RE: Recommendation for eco-territory or regional park/Agglo Natural Spaces Program

Yesterday the Agglo's Commission du conseil d'agglomeration sur les grands equipements

et les activites d'interet d'agglomeration voted on its recommendations regarding Montreal Island's Natural Spaces Program: "Recommandations sur le Bilan 2007-2008 de la Politique de protection et de mise en valeur des milieux naturels". On June 18 the Agglo will vote on these recommendations.

Two recommndations are key:

1.Create scenarios to protect Meadowbrook as a nature park, regional park or ecoterritory integrated with the St. Jacques Escarpment.

2.Create a network of linear parks unifying larger parks and natural spaces called trames vertes. One of these four green right of ways would be centred in the greater

Southwest and would include Meadowbrook.

This is the second time that Meadowbrook has been recommended as an eco-territory.

In 2004 the OCPM said that Meadowbrook and the Little St. Pierre River be included in Montreal's Natural Spaces Program.

The battle to conserve Meadowbrook is not over but this is an important step.

Montreal West and Cote Saint Luc citizens should be proud of their cities, councillors and mayors and especially proud of Montreal West Mayor Campbell Stuart and CSL Councillor Dida Berku for their dedication and hard work. Certainly we would not have come this far without the grass roots efforts of so many present and past including Patrick Asch of Heritage Laurentien, Montreal West residents Jo Ann Goldwater, Wendy Dodge, Howard Barza, and Cote Saint Luc residents Kay Wolofsky, Alex Davis, former CSL residents Barbara Schneiderman and Michael Ben Sabat, myself, the late Jack Cabot and countless others.

On Tuesday, the AMT held an open house at the Red Barn Community Centre in Baie d'Urfé.

I learnt of two new developments:

1.The AMT is very close to signing an agreement with CPR

to purchase Sortin Yard, (in back of Meadowbrook), for its commuter rail shops servicing rolling stock of its commuter trains using CP lines. Lachine has been opposed to this in the past.

2. Even if the Airport Rail Shuttle and the express lakeshore commuter trains fom St. Anne's take the longer CN route to Central Station the AMT intends to upgrade CP's line into Lucien L'Allier, (Windsor), for local sevice from the West Island and other areas. AMT President Joel Gauthier referred Montreal West Station as a bottleneck which has to be dealt with. Montreal West is pressing for a cutand cover trench. <@Rb>Best Wishes,

Avrom Shtern

Les Amis de Meadowbrook and Green Coalition

adirondacksub@gmail.com<@$p>