1 of 31

Climatic and Environmental Impacts of CF development plans

Why the OTPP should divest from Cadillac Fairview’s “new downtown plan” ?

2 of 31

The Project

The forest

3 of 31

50 acres of forest with vernal pools, a meadow, over 20 acres of trees as old as 115 years.

4 of 31

The Questions

What is the greenhouse gas impact of building the shopping centre and destroying the forest?

What is the impact on biodiversity?

Will the proposed development lead to increased GHG emissions from the buildings? from increased traffic? from the expansion of natural gas infrastructure? Etc.

Is the CF development going to be composed of green buildings with stringent standards for renewable energy, energy conservation and efficiency, waste diversion, affordable housing, EV charging, etc etc?

5 of 31

What is the greenhouse gas impact of building the shopping centre and destroying the forest?

1

6 of 31

Carbon sequestration

Above Ground Biomass = 923.05 TONNES of carbon in 2010

Below Ground Biomass = 402.3214 TONNES of carbon in 2010

= 1.33 KILOTONNES OF CARBON STORED in BIOMASS IN 2010

Equivalent of adding 288 cars on the road for 1 year

Or ~29 cars on the road for 10 years

~20 tonnes of carbon captured each year!

I don’t think we really have to explain that trees take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, pretty sure everyone here knows that! :) So trees and forest are excellent carbon sinks and naturally sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide, trapping it within trunks, branches, and roots and storing it as biomass.

Over the past decade, NASA created an algorithm that uses their satellites to measure vegetation density and consequently the amount of biomass across the earth and combines this with the biomass estimation techniques used to determine vegetation type. So forest vs agricultural vegetation for example.

Using this publicly available data, we were able to establish that Fairview Forest contains approximately 1.33 kilotons of carbon in its biomass. This is the equivalent of approximately 288 cars on the road over the course of a year. So this is the carbon stored within the actual tree (trunk, branches, roots...etc)

It also is important to note that this figure does not include the carbon that has already been trapped within the wetlands contained in the forest (which we will address shortly). If fairview forest is cut down, not only will this trapped carbon be released into the atmosphere, the regular carbon capture or sequestration effect of the forest will cease to exist entirely.!

Using NASA’s satellite estimations, we can also say that Fairview forest is capable of capturing approximately 20 tonnes of carbon each growing season. So this is carbon from the atm that is nottttt already stored withing the trees as biomass.

Destroying the forest would therefore increase the earth’s greenhouse gas emissions on a permanent basis as 20 additional tons of carbon will end up in the atmosphere each year instead of being sequestered.

(source for cars is the EPA. https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/greenhouse-gas-emissions-typical-passenger-vehicle#:~:text=typical%20passenger%20vehicle%3F-,A%20typical%20passenger%20vehicle%20emits%20about%204.6%20metric%20tons%20of,8%2C887%20grams%20of%20CO2)

synthetic aperture radar as well as optical satellite measurements

7 of 31

Wetlands

16.3% of the forest is classified as wetlands

= 32,916.01 m² = 8.13 Acres

Wetlands

“...the world’s wetlands, despite being only about 5–8 % of the terrestrial landscape, may currently be net carbon sinks of about 830 Tg/year of carbon with an average of 118 g-C m−2 year−1 of net carbon retention.”

Mitsch et al., 2013

Pointe-Claire

But it’s not just the trees. This idea of carbon sequestration is also an important theme when talking about wetlands. The map of the left shows just how few wetland areas remain on the island of montreal. So many of these wetland habitats have been lost as a result of human-induced development and anthropogenic sources.��Now if we zoom in to the city of pointe-claire, we see that the Fairview Forest houses one of the few remaining wetland areas across the entire burrough. 16.3% of the ~50 acres stand of forest is actually classifies as wetland area.��And this brings me back to my point of carbon sequestration and storage. According to Mitsch et al. 2013, wetlands are one of the most efficients ecosystems when it comes to carbon sequestration and atmospheric carbon storage. It is said that 1 square meter of wetland can retain an average of 118g of atmospheric carbon per year. *change slide*

8 of 31

Wetlands

The Fairview Forest wetlands and vernal pools are additional sinks of urban carbon, as well as an extremely important habitat for a number of organisms….

