This financial overview combines the balance sheets and comparative results of Les amis de la montagne, the Centre de la montagne and Café des Amis, three related organizations operating under the banner Les amis de la montagne.
The financial statements of the three organizations are available upon request.
35 Years of Service Dedicated to the
Mountain and the Community
2020 / 2021 Impact Report
A year of change and resilience
" Nothing could have prepared us for the shockwave of the pandemic which has underscored the interconnectedness of environmental sustainability and human health worldwide."
President’s Message
Nothing could have prepared us for the shockwave of the pandemic which has underscored the interconnectedness of environmental sustainability and human health worldwide.
Here at the heart of Montreal, parks became havens of natural beauty, playgrounds and getaways for the millions who sought to escape lockdown. Access to verdant public spaces emerged as a basic requirement for our mental, physical and social well-being.
The popularity of Mount Royal reached new heights, with record visitors to its parks and woodlands. Required to cancel much of its programming due to the pandemic, Les amis de la montagne turned its focus to monitoring trends in how the mountain was being used. With limited onsite supervision, we witnessed a dramatic increase in off-trail activity, with worrisome consequences for the territory’s biodiversity and landscape value.
Our education, stewardship and community relations teams responded by pivoting to online communications to inform Montrealers about simple, actions they can take to keep our mountain’s natural habitats healthy and beautiful.
With fellow Mount Royal stakeholders—including universities, the Oratory, cemeteries and local environmental associations—we sounded the alarm about the need to act now to reverse the trend of natural habitat deterioration and biodiversity loss on the mountain.
Engaging with these stakeholders revealed a keen interest in joining forces to identify sustainable property management innovations to support Mount Royal’s biodiversity. Inspired by the work of community improvement districts and communities of practice, Les amis is playing a key role in bringing together partners to tackle urban environmental challenges through knowledge-sharing and the exploration of promising new practices in the pursuit of a sustainable future for the mountain.
Les amis was also ambitious in promoting land ownership, governance and occupancy models to ensure the visionary future for the Royal Victoria Hospital which we believe must preserve its landmark presence and its vocation as an eminently sustainable community asset at the heart of the Mount Royal Heritage Site, for today and generations to come.
Against the backdrop of the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, Les amis marked 35 years of service to the mountain earlier this year, thanks to unwavering engagement and generosity of the whole community.
PETER A. HOWLETT, C.M.
President of the Board of Directors
© Pixup MTL
© Emily Coffey
The mountain loses an esteemed friend in 2020
In July 2020, we mourned the loss of our dear friend and colleague Jean Décarie, one of Les amis’s longstanding governors and 2006 awardee of the Prix du Mont-Royal. Among his major contributions to the mountain’s sustainability, Jean Décarie wrote the first Mount Royal Protection and Enhancement Plan for the City of Montréal from 1987 to 1991.
Read about the contributions of this esteemed friend of the mountain by clicking on this linkExecutive Director’s Message
"Les amis de la montagne was hit hard by the pandemic. We have had to reinvent the way we work together, welcome visitors, present our programs, keep our donors engaged, care for the mountain and work with our partners."
Executive Director’s Message
Les amis de la montagne was hit hard by the pandemic. We have had to reinvent the way we work together, welcome visitors, present our programs, keep our donors engaged, care for the mountain and work with our partners.
This crisis resulted in a significant decline in our revenues and uncovered weaknesses which had to be addressed quickly. But it also revealed the strengths of our team, our organizational culture and our business model. Fortunately, the impact revenue losses were mitigated by invaluable emergency salary support provided by the government, which allowed us to maintain our services and the dedicated staff that provides them.
Thanks to the cooperation of every team at Les amis and the wise counsel of our board directors, we were able to come through this challenging year, ever mindful of effective resource and financial management.
By adapting to the circumstances, we were able to maintain vital ties with the communities we serve through educational services, outdoor services and the Café des Amis, the volunteers involved in our environmental activities, our governors, donors and sponsors. We also work closely with committed partners on novel solutions for the mountain's sustainable future. As a result, Les amis was able to serve the mountain and the community well, despite the constraints.
In this period of surging visitation to the mountain’s woodlands and parklands, Les amis's presence has never been more important in welcoming visitors, offering programs to address people’s nature deficit, combining the need for outdoor activities with awareness of sustainable practices, ensuring follow-ups on public space use and management with the City of Montréal, and monitoring the ecological integrity of Mount Royal’s green space.
