisions involving the field.

The reason the city is so willing to cooperate, Michaud suggests, is because of the group’s visibility. She says she has around 500 visitors on her own blog (pousses.blogspot.com) and that others interested in the field, including Latour and the group Imagine (Le) Mile-End, also have large followings.

Michaud had a hand in sparking community interest in the field when she began an art installation there in 2007, when she created a Roerich symbol out of mulch, where she eventually grew plants such as red clover, bee bomb and willow. The Roerich symbol—a red circle, with three smaller circles contained within it—was painted on the roofs of cultural monuments during WWII to protect the sites from aerial bombings. And so Michaud chose the symbol to mark the field as a cultural space that should be preserved.

“People walk dogs there, do art installations, eat their lunch there. Others do photo shoots, or martial arts,” says Michaud. She adds that community members have also become involved by taking the guided tours or helping with maintenance.

At times, Michaud’s garden has looked quite striking, particularly from an aerial perspective (see photos on Michaud’s blog)— although it currently looks less so, after the city mowed the field in August, at the height of ragweed season, cutting right through the symbol.

To keep the field as wild as possible, Champ des Possibles is encouraging the city to consider alternatives to the standard ex situ or “dig and dump” method of decontamination—wherein soil is extracted and foreign soil is brought in. Instead, the group promotes an in situ method, or bioremediation.

“You introduce plant, mushroom or bacteria into the ground as it exists, and so you’re allowing the plant to extract the toxins—neutralize and break down on a molecular level the contaminants so that’s all happening on site. It’s a much more holistic process, more sensible and cost effective,” says Michaud.

Although long-term plans for the field are still uncertain, Michaud says she feels optimistic about the dialogue taking place between the community and the city.