~ 20.4 tonnes from forest

+

~3.82 tonnes from wetlands

=

~24.22 tonnes CO² retained per year!!!

16.3% of the forest is classified as wetlands

= 32,916.01 m² = 8.13 Acres

Actual photos from Fairview Forest!

Thus, annihilation of the Fairview Forest, also means the destruction of such important and fragile ecosystems, that are both useful and essential to a world that is currently seeking solutions to such a dire crisis of climate. We’re always looking to engineer “green” solutions to the catastrophic effects of climate change (eg- how to remove C from atmosphere to mitigate global warming)…..yet then we see forest like this replaced with shopping malls and concrete. Mother nature is more innovative than us, and keeping the forest is the greenest “engineering” out there when it comes to reduction levels of atmospheric carbon. �

If we use the figure from the Mitsch et al, 2013 paper, The wetlands alone retain ~ 3.82 tonnes of carbon annually

So, the combination of carbon sequestered by the trees and the wetlands housed by fairview forest would mean a grand total of ~24.22 tonnes of carbon annually. Destroying the forest means destroying this sequestration ability which honestly a function that we will need and DO NEED RIGHT NOW if we want to combat climate change...

9 of 31

The tallest and thus the oldest/ most established stads of forest are shown in darker shades of green.

Fairview Forest

10 of 31

What is the impact on biodiversity?

2

But, not only is this ecosystem beneficial in terms of GHG and climate change mitigation, but protection of the Fairview Forest also means the protection of biodiversity.

So, “biodiversity”. It’s a word we hear a lot in 2021. I think everyone understands that biodiversity is something that’s good and something that we need to try to maintain, and in general, that's true. But I sometimes feel that what biodiversity really means, and what we are actually protecting when we choose to maintain an ecosystem’s diversity, is not fully grasped. And ecosystems is comprised of many parts. A forest for example has trees, other vegetation, birds, insects, mammals, etc etc…… and yes, that’s diverse, but what f you take away half the bugs! Well, now you take away half the pollinators, which means you take away half the chance that a flowering plant will be pollinated, which takes away half the chance that a bird will have access to fruit…...I think you see my point. A diverse ecosystem is a healthy one, but a complete and diverse ecosystem require that their habitat be protected.

11 of 31

Cedar Creek Experiment from Tilman and Downing, 1993

Diversity = Ecosystem Stability

Higher # of species

An ecosystem that is more resilient and able to provide beneficial ecosystem service to humans

=

12 of 31

Cedar Creek Experiment from Tilman and Downing, 1994

Diversity = Ecosystem Stability

Higher # of species

An ecosystem that is more resilient and able to provide beneficial ecosystem service to humans

=

Well an ecosystem with several species present is much more capable of dealing with climate events then an ecosystem with only a few species present. For example during a flood or a drought there is no denying that some species will be affected. But in a diverse ecosystem, a similar species can take over that role from the affected species and perform the necessary things to keep the ecosystem running as a whole. For example. Let's think of two forests. One mostly made up of ash and another that has ash but also hickorys, maples, oaks. The ecosystem that only has ashes will complet crash when the emerald ash borer invaded. However our second ecosystem has hickorys seeds and maple seeds to sustain the living creatures that call that place home. Therefore, when we have a diverse ecosystem it recovers faster and is more stable than others. This is visualised in the graph on the right which shows us that areas with more species have a lower difference in biomass after a climate event, it is simply less effected.

13 of 31

Ecosystem services

↑ proximity to natural habitat

↑ pollinator diversity and abundance

↑ pollen deposition

↑ reproductive success!

Pollinators!

Adapted from Kremen et al., 2013.

Actual photos from Fairview Forest!

