In whose shade?

In October 2025, a Concordia University team published a study on heat in Montreal in the journal Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. By combining satellite images, LiDAR surveys and 2021 Census data, the researchers showed that a 10% increase in tree cover can lower ground temperature by 1.4°C.

But this coolness is not shared equally. Wealthier, more educated and mostly white areas, such as Outremont and the West Island, have more trees. Conversely, Saint-Léonard, Montréal-Nord and Anjou have fewer trees, more people vulnerable to heat, and a larger proportion of visible minorities and low-income households. The INSPQ also offers a canopy map to identify where to plant first, especially in less advantaged areas.

The good news is that trees can be planted. Montreal is aiming for 500,000 new trees by 2030, with support from Ottawa announced in March 2025. Through the "Un arbre pour mon quartier" campaign, residents plant on their own properties, and the organization Soverdi says it now wants to target the areas most exposed to heat islands. Every tree planted is a gift to passersby we will never know.