The Monarch Butterfly Initiative
Find out how you can help the city of Côte Saint-Luc save the Monarch butterfly from extinction!
Monarch Butterfly initiative - introduction
The City of Côte-Saint-Luc is certified as a monarch-friendly city by the David Suzuki Foundation.
What is a monarch-friendly city?
In Quebec, the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge—Monarch-Friendly Community initiative was introduced thanks to a partnership between the David Suzuki Foundation and Espace pour la vie. The purpose of the initiative, intended exclusively for municipalities, is to implement concrete measures to restore and protect monarch habitat over the entire length of the butterfly’s migration corridor and to encourage people to get involved in its preservation.
To date, hundreds of mayors and municipal leaders in North America have pledged to help save the monarch. In Quebec, the initiative was launched in June 2017. Côte Saint-Luc is the 75th municipality in Quebec to be certified as a monarch-friendly city. It follows municipalities such as the cities of Montreal, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Pointe-Claire and the borough of Saint-Laurent. Participating municipalities must complete at least three actions from the U.S. National Wildlife Federation list of 24 actions for municipalities in the next year.
Côte Saint-Luc’s monarch initiative is supported by the City Council, which is poised to endorse a series of actions, including launching a public awareness campaign, collaborating with our local community gardens, increasing butterfly-friendly plantings on municipal properties, and encouraging residents to plant milkweed in their home gardens. Most importantly, the demonstration garden behind the library was repurposed to focus on creating a monarch butterfly habitat.
View the full press release and the city resolution regarding the Monarch Butterfly initiative in Côte Saint-Luc.
See Councillor Mike Cohen’s blog article on the Monarch Butterfly Program.
Our Action Plan
The David Suzuki Foundation created a list of 24 possible action items that a municipality was required to complete. In order to become a Butterfly-Friendly City, one is required to commit to at least 3 items. If the commitment was at least 8, the municipality would receive a bronze designation. If the commitment exceeded 15 but was less than 23, the municipality would receive a silver designation. These are the action items (completed or in progress) that the City of CSL has committed to, earning us a silver designation:
Issue a Proclamation to raise awareness about the decline of the monarch butterfly and the species need for habitat.
A proclamation was issued at the City’s public council meeting on August 9, 2021.
Launch or maintain a public communication effort to encourage residents to plant monarch gardens in their homes or neighborhoods.
A press release was issued on June 21 as a first step to our promotional efforts. A webpage was created on the library website to promote the initiative and get residents involved. In addition, the library has held several events relating to the Monarch butterfly, including the Monarch Butterfly Storytime for kids.
Engage with community garden groups and urge them to plant native milkweeds and nectar producing plants.
The city has reached out to the CSL community garden leadership. Volunteers Myra Shuster will work with Boyd Hamilton, Mandie Aaron and Mona Beck.
Create a community art project to enhance and promote monarch and pollinator conversation as well as cultural awareness and recognition.
The library is working with the ACC to plan a community art project.
Host or support a native seed or plant sale, giveaway or swap.
Seeds are available for check out at the Library’s seed collection.
Facilitate or support a milkweed seed collection and propagation effort.
Seed collection efforts will be spearheaded by volunteer Boyd Hamilton. Propagation efforts will be done through John Grant School with Mr. Hamilton’s help. The Library Demonstration Garden will also be used to collect and propagate seeds, spearheaded by volunteer Myra Shuster.
Plant or maintain a monarch and pollinator-friendly demonstration garden at City Hall.
The library has converted the Demonstration Garden in Ashkelon Gardens to a Monarch and pollinator-friendly habitat. Milkweed was planted as well as other nectar producing flowers to attract bees, butterflies and birds. The garden will be maintained by Myra Shuster and committee.
Launch or maintain an outdoor education program
The library will liaise with local schools to create and host a variety of educational programs for both kids and adults. The library will use the demonstration garden as a living lab.
Add or maintain native milkweed and nectar producing plants in the community gardens.
Milkweed and nectar producing plants have been planted in the demonstration garden. They will be maintained by our volunteers.
Display educational signage at monarch gardens and pollinator habitat.
Educational signage will be produced and put outside the gardens.
Host or support a monarch butterfly festival that is accessible to all residents in the community and promotes monarch and pollinator conservation, as well as cultural awareness and recognition.
In our first year, this will be in the form of a Writing Contest for elementary school children launched in September 2021.
Direct city property managers to consider the use of native milkweed and nectar plants at city properties where possible.
The library will coordinate with other city departments, such as the Recreation Department and Public Works to ensure that native milkweed and nectar plants are planted and properly maintained near city buildings.
Increase the percentage of native plants, shrubs and trees that must be used in city landscaping ordinances and encourage use of milkweed where appropriate.
The city currently focuses on planting indigenous plants, trees and bushes and will look at using milkweed where appropriate.
Engage with city parks and recreation, public works, sustainability, and other relevant staff to identify opportunities to revise mowing programs and maintain milkweed /native nectar-producing plants.
The library will coordinate with other city departments, such as the Recreation Department and Public Works to ensure that native milkweed and nectar plants are planted and properly maintained near city buildings.
Change ordinances so herbicides, insecticides or other chemicals used in the community are not harmful to pollinators.
The City only uses conforming herbicides in line with provincial regulations.
