Greening project construction starting in August
The area under the Mercier Bridge, between the Old Malone Highway and the Montreal-bound ramp as it stands in July 2026. Olivier Cadotte The Eastern Door
Work on the new greenspace in Kahnawake is finally set to begin later this summer, bringing to fruition a project more than a decade in the making.
The Greening and Design Project, the transformation of the stretch of green space between the Mercier Bridge Highway 132 and the Old Malone service road, was first introduced in 2009 by Jacques Cartier Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI).
The area had previously been used by the JCCBI as a worksite on the Mercier Bridge.
Consultations led by PlanIt Consulting on what the project will look like have been underway for years in three phases. The third phase, which includes the construction, is still ongoing - work is set to begin in August and last until 2027.
“The purpose of the consultation was to put out feelers to the community, if this was something that people wanted at all, what challenges they might see with the project, and any ideas for what could go in that space,” said Maris Jacobs, PlanIt’s executive director.
The community’s response was clear: a large majority of those who participated were in favour, with the caveats that it should be safe and accessible.
During the three-year consultation period, surveys, focus groups, and workshops helped shape what the greenspace would look like after taking in comments and concerns from the hundreds who participated.
The final design, a mix of two plans introduced during the consultation process, incorporates elements like a walking path, public art displays, a basin, and gathering areas.
Although the consultation process is over, PlanIt will still be hosting two information kiosks next week at the Services Complex: on July 6 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and July 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The construction work will be done by local contractors in accordance with the design that was approved by the community - JCCBI will be paying for the work.
“It is 100 percent community designed, built for the community and built by the community,” said Mohawk Council of Kahnawake chief Arnold Boyer, who has been on the greening project file since his last term on the council table.
Boyer said the call for tender was put out last week and will last until mid-July.
The public art will also come from the community. PlanIt put out a call for artists to turn pieces made by local elementary school children into wood and concrete engravings.
The process is being done in collaboration with the Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language & Cultural Center (KOR), said Jacobs.
“A lot of people were in favour of an artistic theme in the space and also encouraged local artists to participate,” she said.
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“We have really nice blank surfaces of stone in the space that are a really great canvas for things like that.”
The JCCBI and the KOR have collaborated in the past, with the Mercier Bridge hanging banners with creations painted by artists from Kahnawake. The latest one, dedicated to Orange Shirt Day, was put up on the bridge earlier this year.
“The JCCBI has had a long, close working relationship with our community,” said Boyer.
“Things are coming together after all these years.”
