Reinventing an entire sector of the city is no small task, but it’s also an inspiring challenge! Active since 2017, the SDC District Central is making every possible effort to transform its immense semi-industrial territory into a living environment on a human scale, as much for its 2,000 or so businesses as for its residents. Such a project cannot be left to improvisation. A visionary plan has therefore been put in place to revitalize the area, with a focus on greening, local initiatives, pooling resources, and principles of sustainable development and circular economy. These efforts draw on the district’s vast reservoir of expertise and the strong sense of belonging of its local stakeholders, grouped into three main hubs: design, urban manufacturing and technology. By capitalizing on this collective intelligence, the SDC District Central is gradually building what will be tomorrow’s business and creative district, right in the heart of Quebec’s metropolis.

Two inspired participants at the Here, we create our sunflower workshop on September 12.

Multiple areas of intervention

In addition to emphasizing the creation of green spaces and the addition of biodiversity, the vast plan initiated by the SDC District Central to meet the needs of the community, also integrates signage and street furniture that reflect the neighborhood’s distinct characteristics. It also provides for the optimization of active transportation with the development of safe routes to improve the quality of travel at all times of the year. To bring all this to life, a program of entertainment events and activities animates Esplanade Louvain.  The convivial space is located in the Chabanel sector of District Central, recognized as one of Montreal’s garment-making hubs. Shows, DJ performances, happy hours, fashion shows, yoga sessions and other activities are offered to stimulate the interest of workers and residents, but also to help forge links and facilitate collaborations between various local stakeholders. In this way, the seeds are sown for the organic growth of a genuine neighbourhood life.

Exchanges during the codesign workshop Defi l’affaire tournesol

A vast field of sunflowers as a rallying symbol

Alongside the various events and activities to support the pooling of resources, the SDC District Central wanted to send out a strong signal to mark the deployment of its strategic action. A consortium formed by Zaraté Lavigne Architectes, Humà design – two local companies – and En temps et lieux, was entrusted with the responsibility of designing the District Central’s Signature intervention plan, in which the creation of La Prairie Louvain fits in, a first large-scale gesture that reflects both the past and the future of the area. A field of 10,000 sunflowers was planted on a huge vacant lot adjacent to Esplanade Louvain. Now owned by the city, the site once housed the Montreal Works munitions factory, inaugurated during the Second World War.

Created at the initiative of the SDC District Central, La Prairie Louvain is the organization’s biggest financial investment to date for a single project. It has also received financial support from Tourisme Montréal – attracted by the 10,000 sunflowers’ potential for agrotourism – and YUL (Aéroports de Montréal), inspired by underlying community values. The city of Montreal also made a generous contribution, graciously offering the lease and facilitating the implementation of this monumental intervention. As a result, La Prairie Louvain entered the construction phase in spring 2023, culminating in a spectacular bloom in mid-August.

The SDC District Central with its financial partners: YUL Aéroports de Montréal, Tourisme Montréal, and (not pictured) the Ville de Montréal.

A collective challenge

Given the tight deadline, creating a field of 10,000 sunflowers – occupying a 17,500 ft² (1,525 m²) area on land with an industrial past – presented many challenges. Several businesses and organizations were invited to work closely together in order to bring this project to life. Starting with Îlot 84, which, as the delegated producer, is responsible for site development and overall project management. The particular expertise of the Laboratoire sur l’agriculture urbaine (AU/LAB) was called upon for the development and management of an urban greenhouse required for seedling growth. As the urban farmer delegated to the project, AU/LAB also carried out the planting, in addition to ensuring the growth, maintenance and harvesting of the sunflowers throughout the seasons. The seeds were supplied by Terre Promise, a local business.

In addition to platform walkways allowing access to the garden on two main axes, giant wooden planters had to be built to contain the soil in which the sunflowers grow, as the soil in the base area was contaminated. Little by little, the plants were in full bloom, reclaiming their rightful place in this landlocked industrial zone. La Prairie Louvain blossomed, reaching maturity in mid-August and becoming the largest sunflower field on the island of Montreal. With five varieties of sunflowers in a wide range of sizes and colors, this unique urban space captures the senses and the imagination, reflecting the particular energy that drives the District Central. You can admire the field from afar, or step inside to relax and soak up its peaceful atmosphere. It also stands out as a distinctive symbol with the potential to become a tourist attraction in this still little-known area.

The community brainstorms during the Défi l’affaire tournesol codesign workshop on August 23.

A laboratory of ideas for transforming materials

On August 23, some fifteen (mainly) local businesses and organizations gathered at La Prairie Louvain for a workshop aimed at identifying uses for the sunflower residues once the season is over. The stems, flowers and seeds of 10,000 plants constitute a substantial mass of material that can be transformed and reused to enhance circularity. Participants were divided into small groups under the guidance of specialists from Percolab to reflect on potential solutions. True to the spirit of the District Central, this call for collective intelligence helped identify a number of creative ideas for using La Prairie products. All ideas, no matter how far-fetched, were heard.

“Collective intelligence is what stimulates us and is our raison d’être. When people bring fresh ideas to the table, when people believe in these ideas, it increases our motivation. There can never be too many ideas!” says Hélène Veilleux, Executive Director of the SDC District Central.

Once the proposals were narrowed down based on their relevance and feasibility, a number of key areas for action have emerged. From the outset, the edibility of sunflower products led to some interesting possibilities. The production of oil, the transformation of seeds into a variety of products and the use of flower buds and petals in gastronomy were among the most obvious avenues. Similarly, the creation of bouquets to be distributed to the population is an easy and quick solution… and why not pick-your-own? Composting and converting residues to biofuel for heating are also uses with excellent potential, particularly to meet the needs of the AU/LAB urban greenhouse. The processing of stems into various materials – whether textile fibres, insulation, building materials, paper or pulp for 3D printers – is another option worth considering.

An educational approach in collaboration with schools and early childhood centres could also be developed, inviting children of all ages to discover the virtues of sunflowers and urban ecology in a broader sense. Rooted in entertainment, the creation of a labyrinth on the same space with the stems, supported by an adapted narrative (quest, mystery solving, etc.) and a component in augmented reality, was also raised. A first step could be to donate the harvested products to research to explore their various properties.

These are just some of the ideas that came out of the workshop which once again demonstrated the tremendous potential of collective intelligence. Given that this is the very first season, there is no guarantee that one or many of these proposals will be implemented this coming fall. For the time being, pick-your-own and composting have a head start, especially as the birds didn’t wait to stage their own gastronomic event… By the time the sunflowers return next summer, all these ideas will have had the time to germinate and pollinate!

La Prairie Louvain closing event on September 19th : Le Grand Défile District Central