Why are stable ecosystems important? Well, a stable ecosystem provides dependable ecosystem services. Just a quick definition of ecosystem services! These are things that nature provides our society that we don't pay for. For example air purification, controlling air temperature and providing pollatoers to mention a few! We don't have time to address how destroying the fairview forest will destroy all the ecosystem services it provides for its area. But we do want to draw your attention to pollinators

For example, in the graph we can see that crops and farms “near” natural habitats like forests had a higher diversity and abundance of bees. Although this example refers to bees, the same is true about all pollinators. This study shows the further away plants are to natural habitats, not only do they have less access to pollinators but less access to a wide variety of pollinators. And now that all of us here know the importance of diversity we understand what a detriment that lack of diversity really is.The removal of Fairview forest is not only a disservice to the local pollinators, but to the local farmers and gardeners on the island of montreal.

14 of 31

Biodiversity

Wetlands, especially vernal pools, provide unique habitat critical for maintaining forest biodiversity. They provide crucial food sources for organisms at every level of the food web. They are also vital for amphibian life cycles.

Grasslands provide habitat for animals ill adapted to forest like while also providing edge habitat which are biodiversity hotspots!

Actual photos from Fairview Forest!

Let's now talk about the divresty we see at the fairview forest. Not only does the forest support a wide variety of species but the ecosystem as a whole contains diverse kinds of habits. Within its 50 acres we have a wetland, we have sandy soil deposits, we have grassland habitat and lets not forget the forest itself. All of these areas work together to provide a complex ecosystem while still remaining a source of bioderty within themselves.

Let's talk about the wetland and grassland quickly for a moment. These wetlands are more specifically known as Vernal pools. That means their water comes from snow melt and water runoff in the spring and will eventually dry up in the heat of summer. That might sound like these places aren't important to the ecosystem because they're not there year-round but that couldn't be further from the truth. Because these Wetlands aren't permanent bodies of water they don't hold fish populations and that makes them prime habitat for amphibian and insect life cycles. Amphibians converge at this spots for reproduction, and their eggs and larvae can develop at a reduced risk of predation because of the absence of fish.

I would also like to chat a bit about the grassy areas found behind the fairview forest. While these areas might not look impressive I assure you they go a long way to supporting the diversity we need to porect. The grasslands in themselves are prime habitat for insects and small mammals such as voles and field mice who are ill adapted to forest life. However, the main advantage to these grasslands is the edge effect that's created where grassland habitat meets forest habitat. This buffer zone between the forest and the grasslands is a biodiversity hotspot! How it works is that birds for example who need grasslands for hunting grounds to gain access to these grasslands insects and mammals i was just talking about will use the trees and shrubs along the edge of the forest as protection from larger birds. We all know that a food web is a large and complex thing. So while these smaller birds are hunting they must also keep in mind that something is hunting them. These edge habitats provide both a food resource AND protection from predation.

15 of 31

Biodiversity

The Pileated Woodpecker creates crucial shelter for many other forest species such as swifts, owls, ducks, bats, and pine martens.

Given their role as BOTH predator and prey, they are often used as an indicator of ecosystem health

The Brown snake is a small species that is only found in the greater Montreal area in Quebec. They thrive in edge habitat. They have been ‘relocated’ for the fairview forest.

Herrington’s fingernail clam

Actual photos from Fairview Forest!

