Go big and go green at Frédéric-Back Park
Little Italy and Villeray Leisure activities, nature and relaxation
This former quarry and landfill in Montréal’s Saint-Michel district has become a spectacular green space where art, science and wanderlust collide.
A park with a past—and a future
Frédéric-Back Park isn’t just another pretty patch of grass. It’s Montréal’s most audacious environmental makeover: a 54-hectare (133 acre) playground of rolling hills, bike paths and public art built atop a site once synonymous with industrialization and waste. The park was named after Québécois animator and environmental advocate Frédéric Back, who famously created the Oscar-winning The Man Who Planted Trees—a fitting legacy for a park now lined with thousands of saplings and a bold vision for sustainability and biodiversity.
The park forms part of the 192-hectare (474 acre) Saint-Michel Environmental Complex, the city’s largest ecological rehabilitation project. Millions of years ago, this was an ancient seabed, and fossils still visible in the limestone are there to prove it. The park’s history shows that by the mid-1900s it was a noisy quarry, and then a sprawling landfill. Remarkably, it now lives on as a prime example in how a metropolis can transform its physical scars into something beautiful, accessible and greener.
This park is Montréal’s most audacious environmental makeover
Circular economy in action
Every curve of path and every bench tells a story about reuse. Montréal repurposed hundreds of thousands of metric tonnes of excavated soil, sand, gravel, composted leaves and wood chips from its tree-pruning programs to shape the park. Benches are built from felled ash trees and paths from loose rocks. To cool the heat island effect, countless bushes, perennials and herbaceous species were planted—low-water and pollinator-friendly plants that turn former landfill cells into flowering plains. Rainwater channels now double as habitats for butterflies and amphibians.
Landscapes you can roam
As one of the largest parks and green spaces in Montréal, Frédéric-Back Park feels otherworldly. Eight kilometres of looping trails wind over grassy knolls and between clusters of young trees—perfect for runners, cyclists or winter snowshoers. Picnic shelters with sculptural canopies provide shade in summer, while open meadows make ideal spots for impromptu soccer games or kite-flying.
On the eastern side, the wooded Sector Boisé Est is a quieter, more intimate slice of the park where birdwatching nooks, a gazebo and a belvedere offer 360-degree views of the city skyline. Public artwork Anamnesis 1 + 1 by Alain-Martin Richard acts as a reflective pause, inviting visitors to consider memory and landscape in tandem. Along Papineau Avenue, the park spills into a cluster of athletic and cultural venues. TAZ, Montréal’s famed indoor skatepark, draws boarders and BMX riders year-round. Nearby you’ll also find a soccer stadium, playgrounds and wide lawns for pick-up games.
The park’s 2021 expansion added four new sectors—Plaine Est, Boisé Sud, Jarry Est and Iberville Nord—14 hectares in all (about 20 football fields) plus a full redesign of five existing hectares. New lookouts, rest areas and a planned artificial lake promise still more reasons to return in the near future.
Year-round energy
Frédéric-Back Park doubles as a community hub, thanks to its long list of free activities. Summer weekends bring open-air cinema nights, guided ecology tours, stargazing events and creative workshops. Even in colder months, its trails remain open for snowshoeing or simply crisp walks under big skies.
And all those white spheres scattered around? They’re not art installations but bio-gas wells, covering a 17km underground network quietly capturing methane from the old landfill and transforming it into electricity—a real-time demonstration of renewable energy at work. The spheres themselves won the 2018 Grand Prix du Design for Urban Furniture, symbolizing the park’s fusion of environmental engineering and public art.
Circus with a twist
Bordering the park’s circular pathway is the Cité des arts du cirque, a cultural complex that cements Montréal as a circus capital. Anchored by La TOHU—North America’s first 360-degree performance hall devoted to circus arts—the site also houses the Cirque du Soleil headquarters, the National Circus School and En Piste. La TOHU’s LEED Gold certification reflects its eco-credentials: geothermal heating, rooftop gardens, an “ice bunker” for passive cooling and even on-site beehives. Between performances, exhibitions and festivals, the complex adds a distinctive creative buzz to any park visit.
Getting there
Frédéric-Back Park is refreshingly easy to reach without a car. Hop on the Blue Line of the métro to D’Iberville or Saint-Michel stations, then transfer to STM buses such as the 94, 99 or lines running along Papineau Avenue and Émile-Journault Avenue. Cyclists can access the park directly from surrounding bike paths, making it an ideal mid-ride stop or a destination in itself.
Why you should go now
Frédéric-Back Park is not just a green lung but a case study in urban imagination. You can picnic under futuristic shelters, cycle past bio-gas wells, or walk from a belvedere to a circus tent in under five minutes. It’s Montréal at its most innovative, audacious and imaginative—an invitation to witness a greener future taking shape right before your eyes.
Daniel Bromberg
As a proud native of Montreal, Daniel channels his education in history and his work as a tour guide, writer, and photographer to share his love affair with the city. His passions include the local street art scene, sipping an allongé at a local cafe, discovering new green alleys, biking, and reading at home.