McGill Grounds
Pedestrian Zones
Creating a greener, pedestrian-friendly downtown lower campus, as free as possible of motorized vehicles, is a key objective of McGill University’s Master Plan. As well, Montreal’s Ville-Marie borough has passed a by-law which will make a pedestrian zone on McTavish Street, between Sherbrooke and Dr. Penfield. “Greening” projects are under way in these areas, and will create people-friendly spaces that encourage conversation, reflection and the sharing of ideas. This project was recognized by the City of Montreal in 2011 at its annual gala celebrating sustainability initiatives by partners in its strategic sustainability plan.
For further information about these changes please visit the Greening Lower Campus website
Campus trees: the Green Tour
Today, thanks to a “greening” tradition started by Sir William Dawson, world-renowned geologist, paleobotanist and McGill principal (1855 to 1893), the campus is now home to nearly 1,000 trees representing more than 60 species. Positioned at the southern flank of Mount Royal, the McGill University campus serves as the only green corridor connecting downtown Montreal with the park.
In addition to the annual planting programs, McGill University applies a landscaping policy that plans for the replacement of trees killed by disease or storms or moved during construction work. McGill’s intention is to replace a monoculture of imported trees with a mixture of native and naturalized trees that are at home on the south-east flank of Mount Royal.
Take the Green Tour!
Turflawn conversion
McGill has replaced traditional lawn in some areas with other plants providing ground cover that are better suited to the conditions in which they grow (pH, soil quality, drainage, etc.). This would reduce the resources required to maintain the area (labour, water, etc.) while maintaining aesthetics. As one example, the lawn in front of Chancellor Day Hall was replaced with the perennial Siberian Squill (left). The lawn in front of the Bronfman Building on Sherbrooke Street has been re-landscaped to evoke the feeling of a Laurentian forest, with indigenous plants such as trillium and ferns in the spring and other low-lying plants providing shelter for local fauna.
Other plants used for turflawn conversion on campus include common snowdrops (Jalanthus nicalis) and Glory of the Snow (Cheonodoxa luciliae).
See also: AASHE article on green landscaping at McGill
Lawn care
McGill Grounds staff do their best to maintain campus in an ecologically friendly manner, using no pesticides for aesthetic purposes and organic fertilizers where necessary. When tidying up the lawn or to cut the grass, they would rake the leaves and grass when the volume is small and dry, or if the area in question is small (e.g. the horse-shoe section of grass at Hosmer House). They only blow leaves and grass when the volume becomes very excessive i.e. during fall conditions, or if the area in question is large.
In 2007, Grounds staff began collecting all of the green waste from maintenance of the campus grounds (e.g. clippings) in compostable bags, to be delivered to the Complexe Environnemental St-Michel for composting.