Now, what animals are actually using this space? We have seen animals here across several different taxa, everything from mammals to amphibians and everything in between. Everytime i visit the forest I see the mating pair of pileated woodpeckers that call this place home. If you have ever seen this bird or even just heard the ecos of them tapping away at trees you know how beautiful they are. However, the pileated woodpecker doesn't just speak to how divrs this forest is but is a key member in supporting and growing that driesty. The nest hole they create in trees provides a crucial shterler for other members of this ecosystem. Again supporting not only other birds such as owls and swifts but even bats and martins! Another member of this ecosystem we see often is the redback salamander. They are also not just proof that there is biodiversity here at Fairview forest but, because of their special place in the food chain, they support their neighbors as well. The redback salamander is both a predator and prey species, which means they play a role in maintaining insect populations while providing food source for animals higher in the food web. Because of their special place in the ecosystem this spice has long been used in ecological research as an indicator of a healthy ecosystem. This forest is strong, healthy and productive!! This forest is doing its job despite humans best efforts to disrupt it. We don't have to look far to see how the REM and the Cadillac Fairview project has already affected this space, the proof is with the Brown Snake. A small species of snake that is only found in two spots in Canada, the greater Montreal area and parts on ontario. During the REM’s environmental impact assessment they discovered a flourishing population of the Brown Snake, a very rare species to the island of Montreal, that Quebec has long been considering adding it to the endangered species list. The mitigation action that was taken to deal with this problem was to relocate the species. However, it has long been known in ecologica circles that snake relocation is not effective. We think of animals as being without agency, what we choose to do to them they will just go along with it. However this isn’t true. There is so much scientific data out there that show once a snake has been relocated they will fight to get back to their home. They will stop eating in an attempt to get back to their own home range to the point that within a year of relocation they will be dead. I hope beyond hope that there are individuals left in the area so that once this project has been moved away from the forets the brown snake population can bounce back because their habitat on the island of Montreal is quickly disappearing.

16 of 31

Biodiversity

Montreal's soil type is predominantly clay, therefore this area of very sandy buffered soil is an anomaly and provides unique habitat for plant species who otherwise could not be supported.

These two plants, the Corn Lily and the MedeolaI cucumber, are plants found in the forest's unique sandy soil! They would not be able to grow on the island otherwise.

Actual photo from Fairview Forest!

17 of 31

Biodiversity

The Fairview Forest has healthy stand of milkweed! Which is the ONLY food source for the endangered monarch butterfly larvae. Having healthy stands of milkweed along the monarch migration paths is crucial for their survival.

Trilliums are among the first flowers to bloom in the spring. Making them a vital food ressourse of pollinators coming out of torpor.

Actual photos from Fairview Forest!

The forest also has a healthy population of trillumes. These plants are among the first to flower during this spring, making them vital for pollinators during that crucial time after hibernation. Trilliums are the food resources that set pollinators up for a successful and productive season. Finally, the forest also has a stand of milkweed which is as i'm sure you know the ONLY food resource for Monarch butterflies. As we all know Monarch undergo a huge migration spanning the North american continent during their life cycle. It is these milkweed plants that sustain them during this migration to get them back to southern mexico. The biodiversity of this forest doesn't just support its local neighbors but its global ones as well.

Lets learn from our mistake with the brown snake. We have the power to try and save this forest who proves to us time and time again that it is strong and resilient. The animals that live there have the right to be there and just look at that amazingly complex and beautiful relationship they have with each other. We could do with learning a thing or two from them.

18 of 31

Will the proposed development lead to increased GHG emissions from the buildings? from increased traffic? from the expansion of natural gas infrastructure? Etc.

Short answer= YES!

3

19 of 31

Before

20 of 31

After

21 of 31

Canadians produce more garbage than anyone else | CBC News

“In 2009 (the data year on which the study was based), Canada produced 777 kilograms of garbage per citizen.”

= 777 kg / person / yr * 10, 000 people

= 7,770,000 kg / yr

= 7647.28 tonnes of garbage/ year

Cadillac Fairview plans a major development project along Highway 40 in Pointe-Claire. Jpg https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/west-island-gazette/cadillac-fairview-building-a-downtown-for-10000-in-west-island.

In an interview given by the Vice President of Cadillac Fairview to the Montreal Gazette he states that he wants to add a population of between 8,000 to 10,000 people. And that is before we take into account the hotels that are also planned. We're not talking about just condo complexes, we are also talking about integrating a travel industry and a hub of retail and consumer goods. Both insuery are known to be massive polluters, I mean how many times have all of us gone to a hotel and received tiny plastic bottles of shampoo?

