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opinion: our beloved mountain deserves better
as landscape architect, i worked 23 years on mount royal. the city's latest plan does a disservice to frederick law olmsted's vision.
nov 2 2023
5 minute read
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the renowned landscape architect frederick law olmsted designed new york’s central park, boston’s emerald necklace and a great number of other parks across north america whose outstanding qualities are celebrated.
in 1881, several years after preparing the design plan for mount royal park, olmsted wrote and published a report — “mount royal, montreal” — to instruct the ”owners of the mountain,” as he called the people of montreal, and expand on his design vision, which was explained in great detail.
olmsted believed that creating a park on the mountain for the sole purpose of providing fresh air and a space for exercise would be a waste of such a precious site. instead, he took the “genius of place” as the key to his plan and proposed enhancing the unique character and scenery of different sections of the mountain and making them accessible via an extensive network of carriage roads and pathways.
the winding promenade he carefully designed to and from mount royal’s summit aimed to create a sequence of accessible and restorative spaces that would make montreal’s modest mountain seem more vast and majestic. ultimately, he wanted to create landscape experiences that would touch the soul of each visitor through the pervading charm of natural scenery carefully enhanced by landscape art.
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in terms of use, olmsted’s report recommended that every detail be suitable for the weak and the poor so that everyone — not only healthy and the rich — would be able to enjoy the mountain.
pathways should be smooth and gentle, with slopes not exceeding two per cent; the park should be designed for the largest segment of the population; and no part of the mountain should be reserved for any select group of citizens.
his report was visionary at the time and remains relevant today.
in recent weeks, municipal voices and their allies have claimed that turning camillien-houde way into a steep pedestrian pathway and cycling road would be the way to highlight olmsted’s heritage.
really?
there are numerous long stretches along camillien-houde that exceed a 10-per-cent slope, which is beyond the maximum recommended for universal access. that means only a small portion of the population could successfully ride a bicycle to the summit — and fewer yet with an unassisted bixi.
riding downhill could also be extremely hazardous given the steep inclines that entice cyclists to travel at high speeds, for some as a reward after a tough climb.
in 2017, a cyclist was killed after colliding with the back of a vehicle whose driver was attempting an illegal u-turn. imagine a peloton of cyclists descending at high speed and suddenly coming face to face with an exhausted cyclist zigzagging up the same pathway — a typical method of reducing the steepness of the climb — or a group of children crossing the road to reach the other side.
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then there are the potential collisions with trees, rocks or emergency vehicles that could cause serious injury or worse.
in announcing the proposed changes to camillien-houde way, mayor valérie plante was quick to thank cycling groups for their support, notes daniel chartier.
pierre obendrauf
/
montreal gazette
there was something notable about mayor valérie plante’s news conference in which she announced — not for the first time — her administration’s plan to revamp camillien-houde and ban cars from crossing the mountain:
among the first groups she thanked for their support were cycling organizations, including the union cycliste internationale, the world governing body for competitive events like the uci road world championships to be held in montreal over eight days in september 2026.
it’s not surprising that cycling groups would be supportive. but what would olmsted say about a plan that stands to consolidate mount royal as a spot for elite training and competitions reserved for a select group of citizens and outsiders?
also notable: camillien-houde was built on an old tramway route that took pedestrians from park ave. to the smith house and the heart of mount royal park. this century-long public transportation to the park’s recreative areas and facilities dedicated to family activities and sports will no longer be available from the east if the city’s proposal goes forward as presented.
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according to what we know of the plan, vehicular traffic from the east — including public transportation and tourist buses — will have to detour around the mountain to access the heart of mount royal via the newly redesigned côte-des-neiges / remembrance rd. intersection. was this sector planned accordingly to deal with the extra traffic?
the evolution of camillien-houde / remembrance rd. to offer better access from the east was masterfully documented by historian denise caron in her study “le chemin de la montagne,” which was included among the background materials made available during public consultations by the office de consultation publique de montréal (ocpm).
the consultations — apparently the second-most attended in the history of montreal, with more than 13,000 citizens participating — were called following a public outcry over the plante administration’s first attempt to block through traffic on mount royal as part of a pilot project in the summer of 2018.
the main recommendation to emerge from the consultations was that the through road should be maintained, but made slimmer, greener, slower and more scenic. the ocpm added that it should be in harmony with olmsted’s vision, something that could be seen as a “global and democratic work of art.”
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five years later, the city of montreal is defending a project that disregards both the main recommendation of the vast public consultations and certain fundamental principles of olmsted’s vision.
before moving forward with a project that favours the lycra crowd, the city should clearly and publicly demonstrate how its version is better than the vision favoured by the general public — the ”owners of the mountain,” in olmsted’s words.
every issue touching mount royal and the surrounding area — security, public use, public transit, traffic, legacy, design principles, and more — should be presented in a side-by-side comparison.
it’s the least we can do for the legacy of olmsted and the future of our beloved mountain.
daniel chartier is a landscape architect dedicated to environmental causes. he worked 23 years exclusively on mount royal for the city of montreal and served 18 years with the olmsted network, dedicated to championing olmsted parks, places and principles. the 2012 prix du mont-royal acknowledges his contribution to the mountain. he lives in montreal.
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