The mountain needs us if it is to continue to play a positive role in our physical and mental health and the well-being of the community. It will take innovation in simple and inspiring strategies to increase citizen engagement around a practical vision for safeguarding the mountain's exceptional value as a community asset. Les amis will be there, in force, to inspire and guide this process.
Hélène Panaïoti
Executive Director
© Pixup MTL
A year of many challenges
Struck with the full force of the ongoing global health crisis, Les amis de la montagne faced unprecedented challenges in 2020-2021, which revealed its vulnerability but also its extraordinary strengths and resourcefulness. Staff, board and a whole community of volunteer committee members and supporters pulled together to find new ways of working to fulfill Les amis's mission in ever-changing and uncertain conditions. This report is a testament to our organization’s creativity and resilience.
About Les amis
Trusted friends of Mount Royal for 35 years
A breath of fresh air. A view in a million. A place to live, work or get away from it all. Mount Royal is many things to many people. This small mountain holds a big place in our history, heritage and heart. Famous for its parks, dense woodlands and biodiversity, Mount Royal is home to thriving neighbourhoods, schools and universities, hospitals, places of worship and cemeteries steeped in history. Its land is coveted yet threatened by urban development, pollution and invasive non native pests, to name a few. Sustainability is at issue.
Since 1986, Les amis de la montagne has been a standard-bearer for the protection and improvement of Mount Royal through advocacy, community involvement, environmental education and stewardship. Since our early days as a grassroots movement, we have grown into a fully fledged organization supported by a vast community willing to move mountains for the benefit of this beloved green space in the heart of our city.
Les amis’s achievements rest largely on the knowledgeable and dedicated people who make up its great team, and in their commitment to protecting Montreal’s beloved Mount Royal.
Environmental Conservation
Les amis deploys considerable efforts to maintain the health and accessibility of its vast green spaces with and for the community. The benefits of nature for our physical and mental health and the well-being of the community were made abundantly evident during the pandemic. However, increased use of the mountain has exposed the vulnerability of its ecosystems and confirmed, more than ever, the need to protect them. At the height of the pandemic in 2020-2021, health measures limited our on-site contact with the public. Our team was nonetheless able to adapt its conservation and awareness-building activities in order to continue to keep the public and our volunteers informed of key conservation issues and aware of sustainable habits and practices to adopt when visiting the mountain.
Environmental Stewardship Program
Since 2009, Les amis's Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) has been providing the Montréal community with growing opportunities for hands-on support of the mountain's biodiversity. It offers a range of environmental activities that allows volunteers to nurture the mountain's environment each year. Health measures implemented during the pandemic forced us to cancel many of these activities in 2020-2021, including the popular Corvée du Mont-Royal. The absence of volunteers was sorely felt, but the field work done by Les amis partially made up for the loss of their caring hands.
Monitoring tree growth
Our conservation team documented the state of 1,111 of the 35,000+ native trees and shrubs planted with volunteers since 1994.
Monitoring invasive plant control measures
To gauge the effectiveness of measures carried out since 2006 to control invasive plant species, Les amis conducted a new monitoring program over a 12,000 sq m area.
Managing buckthorn
During the short time that health measures allowed us to work on-site with volunteers, we successfully cut back 4,152 sqm of buckthorn.
© Frédérique Ménard-Aubin
© A. Dobrovolskyj
![Inviter les Montréalais]()
Monitoring tree growth
Our conservation team documented the state of 1,111 of the 35,000+ native trees and shrubs planted with volunteers since 1994.
![Inviter les Montréalais]()
Monitoring invasive plant control measures
To gauge the effectiveness of measures carried out since 2006 to control invasive plant species, Les amis conducted a new monitoring program over a 12,000 sq m area.
![Inviter les Montréalais]()
Managing buckthorn
During the short time that health measures allowed us to work on-site with volunteers, we successfully cut back 4,152 sqm of buckthorn.
Did you know?
Cornerstone Parks Program
— Along with Park People, the High Park Nature Centre (Toronto) and the Stanley Park Ecology Society (Vancouver), Les amis de la montagne are the founding partners in a national network dedicated to maximizing the impact and influence of Canada's large urban parks on the well-being of city dwellers, as well as seeking to quantify the environmental and social benefits of the volunteer stewardship programs led in urban forests.
