Very good news for residents of eastern Montreal: the City will ensure access to the banks of the Promenade-Bellerive park, in Tétreaultville! This is a great step forward in access to the banks and swimming.
A claim that does not date from yesterday
This century-old park is the only access to the river for the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district. Its gentle slopes and the current quality of its waters make it a privileged place for creating access to swimming.
It took decades for citizens to finally have an answer to their advocacy : the river access project, after being put on hold for years, has finally been unblocked while retaining the natural beach of the park.
Thus, a demarcated swimming area with lifeguards and water quality monitoring will see the light of day by summer 2022. (Update: the swimming project at Promenade Bellerive park is delayed until summer 2024)
Water quality at Promenade-Bellerive Park
Two years of rigorous tests carried out on the water around the Promenade Bellerive park indicate that it is of perfectly adequate quality for swimming. As is too often the case elsewhere in Quebec, the river near the park has the reputation of being dangerously polluted, which is a myth. Indeed, many places are cleaner than we believe and condemning access to the river is a practice of the past.
It is obvious that surveillance will be required, especially in the event of a risk of sewage spills. It is also this type of surveillance that Fondation Rivières carried out in the summer of 2021 at the Verdun beach, using a rapid-results water analysis device, which makes it possible to determine in time contamination peaks which require a temporary closure of the beach.
The importance of access to water and swimming
Equitable access to water is essential for the protection of rivers; Knowing them well and appreciating them allows citizens to see their value and to mobilize to defend them. Furthermore, in a context where summers are becoming hotter and heatwaves are increasing, having access to swimming to cool off becomes a question of health, beyond leisure.
This is where mobilization takes on its full meaning! Indeed, events like the Grand Splash allow you to draw the eye to these places where swimming is possible, but which is currently prohibited. We also highlight the spontaneous participation which took place this summer at the Promenade-Bellerive park, in the spirit of these demands.
The Foundation will closely monitor developments!
