Reclaiming Sunnyside Park and the Westmount Lookout

Sadly, Sunnyside Park—the official name of the park location—has not been regularly maintained, and now the views from the lookout are obscured by trees. Not only that, but the park itself has become overgrown, gloomy and unwelcoming. Someone even suggested it should be re-named Shadyside Park!

I’m pleased to report that the City is now taking steps to reclaim this important piece of Westmount’s heritage, and the lookout and park will soon be restored. The City, in consultation with interested parties and qualified forestry engineers, is embarking on a program that will, within a two-year period, allow residents and visitors once again to enjoy Sunnyside Park and the spectacular views from Westmount Lookout. Some trees, particularly those that are diseased or damaged, will be felled, and some will be carefully pruned to allow viewing ‘windows.’ Other native trees and shrubs will be planted, according to an approved design.

The work must be done if we are to recover what we inherited. Summit Lookout was built in 1931, and is an important piece of our history. Little has changed since the original construction. It is a tourist attraction that is still listed in many Montreal tourist publications and on the Mount Royal web site (as Westmount Lookout), although at the moment 13 of the 20 metal markers, installed to indicate points of interest, now point only at foliage, and, if nothing is done, within the next three years they will all be obstructed. The parapet-like structure was repaired at a cost of $532,000 in 2003, but nothing was done to the park below it at that time.

When city council decided to go ahead and reclaim the park and lookout, it was agreed that it must be done carefully, mindful of the needs of nearby residents, other citizens, and local flora and fauna. Last March, the City engaged a forestry engineer to make recommendations towards accomplishing our goal of restoring Sunnyside Park and Lookout. The resulting report is comprehensive and highly readable, and it is available at Westmount Library in both official languages. While the consultation process is on-going, the objective remains clear.

There are other benefits to the plan. For example, as a result of the refurbishing, we expect that Sunnyside Park will be a safer place for those who use it and those who live close by. At the moment, its adumbrated and unkempt state only contributes to a certain amount of petty crime in the area, and the renewal project will help to discourage this type of activity. To this end, the project will integrate the other practical landscaping elements such as lighting, signage, repairs to paths and steps, benches, litter bins, etc.

Located as it is, so close to the Summit Park urban forest and bird sanctuary, it’s also vital that our restoration project provide a proper habitat for local wildlife, particularly birds. With that in mind, the city will plant new trees and shrubs of indigenous, fruit-bearing varieties that will better support the local fauna and will discourage the invasive, non-indigenous varieties that have sprung up.

There are, and will continue to be, some conflicting views about this matter, but the goal of restoring another jewel to Westmount’s heritage is a worthy one, and I believe it will be of great benefit to all in the long term.



• George Bowser is city councillor for

Ward 5.