© Michael Vesia
All Roads Lead to Conservation
To encourage continuing care for Mount Royal, even in times of self-isolation, Les amis’s conservation team took to connecting remotely with mountain lovers and volunteers. Here are a few examples…
© Michèle Daoust
Project FeederWatch
Trained and coordinated by Les amis, 215 volunteer birdwatchers took part in this annual North America-wide citizen science project, working on their own to document winter bird sightings on Mount Royal’s bird feeder circuit, making it easy to respect health measures. Volunteers sighted 1,629 birds of 22 different species over 406 hours – a record participation and the most representative avian population census since the beginning of our involvement in Project FeederWatch.
Free Webinars
Les amis experts stayed in touch with volunteers when environmental stewardship fieldwork ground to a halt, and shared knowledge they gained from research projects carried out by our Conservation team.
200 live webinar participants
647 webinar viewings on our YouTube channel
Meet members of our conservation team at work
Monitoring Natural Habitats
Our eyes and ears on the mountain, Les amis’s patrollers collect and report data relative to the state of the mountain’s woodlands and green spaces, and engage with park goers about the importance of nature conservation and protecting plant and wildlife habitats. From July to March, Les amis spent more than 185 days patrolling the territory.
Cross-country ski patrols
Introduced this winter, this new approach makes it possible to survey problems in locations inaccessible on foot.
CONSERVATION MATTERS
awareness kiosk
Over 6 sessions in Mount Royal Park, we raised awareness about environmental issues such as illicit trail development, the proliferation of invasive exotic plant species and other issues, with 161 park visitors.
Monitoring off-trail walking
Les amis patrolled the dangerous and fragile Escarpment sector and informed park goers about the risks and problems associated with their presence in this area.
© Anthony Daniel
Fighting the emerald ash borer
In partnership with the City of Montreal, Les Amis spent over 75 hours in Mount Royal Park engaging with park visitors about tree culling and reforestation as preferred strategy to mitigate the impacts of this infestation.
Testimonials
Flip the image over to read some inspiring testimonials about Les amis!
© Frédérique Ménard-Aubin
I like to think that my involvement is part of a constellation of forces that can be mobilized to play an even more active role in the conservation of the entire Mount Royal Heritage Site.
Line Bonneau
Conservation Volunteer
© ERONDIA
Once again this year, the collaborations with Les amis de la montagne have been multiple and very fruitful. Whether through our involvement in the community of practice with institutional partners, the addition of our voice in favour of the protection of nature, or the participation in the deliberations about the future of certain sectors of Mount Royal, we have had, on numerous occasions, the opportunity to unite our expertise and our networks for the protection and enhancement of the mountain.
Emmanuel Rondia
Executive Director, Conseil régional de l'environnement de Montréal
© Frédérique Ménard-Aubin
I like to think that my involvement is part of a constellation of forces that can be mobilized to play an even more active role in the conservation of the entire Mount Royal Heritage Site.
Ariane Bernier
Les amis’s Environmental Conservation Patrol Lead
Did you know?
In partnership with the City of Montréal, Les amis led a trail awareness campaign in the parks of Mount Royal. More than 50 illegal trails were closed off with ropes.
Advocacy
© Joel Guilbault
Repurposing the Former Royal Victoria Hospital
Repurposing the Former Royal Victoria Hospital
The Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI) has been working with McGill University and the City of Montréal since 2019 to develop a master plan for the repurposing of the Royal Victoria Hospital (RV). Les amis de la montagne is taking an active part in this process and preparing for public consultations to be led by the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) starting in September 2021.
Les amis has been proactive in public forums to ensure that the intentions announced in the SQI Master Plan and the McGill University Opportunity Brief meet the community’s aspirations for the enhancement of that part of the mountain's natural and cultural heritage. In addition to holding a public information session on the future of the RV with the SQI and three guest experts, Clément Demers, Jonathan Cha and Mallory Wilson, Les amis de la montagne joined forces with Heritage Montreal to organise over 20 meetings to discuss the Royal Victoria’s unique repurposing potential with key Government of Québec decision makers, the City of Montréal, the SQI and McGill University. We also signed an open letter published in the print media.
Our representations aim to ensure that fundamental questions are debated, including what work will be executed and how the integrity of Mount Royal’s natural, cultural and landscape heritage will be maintained. Les amis also considers the issues of site ownership and long-term governance to be essential. For several years, they have been asking that the public ownership of the land be maintained as well as its community service vocation, and that Mount Royal Park be extended into the property of the Royal Victoria, towards the city.
