In a recently published article in Frontiers For Global Change, researchers found that no more than 2.9% of global landmass was considered to be free from human influence (Plumptre, et al, 2021). Be it through the introduction of invasive species, over-hunting, or the destruction of natural environments, practices of endless growth that dominate much of our economy and public policies seem determined to reduce this percentage to zero.

These pristine environments contain wealths of biodiversity and should be protected at all costs, but we should not overlook the importance of natural spaces in our local communities. To those of us who are lucky enough to live in proximity to natural spaces, it is our responsibility to make sure these ecological habitats are protected. In the case of Montreal, our green spaces are in terrible danger. In a paper written in 2016 in the journal Ecological Indicators, Montreal was recorded as having higher rates of urban sprawl than ever in its history (Nazarnia). It has been increasing at exponential rates, with new suburban developments overtaking forests and ecosystems at an alarming rate.

Just off the island of Montreal sits the island of Ile Perrot. Haydn, a resident there, has seen first hand the effects of urban sprawl. Countless trails and forested areas have been steadily built over. In place of these wooded groves and communities of life, development contractors have built large expensive communities. Formulaic houses sit row upon row; yet another artificial suburb built overnight. 

Now the municipality of Notre Dame de L’Ile Perrot (NDIP), seeks to add to its growing collection of shiny new dwellings by cutting down a vast swath of forest and destroying habitats to build five new housing developments. Seeing as many citizens are not engaged in municipal politics, the decision to develop this land went over without much public attention. Were it not for the organization “Notre Ile Nature” sending leaflets to residents, this action would likely have gone through without much resistance. The mayor of NDIP claims only “a handful of citizens care.” Should you disagree with this sentiment, let the city know! Send your concerns to notreilenature@gmail.com, and they will be brought to the council. 

It is our responsibility as living beings who share the land to provide this resistance. It is time to lead the change and protect our communities from irreversible harm.

Kayleigh Tooke & Haydn Strunga

Works Cited 

Nazarnia, Naghmeh, et al. “Accelerated Urban Sprawl in Montreal, Quebec City, and Zurich: Investigating the Differences Using Time Series 1951–2011.” Ecological Indicators, vol.60, 2016, pp. 1229–1251., doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.09.020. 

Plumptre, Andrew J., et al. “Where Might We Find Ecologically Intact Communities?” Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, vol. 4, 2021, doi:10.3389/ffgc.2021.626635. 

On April 21, Sustainable Concordia was thrilled to join with many other participating organizations to co-host the 2021 Sustainability Mixer. This event is an annual opportunity for people to learn more about and connect with the different sustainability initiatives that take place in and around the Concordia community. Cancelled for the first time in over five years in 2020 due to the pandemic, 2021 saw our first virtual Sustainability Mixer.

Montreal-based singer-songwriter Clerel performed an acoustic set to open the event. It felt surreal to listen to live music again and it really warmed the online space. After the performance, many organizations working at Concordia presented their mission, and then we got to mixing!

Each organization present hosted a break out rooms for participants to have one-on-one conversations with the representatives of varied organizations. There is a diversity in the sustainability projects in our community, which allowed people to gravitate towards initiatives that best reflected their interests throughout the evening. For example, there were organizations like the Concordia Food Coalition, the People’s Potato, and the Hive Café Solidarity Cooperative present, who provide food related services like food banks and free Meals on Wheels delivery services. Other organizations, like Zero Waste Concordia and CUCCR, focus on ways to reduce waste and to give a second life to objects people tend to throw away without a second thought.

To conclude the event, participants gathered for a virtual dance party. Thank you to everyone who participated and brought warmth and movement to the online space – we hope you enjoyed this year’s Sustainability Mixer and we look forward to next year’s event!

If you would like to access the mixer information pamphlet, which includes information and contact details for all participating organizations, you can download it here.

The following participants are winners of this year’s mixer raffle prizes:

2 Frigo Vert veggie baskets – Elise Gellatly & Andrew Kaprielian

2 gift cards to Lloydie’s – Flore Cretel & Megan Clarke

3 gift cards for Radish Co-Op – Maya Bobotis, Vatsal Trivedi, & Eseosa Idemudia  

2 gift cards to BUYPOC market participating businesses – Robert Forrester, & Tim Law

The Environment is Intersectional, a workshop facilitated by Lourdenie Jean, founder of L’environnement, c’est intersectionnel, was held on April 8th to conclude Sustainable Concordia’s Sustain’Alive 2021 free online event series. The workshop was an opportunity for people to learn, exchange, and share their questions on different topics related to intersectionality and the environment

Whether we realize it or not, every problem we face as a society today is multifaceted. Environmental issues are no exception and their impact is often greater in communities who have been systemically oppressed. Environmental racism and food sovereignty are just a couple examples of systems that are jeopardized via environmental destruction within these communities.

The concept of intersectionality was first introduced into academia in the 1980s by Kimberlé Crenshaw, American lawyer, civil rights advocate, philosopher, and prominent scholar of critical race theory. Intersectionality is “the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups” (Merriam-Webster definition, 2021).

The following statement by the Combahee River Collective, which came up in the workshop, is a wonderful way to envision what the application of intersectionality as it is intended could look like: “If Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression.”

