Fourteen Canadian municipalities have just received Bird-Friendly Cities certification. Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue is the only city in Quebec to have joined this program aimed at protecting winged fauna, whose population has declined sharply over the past 50 years due to urbanization and human activity. Montreal being the host these days COP15has not applied for this certification, but affirms that it is already taking measures to protect biodiversity.

Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, a community in western Montreal Island, has taken major steps to reduce the devastation caused by domestic cats, formidable predators of birds. For the past three years, a municipal by-law has required all cat owners to keep their pets indoors. “I admit that it is very difficult to enforce,” says Mayor Paola Hawa. “We’re seeing less and less of it, but there’s still a mentality that a cat needs to go outside. We are located next to the Anse-à-l’Orme Park. It is all the more important to enforce the rules. »

This is one of the measures taken by Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue to make it possible to become a friend of birds, a certification awarded by the organization Nature Canada. Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, which has a population of 5,000, also passed a regulation requiring the installation of anti-reflective windows in new buildings to prevent birds from striking each other. The city has planted fruit trees on its territory and replaced its streetlights to reduce light pollution.

“Everything we have set up is really cheap. That means any city can do it. Small changes in regulations will have an impact over time,” Mayor Hawa said.

population decline

On Thursday, during a press conference at the Palais des Congrès in Montreal, home of the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP15), Nature Canada announced the certification of 14 new bird-friendly cities, including Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Edmonton, Halifax , Regina and Windsor. These cities are in addition to Vancouver, Toronto, London and Calgary, which previously received certification in Spring 2021.

In urban areas, the dangers that threaten birds are numerous, but cities can take steps to encourage winged populations by preserving natural environments, creating green corridors, banning pesticides and better controlling stray cats,” explained Graham Saul, Executive Director of Nature Canada.

“There are three billion fewer birds in North America today than there were 50 years ago. And most of those losses are due to human activities,” said Environment and Climate Change Secretary Steven Guilbeault. “Birds are excellent indicators of the health of the planet,” he added, recalling the important role canaries play in coal mines to warn of the presence of toxic gases.

Montreal, that’s quite a City “Friend of the Monarchs” since 2017, has not joined the program set up by Nature Canada for birds. “Montreal is overall a friend of biodiversity,” said Marikym Gaudreault, spokeswoman for the mayor’s office. Valerie Plante. “Our administration is fully committed to protecting biodiversity in the broadest sense. We are committed to protecting all species that are part of the city’s ecological ecosystem. »

She recalls that Montreal has taken several steps to protect natural spaces and increase the area of ​​green spaces. The city recently unveiled theirs Pollinator protection strategy. It also undertakes to increase the area of ​​protected natural environments on its territory from 8% to 10%.

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