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A Vision for Improved Accessibility on the Mountain
A Vision for Improved Accessibility on the Mountain
In June 2020, Les amis took part in stakeholder consultations held by the City of Montréal’s Bureau du Mont-Royal, as part of a process undertaken by the Table de concertation du Mont-Royal to propose a global vision for accessibility on mountain territory.
Les amis emphasized the importance of taking an inventory of entrances, trails and uses on the Mount Royal Heritage Site and evaluating them through the lens of the carrying capacity of the territory’s woodlands and green spaces, and the need to respond to winter and summer conditions. We also reiterated the need to improve public transit services to meet the requirements of mountain goers, and to focus on active transportation, both as means of reducing car use. Les amis also pointed to proper signage and the implementation of framework to guide uses and practices, accompanied by awareness and education programs for park users, as imperative. The development of park welcome services located at strategic entrance points to the mountain was also on our list. Finally, Les amis underscored the importance of announcing and implementing this vision before major decisions are made to repurpose access roads, and of ensuring that this vision is integrated in the master (re-)development plan of each major property on the mountain.
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Côte-des-Neiges/Remembrance Intersection and Park Entrance
Côte-des-Neiges/Remembrance Intersection and Park Entrance
The City’s redevelopment plan for the Côte-des-Neiges/Remembrance intersection and park entrance will reshape the cultural and natural value of this sector of Mount Royal for decades to come. Les amis de la montagne intervened from the outset and continued its representations with recommendations aimed at achieving an exemplary project. This includes improved green connectivity and safe walking access from Mount Royal Park to Westmount’s Summit Woods, and a thoughtfully designed and landscaped sector and park entrance worthy of the site’s outstanding heritage value.
Redevelopment of the roadways began in spring 2021 and the creation of the new entrance to Mount Royal Park is still subject to approval by the Conseil du patrimoine culturel du Québec.
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Mount Royal Protection and Enhancement Plan: Taking Stock at the 10-Year Mark
Mount Royal Protection and Enhancement Plan: Taking Stock at the 10-Year Mark
In November 2020, following the collaborative process led by the Bureau du Mont-Royal to which Les amis had submitted 32 recommendations, the Table de concertation du Mont-Royal (TCMR) adopted, by consensus, new priorities for the continuing implementation of the Mount Royal Protection and Enhancement Plan from 2020 to 2025. These include establishing policies, regulations, orientations, practices and administrative provisions to ensure the implementation of four main priorities:
Monitoring the conservation of natural and cultural heritage; Revising the provisions for Mount Royal in the City’s upcoming Urban Design and Mobility Plan; Adopting and implementing the global vision for accessibility on the mountain; Information, awareness and participation.
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© Jean-Claude Charron
Preserve the Iconic Presence of Mount Royal in the City's Landscape
Preserve the Iconic Presence of Mount Royal in the City's Landscape
As the debate over increasing the maximum building height authorized in downtown Montréal caught the media’s attention, several organizations voiced their disagreement. Les amis encouraged candidates and elected officials to renew their commitment to the protection and enhancement of the mountain's iconic presence in the city, more specifically by revising height limits and establishing specifications for clearer distances between high-rise buildings.
On April 19, 2021, Montréal's City Council adopted a declaration on the importance of preserving the uniqueness of Montréal's landscape. The declaration reiterates the emblematic importance of Mount Royal in Montréal's identity and stresses that the mountain's predominance as a critical landmark must remain a priority in urban planning and architectural policies. The daily newspaper Le Devoir subsequently published an open letter on the subject co-signed by Les amis de la montagne, Heritage Montréal, the Conseil régional de l'environnement de Montréal, the Ordre des urbanistes du Québec and the Association des architectes paysagistes du Québec. Read the open letter...
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Sport Activities and Conflicts of Use
Sport Activities and Conflicts of Use
During the pandemic, gyms were closed and the lockdown made it impossible to leave the city to practice recreational activities. The mountain suddenly became a very popular place to go for a workout, putting additional pressure on the mountain's already fragile natural environment. Heightened use and traffic resulted in an increase in the number of rogue trails, used extensively by runners, walkers and cyclists.
As a result, Les amis de la montagne and several partners, including the Fabrique de la paroisse Notre-Dame de Montréal, Mount Royal Cemetery, De ville en forêt, Park People, the Conseil régional de l'environnement de Montréal, the World Wildlife Fund and Équiterre, wrote to municipal decision makers to share their observations and concerns about Mount Royal’s perishing ecosystems, offering expert cooperation in devising a large-scale communications campaign to stave off further damages. The goal was to raise awareness among all mountain users about the vulnerability of biodiversity and to encourage environmentally sustainable behaviours.
