Gatineau partners with CREDDO to address heat island affecting Lac-des-Fées schoolyard

Sophie Demers

The city of Gatineau and the Conseil régional de l'environnement et du développement durable de l'Outaouais (CREDDO) are partnering to address a heat island in the Lac-des-Fées schoolyard. On March 25, Gatineau announced that they had signed a memorandum of understanding that will allow the school and CREDDO to plan climate change adaptation work in the schoolyard.

Heat islands are areas in urban spaces that experience higher temperatures than nearby natural landscapes. This can be caused by asphalt or concrete absorbing heat, and by reduced vegetation.

“I am delighted with this CREDDO project that will transform the Lac-des-Fées schoolyard into a greener, fresher area that is better adapted to climate change,” said Rachel M. Deslauriers, President of the Commission for the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change and Mitigomijokan Councillor. “We thus improve the comfort and quality of life of those who frequent this place, particularly students and children in the neighbourhood. This initiative is directly in line with the actions of the city to fight against heat islands and better manage stormwater, for the benefit of the entire community."

Currently, the schoolyard has little greenery and is mostly asphalt. CREDDO will work with the school to redo the surface, replacing the asphalt with grass and gravel and plant trees, a process called demineralization. This will improve the heat island issues and help with rainwater management in the schoolyard. Gatineau states that this will improve the quality of life for students and staff at the school.

“CREDDO is proud to support the Lac-des-Fées school in this participatory demineralization of the schoolyard. This is another step in the school’s concrete climate action approach, which for more than 20 years has been concerned with issues of greening, urban agriculture and bringing nature closer, for the benefit of children and the community,” said CREDDO Director General, Benoit Delage.

The project was organized and planned by the school, the Centre de services scolaire des Portages-de-l'Outaouais (CSSPO), along with CREDDO, who received the funding for the project through the Centre for Urban Ecology’s “Sous les pavés” program. CREDDO is one of 17 organizations across Quebec mandated to ensure regional stakeholders are consulted on environmental issues in their area. CREDDO carries out a variety of projects across the Outaouais focused on fighting climate change, conservation, and sustainable development.