Accessibility

• In the future, will it still be possible to get to Parc Jean-Drapeau by car?

  Yes, it will still be possible to get to Sainte-Hélène and Notre-Dame islands by car, even beyond 2030. The Management Plan foresees reducing the footprint of the parking areas that are currently spread out in various places, and which take up a lot of asphalted space. The plan is to centralize them into various mobility areas, notably near the Casino and La Ronde.

• When will some of the parking lots be removed?

  The various work related to the Management Plan is being scheduled in many production phases and they were designed so they would have the least possible impact on the Parc's visitors and activities and ensure accessibility to the Parc. You can find all the details about the phases and production in the Phasing and funding section of our website. The Parc's staff will keep visitors and all its partners informed about the work which will be going on.

• Why remove car access to the Parc and eliminate these parking areas?

  There will still be car access to the two islands. During the public consultations held on the future of Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montrealers told us about the increased presence of parking areas in the Parc and the omnipresence of the car. What the Plan is aiming to do is reduce the footprint of the parking areas and consolidate them into certain areas to give back the green spaces to Parc users.

  And, as was the case, notably at Expo 67, we want the users' park-wide mobility to become an attraction for coming to the site. Moreover, we know that part of the response to the current climate crisis is through the deployment of sustainable mobility.

• Have you thought about parking areas during major events?

  Yes, we have. All the Parc's partners are involved in the thought process and the implementing of various arrangements related to mobility. Many studies have been conducted and various aspects are still being analyzed to consider visitors' needs, transportation habits and traffic at different key periods.

• Are measures being planned to ensure universal accessibility to the various developments?

  Yes, universal accessibility and social inclusion are at the core of our deliberations regarding the developments set out in Parc Jean-Drapeau's Management Plan. We want all the facilities and developments to be accessible to everyone.

Major events

• Does the new Management Plan mean this is the end of major events and festivals at Parc Jean-Drapeau?

  No, quite the opposite, in fact! Major events have been part of Parc Jean-Drapeau's DNA since Expo 67, and it will continue to be with this Management Plan. Already, $133 million has been invested to implement world-class infrastructures such as the new paddocks for the Canadian Grand Prix and Espace 67 for the major events.

  Revitalizing Place des Nations will also enable the accommodating of 7,000 people for concerts or other events, along with other places specially set up to host events. The objective of the Plan is to strike a better balance between the Parc's various uses.

  This is what is planned: ensure world-class infrastructures for the major events and private promoters and give back the Parc's natural spaces to fulfill its vocation as a great urban park, for the benefit of visitors and citizens.

Design, phasing, budget and funding

• Will the work extend right up to 2030? And how much is all this going to cost?

  The Management Plan proposes a vision over the next 10 years for the conservation, design and development of the Parc. Many production phases are in the Plan for the various development projects. You can find out all the details about these phases on our website in the Phasing and funding section. It also has all the details on cost estimates for the overall plan. Parc Jean-Drapeau's will keep its partners involved and informed as the production and development of these various projects go along.

• What are the decisions in this Plan based on?

  Parc Jean-Drapeau's 2020-2030 Conservation, Design and Development Management Plan is the culmination of more than three years of work, research, studies and, particularly, a public consultation that brought together some 6,000 people, the biggest consultation ever conducted by the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM). The orientations, the vision and the developments set out in this Plan are the result of an incomparable citizens' thought process! All the Parc's partners and Montrealers will continue to be involved in the fulfillment of this Plan.

The future of certain facilities

• What is going to happen to the Stewart Museum?

  The Stewart Museum contains a huge part of the history of île Sainte-Hélène. We have started a major thought process about the new vocation of the fort since its closure. An announcement will be made once we have established a clear and definitive vision.

• What is going to happen to the Biosphere?

  On April 12, 2021, Canadian Heritage, the Ministère de l'Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques and the City of Montréal announced it is bringing the Biosphere's operations into the City of Montréal's Space for Life Museum. The Biosphere, which is the only environment museum in North America, will be able to resume its activities once its integration into the City of Montréal's operations is completed.

  More details

Sports practice

• Is the space devoted to practicing sports going to remain the same?

  Yes, we hope to preserve the top-notch, high-calibre infrastructures for committed and casual sports enthusiasts alike. Many kilometres of walking and biking trails are going to be added, and new sports practices are going to be encouraged (cross-country skiing and skating, for example). Many all-purpose trails and bike paths on the islands and their perimeter are going to be added.

• Are there going to be any facilities for the practice of all-season sports?

  We are fortunate in that we are already able to count on top-notch sports infrastructures. The objective is to maximize the use and develop the practice of winter sports activities. We already tried out some winter sports activities in 2020 with a new offer (cross-country skiing, fat bike, skating, snowshoeing, trails set up, bird watching places, etc.).

  Many all-purpose trails and bike paths on the islands and their perimeter are going to be added, so that people will be able to do sports and outdoor activities all year long. We are also planning to turn the canals on île Notre-Dame into a skating rink in the wintertime.