The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated our formidable ability to find innovative solutions for the common good. This essential aptitude is both the fuel and the challenge of socioecological initiatives – oriented towards the objectives of environmental sustainability and social justice – which are multiplying in Montreal and in our regions. But how do these actions manifest themselves in a street, a neighbourhood? And how can they converge on the scale of a city or the entire province?
For Bertrand Fouss, it all started with a project between neighbours to develop an alley in Rosemont – La Petite-Patrie, in Montreal. “We have gradually gained confidence in our capacity for collective action as citizens by leading projects,” says the man who then co-founded the non-profit organization, Solon, a player in the socio-ecological transition in Montreal.
From the alley to the neighbourhood
Solon’s mission: to encourage and support citizen action in the deployment of projects to create friendly, supportive and ecological living environments. Among the initiatives put in place, there is the collective geothermal infrastructure Celsius and LocoMotion, a solution for sharing various vehicles (cars, bicycles, etc.). Both projects were launched in the Rosemont – La Petite-Patrie neighbourhood.
The organization recently moved to avenue Beaubien in Les Ateliers de la transition, a three-story third place that it is eager to officially inaugurate. “The Workshops play a key role in anchoring a local transitional community,” explains Mr. Fouss. In fact, alongside the offices of organizations working for the transition, common spaces will be offered to citizens for workshops or discussions, in particular. Their participation is a crucial issue for Solon.
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