A 10 minute walk away from Metro Station Laurier. From the Metro Station walk North on Avenue St. Denis until the bridge. Walk along the railroad to the left until you arrive at the park.
Based on © OpenStreetMap
Welcome to our Guide to Champ des Possibles, Montreal
Last modified on 2023-04-14. This page is dedicated to nature lovers and wildlife photographers who are looking to plan their visit to Champ des Possibles, Montreal. Our aim is to provide you with comprehensive information about the park's wildlife and help you make the most out of your trip.
Introduction
An urban park maintained as a community project turning abandoned industrial areas into natural biotope. In spite of the small size, quenched between tall office buildings and railroad tracks, over 400 species of plants and animals have been reported.
How to Get Here
Photography Tips
Recommended places for macro photography are the Southern entrance or Northern exit. The area is small though and you can cover it in a short 5 min walk looking for the best place.
Mostly though a good place for flower photography and macro photography of small critters. During summer and autumn, the place is full of insects and spiders looking for food or being prey for others. You will be able to get macro shots of spiders, bugs and beetles, butterflies and bees and bumblebees. Large trees and nearby buildings provide shadow during sunny days preventing overexposed highlight spots.
What to See Here
A place where you can look for many different small creatures like butterflies, bees, grasshoppers and spiders. The only place where I was able watching house sparrows invading a park area. In late spring, birds can bee seen often. Less common though during the rest of the year. There are a few bushes with berries and on one occasion we counted 4 different bird species simultaneously enjoying the berries.
Recent Photos of Species
Species and Seasonality
| Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Robin (Turdus migratorius) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Birds-Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bladder Campion (Silene vulgaris) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Cardinal Flower (Lobelia Cardinalis) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Chicory (Cichorium intybus) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Common Eastern Bumble Bee (Bombus impatiens) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cross Orbweaver (Araneus diadematus) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| European Common Blue (Polyommattus icarus) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Merlin Falcon (Falco columbarius) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Panicled Aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Rustic Wolf Spider (Trochosa ruricola) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seven-spotted Lady Beetle (Coccinella septempunctata) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Spur-throated grasshoppers (Melanoplus) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tufted Vetch (Vicia cracca) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| White-lipped snail (Cepaea hortensis) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Times a species has been spotted, identified and logged while visiting this park. A species is reported only once / park visit. Consult the page animal tracking about how we log observations in field. Only species shown which we have logged at least 5 times in the Montreal area.
Videos Recorded in Champ des Possibles, Montreal
-
Bumble bees collecting nectar
Recorded: 2022-08-14 - Published: 2022-10-04 - Duration: [06:40] -
🐞 Seven-spotted Lady Beetle (Coccinella septempunctata) eats an aphid
Recorded: 2022-08-21 - Published: 2022-08-26 - Duration: [03:23] -
🐝 Honey bees collecting nectar on Common Tansy
Recorded: 2022-08-14 - Published: 2022-08-15 - Duration: [06:41] -
Merlin Falcon (Falco columbarius) - Eating Prey
Recorded: 2020-12-07 - Published: 2021-01-08 - Duration: [01:15]
Videos are hosted on Muuuh's YouTube Channel.
Landscape Photos Taken in Champ des Possibles, Montreal
Having to look long time for something green showing up. This plant was the only green spot in the whole park.
2020-04-10
NIKON D500; 90mm f/2.8; Focal Length 90mm; Exposure 1/200; Aperture f/7.1; Iso 100;
2020-04-04
iPhone 11 Pro; iPhone 11 Pro back triple camera 1.54mm f/2.4; Focal Length 1mm; Exposure 1/727; Aperture f2.4; Iso 20;
2015-07-19
NIKON D7100; 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6; Focal Length 45mm; Exposure 1/100; Aperture f16.0; Iso 200;
For high quality, free available photos visit our profile on Unsplash.