During the workshop, Lourdenie guided participants through several subjects – all of which brought together the main theme: that the environment is intersectional. If your next question is “how?”, we thought this explanation by Lourdenie was extremely helpful in envisioning the statement: “The environment is intersectional means self-sustainability is a human right/capacity that was stolen by the system. It manifests by the imposition of third parties.”

We learned so much from this amazing facilitator and her workshop, and we hope participants did too! Thank you so much to every participant who joined us for Sustain’Alive 2021. We look forward to continuing this annual series in 2022.

Tiohtià:ke (so-called Montréal) is located on unceded Indigenous territory. It has historically been a meeting place for many nations, with the Kanien’kehá:ka as the stewards. We encourage you to reflect on your current and historical relationship to this land.

On March 16th, Sustainable Concordia held its first Sustain’Alive workshop of 2021. Facilitated by Dona La Luna, a multidisciplinary artist and facilitator, Building Capacity as Settlers was a safe space for people to meet, exchange, and build relationships through dialogue and creative exercises. The goal was to better understand the meaning of allyship and to identify the roadblocks that prevent us from being effective allies as settlers.

What came out through group discussions was that it’s normal to feel lost and anxious and confused. To be scared of making mistakes, to not know what the best thing to do is or when it is your place to speak up. It’s something we all struggle with to an extent – that doubt and anxiety. It can be delicate to navigate through a situation you don’t know enough about when you are afraid to perpetuate harm while trying to help.

To be a good ally, you should aim to support. It’s important to address the issues, but don’t try to make it about yourself. You shouldn’t speak over the people affected by a situation, simply pass their message along and elevate their voices in doing so.

It’s also important to be open-minded and to be able to recognize when you made a mistake. Be willing to listen, learn, and embrace the discomfort you may feel – because it’s not about you.

We need to respect each other, and take the time to listen.

If you are interested in learning more about sustainability organizing, we hope you will join us for the last two workshops coming up in our Sustain’Alive 2021 free online event series:

E-Waste: Let’s Play Our Part (Tuesday, April 6, 2-3:30pm) (Eventbrite link)

The Environment is Intersectional (Thursday, April 8, 5-7pm) (Eventbrite link)

Tiohtià:ke (so-called Montréal) is located on unceded Indigenous territory. It has historically been a meeting place for many nations, with the Kanien’kehá:ka as the stewards. We encourage you to reflect on your current and historical relationship to this land.

Sustainability affects everyone. When faced with a global issue such as this, there is only so much we can do by ourselves. That is why getting involved with an organization can be a great first step towards building sustainable communities. Not only does it allow people to connect, share opinions, and information, but it also gives them a greater opportunity to listen and to be heard. It gives them the resources and the megaphone.

From its creation in 2002, Sustainable Concordia has always sought to engage folks in their own future. By encouraging students to cultivate local communities, we hope that they feel like they can truly make a change in their global community.

The goal is to empower people. We believe that there is strength in unity and that with a collective effort, we can truly change things for the better. By organizing a variety of workshops and events, centered on sustainability, community, and campaign-building, we hope to give tools to our community so that they can change the world in their own way. No matter how big or small the action, it is a step in the right direction.

Ultimately, we are all part of a global community, and our duty is to get the ball rolling – to start the conversations we have been putting off for too long, to take concrete actions towards more sustainable practices in order to leave a world that is not burned to ashes for future generations. Seek community, discuss, plan, and act together and one step at a time, we will get there.

If you are interested in learning more about sustainability organizing, we hope you will join us for our upcoming free, online event series: Sustain’Alive 2021.

Tiohtià:ke (so-called Montréal) is located on unceded Indigenous territory. It has historically been a meeting place for many nations, with the Kanien’kehá:ka as the stewards. We encourage you to reflect on your current and historical relationship to this land.

We’re approaching almost a year of a whole new day-to-day. Many of us are feeling the isolation as we miss the loved ones we’re separated from. The bright news is: there are many ways to show you care that don’t cost a thing, and that don’t create next year’s trash (not to mention that awkward moment when you’re trying to decide if you should keep that old Valentine’s card that’s practically made of plastic or throw it in the bin).

This Valentine’s Day, show you care in a way that sidesteps capitalism and sustains your most meaningful relationships.

1. Write a simple letter. When was the last time you sat down, put paper to pen, and let your pals know how much they mean to you? These days, when many folx are feeling isolated and uncertain about the future, it is especially important to let our loved ones know how they have impacted us. No social media needed – and we all know we could use a break from the screen!

2. Separated from a loved one due to pandemic restrictions? Try doing an activity that you love doing together or that reminds you of them and send them the proof. Trust me: your pal, parent, cousin, sibling, or other special someone will love to know that you’re thinking of them while you stroll a nostalgic neighbourhood or bake something sweet.

3. Share a story at Queering the Map. This is a community-generated counter-mapping platform that digitally archives LGBTQ2IA+ experience in relation to physical spaces. When you share something that means a lot to you, you put an opportunity out there into the universe for someone to come across your words and feel less alone, get the warm and fuzzies, or simply to find joy in your joy.

These days, we all could use a little extra love. So share yours where you can, and don’t forget to show it to yourself in some way each and every day.

Happy Valentine’s Day from Sustainable Concordia!

Tiohtià:ke (so-called Montréal) is located on unceded Indigenous territory. It has historically been a meeting place for many nations, with the Kanien’kehá:ka as the stewards. We encourage you to reflect on your current and historical relationship to this land.