Public research university ÉTS is launching an initiative to bring a touch of green to Montreal.

Starting this week, the university will place new green roofs on bus shelters in the Ville-Marie and Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie districts, along with sensors that will collect concrete data and measure the impact of these installations.

Launched in partnership with Quebecor Out-of-Home and Les Toits Vertige (which specialize in creating green roofs), the initiative is a two-year project that will enable ÉTS researchers to determine the positive effects of the green surfaces and their applicability on a larger scale. Experts will conduct periodic tests and compare the results with transit shelters that do not have green roofs.

According to the university, recent research has shown that green roofs help reduce heat islands, manage stormwater and promote biodiversity. By enriching urban biodiversity and providing habitat for plant and animal species, they also beautify the urban landscape and contribute to collective well-being, said ÉTS.

The project aligns with ÉTS’s current brand positioning, which is focused on extending its urban biodiversity efforts beyond its campus and contributing to the city’s climate change response measures. Additionally, the university stated that it would contribute to improving the comfort of users, including vulnerable people, by reducing the temperature inside transit shelters.

“Projects like this one exemplify our researchers’ commitment and illustrate how our expertise can create tangible, positive impacts,” Kathy Baig, CEO of ÉTS, said. “Through this initiative, we are contributing to urban biodiversity and combatting climate change.”

It’s also a good way to celebrate the university’s 50th anniversary and highlight the brand in Montreal, said Baig. “At ÉTS, we believe that engineering should serve society. For the past 50 years, we have been continuously evolving and redefining engineering to address the needs of the community.”

For his part, Michel Drouin, general manager of business development at Quebecor Out-of-Home, said the project is in line with the company, which seeks to highlight the importance of sustainable development and raise awareness of environmental challenges. “If the results are conclusive, we hope to see more green roofs on transit shelters in the future,” Drouin said.