City to expropriate land for park

Summary#

Montréal city council adopted a resolution to acquire the property at 10111 boulevard Pie-IX, in the Montréal-Nord borough, by expropriation or another means. The stated goal is to redevelop the 547-square-metre site as a local park.

  • The city authorized $1,530,000, plus applicable taxes, for the acquisition.
  • The city’s legal affairs department must start the required proceedings. City survey officials may sign cadastral documents for the city as expropriator.
  • The property is owned by Gestion André Soucy JR inc. City staff say they could not reach a voluntary purchase agreement with the owner.
  • The resolution authorizes acquisition for a park; it does not itself set a construction date or guarantee when the park will be built.

What it means for you#

  • Property owner: The city may acquire the property through expropriation, which can transfer ownership without the owner’s agreement, or by another means. The resolution does not set the final compensation.
  • Montréal-Nord residents: The acquisition is for a local park, but the resolution does not describe the park or set a construction schedule.
  • Taxpayers: The cost is assigned entirely to the city’s central administration, not to the borough.

Money#

The city authorized $1,530,000, plus applicable taxes, for the acquisition; the city’s preliminary cost estimate is not a final compensation amount or a maximum.

  • Up to $1,606,308.75, net of tax rebates, is to be financed through borrowing bylaw 19-005. The decision summary says the acquisition cost is estimated at $1,530,000 plus applicable taxes.
  • The estimate may include purchase costs, soil testing, possible damages, interest and expert fees. It excludes any soil cleanup or rehabilitation.
  • Montréal-Nord will need a separate budget for building maintenance and demolition once the possession date is known. Staff have not estimated demolition costs.

What is unclear#

  • The final compensation and the total amount ultimately paid are not set out.
  • The decision does not say whether the city will complete the acquisition by expropriation or another means.
  • The timing and cost of demolition, any soil cleanup, and construction of the park are not specified. City staff planned to issue and publish an expropriation notice in summer 2026.

Case for#

  • City staff say a voluntary agreement could not be reached and that expropriation is the only short-term acquisition option.
  • Staff say the existing land-reserve notice was nearing its expiry, and delay could allow improvements that the owner might seek reimbursement for.
  • Acquiring the site would make it available for the stated local-park purpose.

Case against#

  • The city may take the property without the owner’s agreement, while the resolution does not specify the final compensation.
  • The $1,530,000 estimate is preliminary: staff say it is neither the property’s market value nor an expropriation award or maximum negotiated price.
  • Soil cleanup and demolition costs are not included or estimated, so the full public cost remains uncertain.