- April 22, 2026 - Jardin botanique : Favourites, Behind the scenes at the Garden, Experience
In east-end Montréal, a discreet but promising transformation is under way. Since 2016, a team from the Jardin botanique and the Institut de recherche en biologie végétale (IRBV) has been breathing new life into degraded and polluted land and turning it into a resilient green space: The Forest of Tomorrow.
It all started when Ville de Montréal’s economic development department entrusted the IRBV with the mission of testing an environmentally-friendly approach to industrial soil decontamination in the borough of Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles.
Instead of excavating and replacing the soil as per the conventional method, the research team decided on phytoremediation: the use of plants capable of absorbing, stabilizing or degrading contaminants present in the soil.
Soil rehabilitated by way of tree planting
On four hectares of industrial wasteland, pioneer plants – primarily willows and poplars – were used to carry out phytomanagement of the sites, which involves both the cultivation of plants and the regular harvesting of their aerial parts (branches and leaves).
Despite difficult conditions (compacted, highly mineralized and contaminated soils), the results obtained were highly encouraging. It was demonstrated that half the sampling points monitored as part of this work showed a significant reduction in contamination. The land was therefore judged to be in the process of rehabilitation.
A new refuge for wildlife and plants
But the surprises don’t stop there. Over the years, the sites have become unexpected refuges for biodiversity. The phytoremediation plants have attracted insects, birds and small mammals.
And life has also returned to the soil, richer in organic matter now and more conducive to the development of microbial communities. The landscape has been transformed, with screens of greenery concealing refinery infrastructure, to the great delight of area residents.
Other sites will benefit from the phytoremediation project
On the strength of this success, the project has entered a new, ambitious phase. The goal: ensure the sustainability of two of the rehabilitated sites and provide them with a lasting, educational and scientific purpose.
Why the name “The Forest of Tomorrow”? Because climate change will oblige our cities to reinvent themselves. By 2050, the climate of Montréal could be like what Washington’s is today. Several species of tree currently found in southern Québec may have a tough time adapting.
The Forest of Tomorrow therefore proposes a concrete response: test, starting right now, tree species typical of deciduous forests in the central United States, better adapted to these future conditions.
A research arboretum in the heart of east-end Montréal
Oak trees, hickories, walnut trees, tulip trees, sweetgums and sassafras – close to 30 different species totaling some 200 trees will be introduced this way on the sites. In east-end Montréal, they’ll benefit from the protection of the willows and poplars already in place, all of it simulating a kind of accelerated natural succession. In time the site will become a kind of research arboretum in which we can observe the growth, resistance and adaptation of these species to the Montréal context.
The project’s originality also opens the way to the involvement of other Espace pour la vie scientists, notably entomologists from the Insectarium or veterinarians from the Biodôme. It will be of considerable interest to identify the pollinators and small mammals that might be attracted to this new space.
Above and beyond research, Forests of Tomorrow is intended as an open space that brings people together. An oasis of freshness in a highly mineralized area. A learning space for citizens, community groups, schools and students. An open-air laboratory for scientists from the IRBV and from Espace pour la vie, but also a place for raising awareness of environmental issues and of resilience in the face of climate change.
Supported by elected borough officials and rooted in the community, The Forest of Tomorrow embodies an inspiring vision: the vision of a city that transforms its industrial scars into landscapes that inspire hope for the urban ecosystem as a whole.
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