What we are really talking about here is intense concentrated urbanization. In the interview Cadillac Fairview even says, they want to turn this suburban area into an urban area. That obviously brings increased greenhouse gas emissions. Throughout their interview fairview cadillac keet saying that because the condos will be so close to the REM people wont need to drive. But then turns around and says that this area will become a hub, a downtown to the west island. And how will the rest of the west island get to this hub i ask? Cars. There are no two ways about it. Fairview bus terminal is already a huge hub for the west island. I myself use to drive a car the the fairview station and park then to take a bus to school. This how how the rest of the west island will use this space. Maybe now they dont have plans for maissive parking lots but the pressure will be on from the rest for the west island community to build that infurt so that this space can be properly used.

Talking about infrastructure , this mass urbanization, an increase of about 9000 people will put a massive strain on current sewer, drinking water and electrical infrastructure. Again in that interview with the gazette the vice president himself says the infrastructure of the whole city of Pointe-Claire will need to be updated to support this population increase. And that means bearing the environmental effects of that construction as well. So we aren't just talking about the environmental effects of destroying the forest but we are talking about the environmental effects of ripping up the whole city of Pointe-Claire so that this project can be completed.

Finally i want to address how cadillac fairview is saying that they will preserve between 5 to 8 arcs of forest that which includes a part of the wetland. But let's be honest about what that will really look like. Once the other 42-45 acres of forest have been demolished and the highrises will be built. Those wetlands will be void of life. Animals can't handle the noise, the vibration and the air and water pollution that that kind of constitution requires.

When there are 10, 000 people living in this space, this space will now be producing 7600 tonnes of garbage/ year. We know that our garbage and recycling program are not perfect and a good percent of our trash finds its way into nature. So really how productive can a wetland be when its video of live and filled with plastic? Those redback slamaes will be gone, the pilate woodpeckers gone and those ecosystem services that our society depends on to function will be gone.

22 of 31

Urban Heat Island

Forests have a cooling effect, and so the removal of forested areas contribute to the Urban Heat Island phenomenon!

Fairview Forest

23 of 31

Other problems with increased urbanization

Negative hydrological effect (i.e increased risk for flooding)

Increased strain on Montreal’s water treatment facility and wastewater management

↓ lag to peak= ↑ risk of flooding

There are additional, environmental problems that come with increased urbanization which have again been proven by scholars for over 30 years at least. Development projects such as the one proposed by CF means replacing the forest with impermeable surfaces such as pavement.

In urbanized areas, rain is no longer being “slowed down” by the presence of vegetation, and water can not penetrate the paved surfaced. This rain is simply hitting the hard pavement and flowing across its surface as runoff. Both of these graphics show what are called “flood hydrographs” which is basically just a plot showing how much water is flowing as surface runoff (or just water flowing like a sheet across the pavement) in the time during and after a precipitation event (so through time).

In these graphs water managers would aim to have the peak be low (similar to “flattening the curve” with covid-19, and this is seen in green curve) and the “lag to peak” to be as long as possible. **explain lag to peak**

Shorter lag to peak= increased flood risk

So we see that increased urbanization shortens this lag and increases the height of peak and thus the amount of surface runoff/ or water flowing at the surface= increased flood risk = increased strain on montreal water treatment facility (so ++++++ water at the same time in sewers) (not to mention more polluted water…)

24 of 31

“the construction and maintenance of impervious surfaces—buildings, roads, parking lots, roofs, etc.—constitute a major human alteration of the land surface, changing the local hydrology, climate, and carbon cycling.”

“Impervious surfaces alter sensible and latent heat fluxes, causing urban heat islands [Changnon, 1992]. In heavily vegetated areas, the proliferation of ISA reduces the sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere [Milesi et al, 2003]. ISA alters the character of watersheds by increasing the frequency and magnitude of surface runoff pulses [Booth, 1991].Watershed effects of ISA begin to be detectable once 10% of the surface is covered by impervious surfaces, altering the shape of stream channels, raising water temperatures, and sweeping urban debris and pollutants into aquatic environments [Beach, 2002]. Consequences of ISA include reduced numbers and diversity of species in fish and aquatic insects, and degradation of wetlands and riparian zones.”

25 of 31

Is the CF development going to be composed of green buildings with stringent standards for renewable energy, energy conservation and efficiency, waste diversion, affordable housing, EV charging, etc etc?

