Protecting and promoting the natural heritage of the Deux Montagnes lake

Point of contact between the Outaouais river and the St. Lawrence river, the Deux Montagnes lake holds a strategic position for biodiversity protection and the health of the Greater Montreal area's population. Natural junction area between the Laurentians, Montérégie, Laval and Montreal, the lake is a rich living environment offering magnificent landscapes where vulnerable ecosystems and human activities coexist.

Climate change, pollution and the numerous human activities both on and around the lake have direct consequences on water quality, bank erosion as well as ecosystems' and the population's health.

Faced with these facts, the Conseils régionaux de l’environnement (CRE) of Laval, the Laurentians, Montérégie and Montreal initiated a vast consultation and mobilization process in order to collectively define a vision for the territory and to create a Charter of commitment.

This Charter constitues the first step towards the creation of a concerted action plan for the lake and its region which forms part complimentarily with existing actions and planning tools.

This Charter is addressed to municipalities, organizations, enterprises and any other stakeholders that can directly and concretely act for the protection and enhancement of this body of water. Based on a concerted future vision, the Charter will suggest orientations and strategies to establish.

Anticipated results

By combining knowledge, actions and resources, a close and efficient collaboration will be easier between stakeholders in a shared goal to protect and enhance the Deux Montagnes lake.

Over the long term, the implementation of a concerted, interregional strategy will contribute to:

• Improve the quality of the water supplying the drinking water treatment plants;
• Lower the vulnerability of natural environments in regard to climate change, such as floods or heavy rains;
• Increase the protection of vulnerable ecosystems;
• Reinforce the attractiveness of the territory through the improvement ofrecreational tourism and a more harmonious conciliation of uses; swimming, fishing and aquatic activities;
• Improve access to the unique landscapes of the Deux Montagnes lake (such as opening beaches);
• Implement best practices in land use planning, agriculture, protection of water bodies, storm water management, waste water treatment, natural environments protection, applied research, landscape protection, sailing and outreach.

Concertation structure