Mayor Georges Bourelle Meets with Mayor Real Menard

BEACONSFIELD, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Feb. 25, 2014) - True to his commitment to protect Angell Woods in its entirety, Beaconsfield Mayor Georges Bourelle held a first working session with borough mayor Réal Ménard, who sits on Montreal's Executive Committee and is also responsible for sustainable development, environment, parks and green spaces, last week at City Hall.

"Mayor Ménard agreed to visit Angell Woods to see firsthand its environmental value and importance to the West Island. We then had a very productive working meeting with both our staff and the City of Montreal staff to determine a course of action," explained Mayor Bourelle.

Mayor Réal Ménard appreciated his visit to Angell Woods and the presentation given by the Beaconsfield municipal authorities.

"The ecological value of Angell Woods, the large area it covers and its strategic geographical location are all the more important for the City of Montreal and its population in that the site is accessible by suburban commuter trains," commented Mayor Ménard.

Mayor Bourelle made the point that the Beaconsfield and Montreal city staff are very professional and committed to working hand in hand with elected officials to ensure the protection of Angell Woods, a complex exercise given the file history, the ongoing legal proceedings, the environmental risks, the values at stake and the zoning issues.

"In 2007, the cities of Beaconsfield and Montreal, along with Ducks Unlimited, were able to purchase almost a quarter of the Woods to be rezoned as parkland. Beaconsfield then focused its efforts on ensuring that the Association for the Protection of Angell Woods (APAW) be given a small section of the Woods and financial compensation to help support its mission to protect the Woods. I am confident that this renewed collaborative endeavour will be successful."

Mayor Ménard was equally positive: "It is clear that we are all working towards a common goal, namely to ensure the preservation of this natural green space of recognized ecological value."