In response, the City of Montréal developed and deployed a campaign promoting responsible behaviour in all public parks. Parallel to this, Les amis de la montagne is working with partners to launch a public awareness campaign in 2021-2022, promoting sustainable practices and behaviours in support of Mount Royal Heritage Site woodlands and green space as a whole.
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© Pixup MTL
Key Mountain Stakeholders About the Need to Protect Mount Royal’s Biodiversity
Key Mountain Stakeholders About the Need to Protect Mount Royal’s Biodiversity
In December 2020, Les amis organized a first meeting of representatives of schools and universities, cemeteries, hospitals and other large property owners established on Mount Royal to discuss the sustainable management of their properties in a bid to support the integrity of natural ecosystems and biodiversity on the territory. By engaging local decision makers, their employees and the users of their sites, Les amis hopes to foster enlightened decision-making in support of environmentally sustainable practices. During the event, a unanimous enthusiasm shared by all participants revealed a willingness to pursue this goal together. Communities of practice on specific themes, notably on sustainable snow and turf management, are emerging from this promising concerted approach.
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© Lorenzo Bustillo
Montréal’s 2050 Urban Design and Mobility Plan
Montréal’s 2050 Urban Design and Mobility Plan
In February 2021, Les amis de la montagne participated in city-run ideation workshops designed to inform the development of Montréal's 2050 Urban Design and Mobility Plan. Les amis promoted the importance of including the mountain into the urban plan to affirm its dominant presence in the city’s landscape; to reaffirm the transcendent quality of its green space on the Mount Royal Heritage Site; and to underscore its strong connectivity with the island’s network of parks.
Les amis also emphasized the importance of integrating the mountain's active and collective transportation network into the mobility plan; of reinforcing the protection of Mount Royal's green space and natural habitats; and of integrating measures established in the Mount Royal Protection and Enhancement Plan. Les amis is preparing to take an active part in the upcoming public consultation process to ensure that the protection and enhancement of the mountain are properly provided for in this important planning document and lead to the recognition of Mount Royal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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© Nancy Bourque
Université de Montréal’s Mountain Campus Master Development Plan
Université de Montréal’s Mountain Campus Master Development Plan
In March 2021, Les amis de la montagne took part in a public consultation led by the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) about the Main Campus Master Development Plan of Université de Montréal and its affiliated schools. In the brief it presented, Les amis stressed the importance of ensuring that the plan guides the consolidation of the campus’ existing built environment while respecting its heritage qualities, as well as the enhancement of views and landscapes to and from the mountain. Les amis also recommended that existing and new green space be protected and improved, and that provisions be made to further contribute to the mountain’s accessibility and attractiveness. Consult the brief published on the OCPM website.
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© Clairette Paquette
Creation of the Montréal Park People Network
Creation of the Montréal Park People Network
In 2020, Les amis des parcs (Park People), the Centre d’écologie urbaine de Montréal, the Conseil régional de l'environnement de Montréal and Les amis de la montagne joined forces to create the Montréal Park People Network. Our involvement in several working groups prepared the way for such a network designed to support and connect citizens engaged in park activation and to facilitate working with municipal representatives and partners. The initiative provides a national platform for the community to promote best practices in park programming, community engagement, funding and operations. A number of public events involving Les amis de la montagne will result from the creation of the network.
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Did you know?
Les amis de la montagne, in collaboration with the Centre régional de l'environnement de Montréal, initiated communities of practice with institutional partners on issues essential to the resilience and biodiversity of the mountain, including the sustainable management of snow and grassy areas.
Educational, Cultural and
Outdoor Programming
Les amis de la montagne’s educational, cultural and outdoor recreational programs are designed to promote people’s attachment to the mountain, a deep appreciation for its exceptional natural and cultural heritage, and an awareness of the benefits it provides.
COVID-19-related lockdowns forced us to cancel most of our onsite school, family and cultural activities for the greater part of the year. Our creative and passionate team was nonetheless able to reinvent the way we work with the public, to maintain ties with the community despite restrictions, and to continue to enhance visitor experience on the mountain.
The Benefits of Connecting with Nature
There is a growing body of evidence that the absence of direct contact with nature deprives children of opportunities to enhance their health and well-being, and to develop responsible long-term environmental behaviour. Although we had to cancel many of our youth programs, Les amis's educational team found ways to ensure that as many young people and families as possible continued to enjoy the benefits of our programs and visits to the mountain. Our Day Camp, Forest School activities, and self-guided discovery tours helped mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic on children and their families.
