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Urban Agriculture Taking Root on Concordia’s Rooftop

January 28, 2011 by Eve Krakow

These may be some of the coldest days on record in Montreal, but one warm spot is Concordia University’s Rooftop Greenhouse, in the heart of downtown.

Accessed from the 13th floor of the Henry F. Hall building on De Maisonneuve Boulevard, the greenhouse is a long and narrow construction that hugs the side of the building’s top floor. Sun was streaming in through the windows on the day I visited, and the air was heavy with that earthy, plant scent that I associate with Montreal’s Botanical Garden greenhouses.

An initiative of Sustainable Concordia (a multi-stakeholder initiative seeking to create a more ecologically, socially and economically sustainable university community), the greenhouse is an all-organic space geared towards education and research, sustainable horticulture and community-building.

Greenhouse coordinators

Ruby Jean, greenhouse communications coordinator, and Arlene Lynette Throness, greenhouse coordinator

“Everything in the greenhouse is a demonstration of urban agriculture,” explained Ruby Jean, a communications and women’s studies student, and the greenhouse’s communications coordinator, as she gave me a tour. Indeed, exciting projects are underway in each little room branching off from the main hallway.

  • The Atrium is a community space used for workshops and events. Students are welcome to hang out in the Atrium any time, and can even brew themselves a cup of tea from some of the dried herbs from the tea project (see below).
  • Tea project: in large plant boxes in the Atrium, all kinds of herbs are being grown to make tea; a dryer is also being built to dry the herbs.
  • Aquaponics project: this is a self-sustained system for simultaneously cultivating plants and fish, while minimizing energy and water use. The fish excrement feeds the plants, and the plants feed the fish. People can eat the food being grown, but they can also eat the fish. This demo project uses goldfish, which no one plans to eat, but larger-scale installations often use tilapia.
lettuce project

The lettuce project: a demonstration of vertical planting

  • Lettuce project (microgreens): started a few years ago, this successful and lucrative project is run by Arlene Lynette Throness, a geography student and the greenhouse’s coordinator. Arlene grows the different varieties of lettuce using vertical planting (see photo) to maximize space, then sells the young, tender leaves to university cafés.
  • Vermicomposting: with this kind of composting, great for indoors, you feed your organic waste to earthworms. Workshops given by compost coordinator Noémie Messier-Guimont are highly popular; she also sells starter bins (containing earth + worms) to the public.

Last year, the greenhouse gained publicity through its cooperation with Vert ta Ville, a group that aims to build a network of urban agriculture organizations on the Montreal Island through skill sharing and resource trading. In the spring of 2010, Vert ta Ville produced over 15,000 seedlings in the greenhouse, supplying more than 20 gardens throughout the city. Seedlings for 2011 will be started soon.

Aquaponics 1

Aquaponics: fish feed plants, plants feed fish, people eat both

Admittedly, the Concordia greenhouse is not a demonstration of energy efficiency. That’s because it’s actually part of the building’s original structure (initially used by the biology and geography departments). When it fell into disuse and was slated to be torn down, Sustainable Concordia stepped in to the rescue. Thus the greenhouse has existed in its current form only since fall 2009. Last year, a wall was knocked out to create the student-friendly Atrium.

Although the greenhouse has four part-time staffers, all the individual projects are run by volunteers—students, professors, or non-Concordia people interested in urban agriculture. Because of this, “the greenhouse is ever-changing,” said Ruby.

Just like Montreal’s weather.

Greenhouse Atrium

The Atrium often houses workshops and events. Foreground: herbs from the tea project.

Cob bench

Also in the Atrium is a cob bench, part of a project on natural building materials spearheaded by Stefanie Dimitrovas of the Montreal Permaculture Guild.

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Posted in Urban agriculture | Tagged aquaponics, Concordia greenhouse project, microgreens, rooftop greenhouse, Sustainable Concordia, urban agriculture, vermicomposting, Vert ta ville | 4 Comments

4 Responses

  1. on September 15, 2011 at 4:26 pm Mohan Singh Sudan

    It is a great concept. let me know if you have developed a pilot project to create an awareness among the potential entrepreneurs to use its roof top and that of neighbours on commercial basis. How much is the cost involved. There are thousands of websites talking about the concept but no one is coming up with a practical approach. How to start, where to get the resources guidelines and basic raw material to start in urban rooftops. I have visited few in NY, Canada but I am still looking for pilot project which can be replicated commercially.


  2. on June 11, 2011 at 7:56 pm pablo

    Hi Guys,
    I am in Montreal building my first aquaponic, i am looking for a good source of fish.thanks


  3. on February 9, 2011 at 4:23 pm Dwain Richardson

    I believe I already visited this greenhouse. It’s a great place to have a meal and chat with people. Above all, it’s great to be surrounded by plants in all their splendour and colour! Thank you Eve for giving us a virtual tour. I’d have to go back some time!


  4. on January 31, 2011 at 11:18 pm Samantha

    Very interesting – thanks Eve. I always hated classes in the Hall Building…glad to see it is being put to such good use 😉



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