4

26 of 31

To respond to these points, we would first ask you to consider this:

A forest uses renewable energy, conserves energy, re-uses its waste and provides free access to nature. Does CF's proposed project, or any development with any level of 'stringent standards' compared to that level of benefit or effect on climate change?

Is the CF development going to be composed of green buildings with stringent standards for renewable energy, energy conservation and efficiency, waste diversion, affordable housing, EV charging, etc.?

SFF and FAA's mission is to protect 100% of the Fairview Forest

27 of 31

The BENEFITS of Maintaining Urban Green Spaces

“ Given a growing base of evidence illustrating that interaction with nature positively affects mood and mental health, preserving access to green spaces in cities during this time of mandated social isolation should be considered imperative for as long as possible.”

Yale School of Environment, 2020.

“A growing body of empirical evidence is revealing the value of nature experience for mental health. With rapid urbanization and declines in human contact with nature globally, crucial decisions must be made about how to preserve and enhance opportunities for nature experiences.”

Bratman et al. 2019.

28 of 31

The BENEFITS of Maintaining Urban Green Spaces

These studies have shown that time in nature is an antidote for stress:

lowers blood pressure and stress hormone levels,
reduce nervous system arousal,
enhance immune system function,
increase self-esteem,
reduce anxiety,
and improve mood.
Attention Deficit Disorder and aggression lessen in natural environments, which also help speed the rate of healing.
In a recent study, psychiatric unit researchers found that being in nature reduced feelings of isolation, promoted calm, and lifted mood among patients.

29 of 31

Thank you!

30 of 31

A growing number of studies are saying that we need to rethink our insatiable need to build and grow, even with supposedly greener means, if we are to make effective changes to the environment.

Scholars, including Magwood, are realizing that, unless environmental strategies take life-cycle analyses into account, they often end up being counterproductive. It’s time to refine how we think about environmentalism.

https://thewalrus.ca/the-false-promise-of-green-housing/

Written and directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Julia Barnes, ‘Bright Green Lies’, based on a newly released book of the same name, is a harrowing look at the consequences of life in industrialized countries. It chronicles the shift in the environmental movement from focusing on the planet to sustaining the status-quo through supposedly greener means. Its main message is clear: no amount of solar panels or electric cars can do enough to save the earth from climate change. Barnes drew inspiration for her documentary from fellow deep greens Derrick Jensen, Lierre Keith and Max Wilbert— the trio of activists and writers behind the book ‘Bright Green Lies: How the Environmental Movement Lost Its Way’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEOjZgWoQAc

Some Resources

31 of 31

Green infrastructure

“When stormwater runs off impervious surfaces such as parking lots, roofs, compacted soils, and roads, it accumulates pollutants and delivers them to a nearby lake or river either directly or via a storm drain. Stormwater pollutants typically include sediment; nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus); bacteria from animal waste; and oil, grease, and heavy metals from cars. Stormwater also causes increased flooding, which erodes stream banks resulting in additional problems.”

These are all innovative solutions for ALREADY DEVELOPED locations. They are not viable options for pristine natural areas with these innovations. Rain gardens are placed in road medians, beside suburban homes, in parking lots, all of which are already there! The differences between the flood mitigation ability of a natural forest vs. green infrastructure are incomparable!

As a student, and in general as a young person, I am no stranger to green innovation and technology. There is a plethora of innovative green engineering out there. Since we were just talking about flood mitigation, we can take examples from, the implementation of Vermont’s rain gardens, permeable pavements, so-called sponge cities in China. And these are all innovative solutions that I support, however, we are not talking about replacing pristine natural areas with these innovations. If we have to develop to support social infrastructure, fine, but green infrastructure is mean to develop ALREADY developed locations. Rain gardens are placed in road medians, beside suburban homes, in parking lots, all of which are already there! The differences between the flood mitigation ability of a natural forest vs green infrastructure are incomparable! We can try to replicate nature but it’s natural efficiency for minimizing detrimental effects of the already increased levels of development will always win against a replication.

REMOVE THIS AND FIX FOR SENT