Helps hone motor skills, stimulate physical activity and discover the pleasure of being outdoors
Fosters the development of pro-environmental values and behaviours
Stimulates curiosity about nature and the surrounding environment
Helps develop self-esteem and confidence
Adapting our Programs to Stay in Touch, In Person or Remotely
© Freddy Arciniegas
5,900 downloads
of two independent Nature Immersion Activity Guides for families with children aged 0-5 years old, designed to help explore Mount Royal’s woodlands and green space.
764 children
participated in educational programs either by visiting Mount Royal or attending a new remote interactive videoconference activity called Le mont Royal en direct.
© Freddy Arciniegas
216 children
participated in the "pandemic edition" of Les amis’s Summer Day Camp. Adapting and operating the camp in this context was an amazing accomplishment that resulted in 10,675 hours of fun for the kids in the park, without a single reported case of COVID-19!
© Freddy Arciniegas
38 Forest School sessions
were facilitated by our team, either in person or remotely via videoconference, supported by 10 activity guides adapted for groups of children aged 12 and under.
200 elementary school students
and their teachers participate in an adapted version of our Seeds for the Future of Mount Royal program, which involves collecting tree seeds on the mountain in the fall, planting and caring for them in the classroom, and returning them to the nursery in the spring.
Did you know?
We made use of the year to evaluate our Forest School on Mount Royal program and shared our report with educators at the AQPERE virtual symposium in November 2020.
A Fresh Outlook on the Mountain
With COVID-19 making it impossible to present onsite cultural and interpretive programs including May: Mount Royal Month, Les Amis was still able to pivot to stand-alone and virtual activities.
Self-guided discovery walks
4 online self-guided tours were created to allow visitors to discover the park with the help of their smartphones: Le tour du lac, La balade au sommet, Les mystères du Lac-aux-Castors and the Rallye Les mystères du lac aux Castors (winter edition) were viewed 3 599 times.
Promenons-nous dans les bois kiosk
Our new mobile awareness-raising kiosk allowed 5,000 people, over 48 days, to discover the mountain's natural heritage and the issues related to its conservation.
Prix du Mont-Royal 2020
The Prix du Mont-Royal honours individuals and institutions who have demonstrated a strong commitment and outstanding actions towards the protection and improvement of the mountain. Created by Les amis de la montagne in 2005, the Prix du Mont-Royal is hosted annually by Les amis in association with the City of Montréal.
Watch the video
Prix du Mont-Royal
Prix du Mont-Royal
Les amis de la montagne, in association with the City of Montréal, presented the Prix du Mont-Royal to Dr. Guy Breton, who distinguished himself as a strong advocate for the mountain over the course of his tenure as Rector of the Université de Montréal (UdeM) from 2010 to 2020.
In 2014, under the leadership of Dr Breton, the University committed to adding no new constructions on the mountain and to encroaching no further upon its green space. UdeM also ceded, for a period of 50 years, a substantial portion of its property in the wooded areas of Outremont Summit for the City to convert into a conservation park, recently named Tiohtià:ke Otsira'kéhne Park.
Guy Breton also authorized the development, on UdeM property, of a significant portion of the ring road (chemin de ceinture) that links the Outremont and Mount Royal summits by active transportation.
Finally, the University innovated under his leadership, creating a biodiversity advisory position reporting to the Rectorate, a first in Quebec. The presentation of the Prix du Mont-Royal to Guy Breton in December 2020 coincided with the awarding of a perfect score to the Université de Montréal, in the Biodiversity and Land Management category, by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
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Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention
A long-time model volunteer on Mount Royal, Line Bonneau is among those who have donated the most hours to Les amis's Environmental Stewardship Program. She embodies all the values that sustain the vitality of Mount Royal's green spaces and scenic beauty. Her leadership and experience are an enduring source of inspiration for Les amis's team and all volunteers. In addition to her contributions to the mountain, Line Bonneau has initiated several projects to restore and protect natural environments in the surrounding area.
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Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention
Denis Fournier made a rich contribution to the field of urban biology over the course of 30 years of service in wildlife management with the City of Montréal. He carried out numerous projects to preserve quality habitats for wildlife, including the development of a tree habitat management program for animals. An authority in his field, Denis Fournier is known for his willingness to share his knowledge. He is also an outstanding wildlife photographer, and is credited with a vast collection of images taken on the Mount Royal territory.
