Lawns no longer rule supreme for these citizens bringing back native plants. In Montréal, Emile Forest and Philippe Asselin are transforming our urban backyards, while in Grand-Métis, Justin Parisien is rewilding the shoreline on his property.
Land, salt air, and whelks hold a special place in Emile Forest’s heart. In 2019 he and Philippe Asselin co-founded Nouveaux Voisins (“new neighbours”), a Montréal-based non-profit organization that questions our cultural insistence on lawns and stimulates biodiversity. The duo explores new approaches in land-use planning and design to address the environmental and political challenges of our time.
Five years ago, Justin Parisien and his partner bought a cottage along the St. Lawrence River in Grand-Métis. The very first winter, they witnessed the erosion threatening their land. Their neighbours recommended rip-rap, but the couple decided to opt for revegetation instead, with the careful assistance of Véronik Rioux-Pin and her Projet Littoral (“shoreline project”).
PRESENTED BY
WITH THE FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION OF
