Liza Frulla and Francis Fox sued for illegally felling 17 trees in Mtl riverside public park

6 posts / 0 new

Tue, 2008-12-02 22:55

martin dufresne

The Liberal Party - the gift to Canada that just goes on taking.

According to this LCN news item, the City of Verdun is suing Frulla anf Fox, administrators of a luxury condo development on ritzy Ile-des-Soeurs, a Montreal suburb, after residents of this development illegally cut down 17 full-size trees in a public park in order to have a better view of the St.-Lawrence River.

Frulla and Fox are facing a $20,000 fine and would have to restore the park, replacing the trees. Hey Mr. Dion, need an environment-friendly job next summer?

Wed, 2008-12-03 07:55

lagatta

They can't replace "full-size" trees; they'll have to put in smaller trees and wait for them to grow. What a fucking contempt for nature. All of that for a "view". They've never heard of erosion?

Ritzy Île-des-Soeurs is actually part of the far from ritzy suburb of Verdun (is Verdun part of Montréal now - think so, don't think it demerged)?

I think they should do hard time, or at least community service, for the destruction of the trees.

Wed, 2008-12-03 08:00

Michelle

Dumbasses. People pay good money to buy properties WITH mature trees on them. I agree with lagatta. They should have to do hundreds of hours of community service for this travesty.

Wed, 2008-12-03 11:16

Summer

reminds of that lady in Vancouver who poisoned some trees in front of her condo which were blocking her view of Stanley Part.

She suffered national humilation. Hopefully Frulla and Fox will too.

Wed, 2008-12-03 11:48

lagatta

Yes, and this is even worse as those people were once elected representatives of the people (at least in theory...) and they are destroying trees that are public property.

Trees are also living things, so I don't like just calling them "property". The Bolivian constitution recognises that nature has rights, but I believe it remains alone in that respect, though some northern European countries must have strict laws against that kind of destruction as well.

Trees are absolutely essential for the life of humans and all other living beings. Where there are no trees in urban areas, there are dangerous "hot spots" and poor air quality.

It is bizarre, as one of the reasons those who can afford it choose Île-des-Soeurs is the presence of many mature trees, though unfortunately much of the real-estate development has failed to respect them as much as it should have, cutting as few as possible and replacing every single tree felled.

Wed, 2008-12-03 13:12

martin dufresne

The story of Ile-des-Soeurs is that of a long struggle between "developers" and environmentalists/nature lovers trying to preserve a bird sanctuary and one of the last wetlands around Montreal.

The compromise they finally arrived at was preserving a small enclave on Ile-des-Soeurs, one that has constantly been encroached by the developers. In this latest outrage, the condo owners cut down trees in the public park across their little Shangri-La, to have a better view...

L'Autre Montréal is a community organization that hosts inexpensive alternative history/urban planning "Urban Discovery" guided bus tours every Sunday, from March to October. One of them is a fascinating history lesson, taking people from le Vieux Port to the Lachine Rapids public park, just across the water from Ile-des-Soeurs, with stops to discuss how the Irish arrived, died and survived in the Pointe St-Charles and Griffintown areas of southwest Montreal, builfing Mtl's industrial base.

A must for your next visit to Montreal, Big City Gal!