Progressive Destruction of the Landscaping

The grounds at Rockhill have often been graced with greenery. Indeed, they are an extension of the woods of the Oratory and have a heritage vocation to contribute to the conservation of Mount Royal.This greenery has always been one of Rockhill's undeniable assets, contributing to its healthy living environment.

However, several practices of the Minto administration contribute to killing the greenery and creating arid or poorly used areas due to a lack of proper grounds management.

It is important for the administration to retain the services of qualified personnel to supervise the work and avoid wasting resources as well as the neglected appearance of the grounds.

The administration told the RTC that they would have a project to improve the landscaping this year, but they do not seem to be aware of the extent of the destruction, the significant work required to correct everything, and what needs to be done to prevent it from happening again. The project details have not been shared with the tenants.

Chronology from Above

The following image shows an abundance of greenery in 2021:

In the summer of 2022, large sections of the plants were torn out.

These mistreatments continued in 2023, and now in 2024, the grounds feature large sections of mud and dead grass.

Ground View

A photo from May 2016 shows well-maintained flowerbeds, green grass, well-kept trees, and no litter.

The roads at Rockhill are surrounded by flowerbeds intended for greenery but currently neglected, subject to soil erosion, and overgrown with weeds.

The administration has no one responsible for the condition of the grounds, so equipment operators feel free to leave the roadways, creating deep muddy ruts in the soil and contributing to the appearance of an unkempt vacant lot. Competent supervision would provide strict directives to workers to respect the pathways and stay on the paved areas, under penalty of sanctions and/or dismissal.

Groups of plants around each building are affected by varying degrees of water shortage.

A Story of Negligence and Waste

Monday, June 19, 2023: a landscaping team installs fresh, green rolls of sod. Within a week, the abandoned grass dries up and turns into hay. This is not the result of a heatwave but rather poor maintenance of the service provider's (paid!) specifications, which include regular watering after installation to allow the roots to take hold! Two months later, half of the grass is still dead, giving the grounds an unsightly appearance. Elsewhere on the property, the same kind of neglect is evident.