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Photo Contest
Every year, amateur and professional photographers take part in our photo competition, A Mountain in Pictures. Over the years, thanks to contributions made by several hundred photographers, this competition has allowed Les amis de la montagne to develop a remarkable collection, with more than 3,700 magnificent images to date, that document the vitality and beauty of the myriad facets of Mount Royal.
Due to the pandemic, our 2020-2021 photo competition schedule had to be adjusted. Awardees will be announced in the fall of 2021.
© Sylvain Messier
Park Visitor Services
Les amis plays a key role in welcoming visitors to Mount Royal Park and the new Tiohtià:ke Otsira'kéhne Park as part of a partnership agreement with the City of Montréal. We offer a full range of park visitor services, including a welcome desk at Smith House, gift shops, food services, and recreational equipment rentals. The net proceeds of these services are reinvested in our environmental conservation and education programs.
A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body
In addition to providing the information required to plan a visit to Mount Royal on our website at lemontroyal.qc.ca, Les Amis continued to operate its onsite welcome desk at Smith House, as well as telephone and e-mail information services. Our summer outdoor activity programs were cancelled because of the lockdown but luckily, we were able to relaunch our operations in the park in time for winter. Thanks to support from the City of Montréal, Les amis provided free snowshoe and cross-country ski rentals to children aged 4 to 17 through online booking. Trailers installed by the City adjacent to Beaver Lake Pavilion made it possible to keep our rental services running in full compliance with health and safety measures. Thanks to a strong spirit of cooperation between City and Les amis staff, the Montréal community was able to fully enjoy the benefits of the mountain in winter, even during this unprecedented pandemic period.
18 166
transactions in total, a decrease of 66% in winter and 83% in summer.
6 279
skate rentals
5 537
snow tubing passes
1 162
crazy carpet rentals - New!
3 518
cross-country ski rentals
1 670
snowshoe rentals
© Agence Culte
© Agence Culte
© Agence Culte
© Agence Culte
© Agence Culte
© Agence Culte
![Inviter les Montréalais]()
18 166
transactions in total, a decrease of 66% in winter and 83% in summer.
![Inviter les Montréalais]()
6 279
skate rentals
![Inviter les Montréalais]()
5 537
snow tubing passes
![Inviter les Montréalais]()
1 162
crazy carpet rentals - New!
![Inviter les Montréalais]()
3 518
cross-country ski rentals
![Inviter les Montréalais]()
1 670
snowshoe rentals
Café des Amis
The Café des Amis was hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Ever-changing health restrictions reduced the capacity of our operations at the Pavilion and the Chalet, and forced the Smith House Café into temporary closure. Our team saved the day by fully pivoting to take-out. The Café’s remarkably loyal and dedicated staff remained on hand over the year, always happy to interact face-to-face with visitors in Mount Royal’s enchanting park setting.
© Agence Culte
175 000 transactions
Despite health restrictions that generated a 62% drop in attendance, the Café des Amis remained a popular service in the park.
100 picnic baskets
The new all-inclusive Picnic Basket option, allowing visitors to enjoy the great outdoors along with a good meal, was a hit!
95% of customers were satisfied!
According to Google My Business, good marks were given for customer service, despite a difficult situation.
Outreach and Community Engagement
The strength of Les amis de la montagne
Lies in the quality of its ties with the community and the willingness of all to participate in meaningful actions to ensure Mount Royal’s sustainability. The power of partnerships was once again at the core of Les amis’s achievements this year. More than ever, the mountain’s welfare is contingent on targeted, multifaceted digital communications to maintain vital contact:
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unique visitors to the site in the year
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Web pages seen per month
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followers on social media
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subscribers to our newsletter
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appearances in the media in the year
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key partners
Website visitor profile
Les amis in the Public Eye
Throughout this unprecedented year, Les amis was successful in celebrating the mountain, keeping the community informed, commenting on current events, and communicating its vision and positions on all matters relating to Mount Royal. Here is an overview of the visibility we generated and the projects we targeted.
Happy Birthday Mount Royal Park!
May 24, 2020 marked the 144th anniversary of Mount Royal Park. The lockdown made it impossible to celebrate the event together in large numbers, so Orchestre Métropolitain Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin agreed to share his love for the mountain in a video posted to social media. He invited the community to commemorate the day by sharing memories of moments in the park using the keyword #BonneFêteMontRoyal
Partners for the Park and the Community
Les amis de la montagne and the City of Montréal have had a fruitful partnership since the 1980s, working collaboratively to protect and improve Mount Royal Park and more recently Tiohtià:ke Otsira'kéhne Park, and to enhance visitor experience.
In 2020-2021, 13% of Les amis's overall revenues came from the City of Montréal's financial contribution. Environmental education, conservation and stewardship activities, park welcome centre, cultural and interpretive programs, and nature awareness patrols are among the programs it funds. Our intimate knowledge of Mount Royal allows Les amis to play an advisory role for the City.
Financial Overview
A Year Heavily Impacted by the Pandemic
Les amis’s business model is based on three revenue streams: funds raised from donors and partners; public funding, including that of the City of Montréal; and revenues generated by fee-based services and programs offered to visitors.
This model, which has sustained our growth over the years, was put to the test by the pandemic in 2020-2021, leaving us particularly vulnerable to dramatic loss of revenue, notably as a result of the absence of tourists in Mount Royal Park.
Nevertheless, the pandemic was a catalyst for sharpening responsiveness and adaptability. We are proud of the results and confident in our organisational resilience as we enter the second year of the health crisis.
Impact of the Pandemic on Les amis's Revenue
Difference between 2019-2020 (pre-pandemic) and 2020-2021
- Fee-based services, programs and activities: ↓ 38 %
- Donations, sponsorships and other contributions: 0 %
- Public funding (including City of Montréal at 13 %) : ↑ 37 %
Impact of the Pandemic on Les amis's Revenue
Difference between 2019-2020 and 2020-2021
The significant percentage variance in revenue sources from last year is due to the loss of revenue from our fee-based services, programs and activities - including outdoor recreational activities and equipment rentals, food services, gift shop sales and educational programs - which were not available due to the health measures, and to an increase in government funding, as Les amis relied on the emergency support measures put in place to offset the loss of revenue.
Prior to the pandemic, the three-year average of total revenue from our fee-based services and programs was 67%. From March 2020, the revenue stream from these programs and services dropped to 29% of total revenue. We thus sought out other sources of revenue to maintain these programs and services. Les amis received grants, subsidies and loans from the governments of Canada and Quebec, and the City of Montréal. As a result, the proportion of revenue from public funding increased from a pre-pandemic average of 12% to 49% in 2020-2021.
Community Support
Essential to the Pursuit of our Mission
Investing in the vibrancy of Mount Royal benefits everyone. We could not achieve our mission without the dedication of an energetic group of volunteers who work for our cause, and the enthusiastic response of the community. In this unprecedented year, we were comforted, encouraged and deeply touched by their generosity.
Funds Raised* in 2020-2021: $781,852
Sadly, the pandemic made it impossible to hold our signature winter and spring fundraisers. This motivated us to review our positioning in the current philanthropic landscape and to revisit our priorities. The exercise led to the refinement of our fundraising strategy and a new three-year philanthropic development plan to be implemented in 2021-2022.
Good shots of the year
Passons le chapeau pour le mont Royal!
Cancelling Chapeau mont Royal! during lockdown was not an option for Carole Labelle Molson, the originator of this fundraiser. Confident that canvassing donations in lieu of ticket purchases would reap results, she designed Passons le Chapeau and enlisted the help of fellow committee members. Passing the hat for our education programs raised $85,918 in just a few weeks in June 2020.
An initiative by young Les amis governors and active committee members
Marie-Josée Vaillancourt and Julien Deschênes invited their network of friends, family and colleagues to celebrate their respective birthdays in January 2021 with a donation to our cause. This initiative generated $1,955 in direct donations to Les amis, a testament to their commitment to the mountain.
Annual campaign
Les amis’s 2020-21 annual campaign exceeded its goal, which had been scaled down due to the pandemic, by raising $531,852. In comparison, the same campaign raised $437,709 in 2019-2020.
Did you know?
Ten years after Rio Tinto's last major contribution to Les amis de la montagne's mission, we are delighted to be able to count on its renewed support for a three-year period beginning in 2021-22, for a total of $150,000. As we begin our post-pandemic recovery plan, this funding will help ensure the stability of our environmental stewardship and awareness activities.
2020-2021 Donors and sponsor
We wish to thank our major benefactors who demonstrated their commitment to the protection and improvement of Mount Royal by renewing their longstanding and generous support to Les amis de la montagne in 2020-2021. Thanks to them, we can remain ambitious in the pursuit of our mission.
Major Benefactors - $50,000 and more
Public Partner
(as at April 30, 2021)