On November 1, the Corporation des Fleurons du Québec unveiled the 18th Horticultural Classification of Municipalities Evaluated in 2023, at an emotional evening held at the Sheraton in Saint-Hyacinthe. Ville de Saint-Lazare was honoured at the ceremony. 

Over 200 elected officials and municipal representatives were on hand to receive their official certificates from Fleurons President Martin Dulac.

Of the 102 municipalities evaluated this year, 29 were awarded an additional Fleuron, and the vast majority moved up the classification scale. Ville de Saint-Lazare stood out from the rest, earning 4 Fleurons in its first year of participation. Congratulations!

"It is with great pride that we welcome these distinctions, saluting the dedicated efforts of our Public Works and Horticulture teams. This achievement testifies to their unwavering commitment to beautifying our city. The Fleurons du Québec are public recognition for the efforts we devote to enhancing our environment. We are determined to continue inspiring the creation of other splendid achievements, thus reinforcing our conviction that a green and flourishing town brings undeniable benefits where life is good," says Geneviève Lachance, mayor of Ville de Saint-Lazare.

"At Public Works, we are proud to play an important role in improving the green spaces of Ville de Saint-Lazare. We can count on a team that is passionate about horticulture. I'd like to thank them for their involvement in this project, without which the result would be very different", Sébastien Lalonde Division Manager, Public Works.

The Corporation des Fleurons would like to highlight the many efforts made by the Town of Saint-Lazare and all the award-winning municipalities across the province to sustainably beautify the environment and enhance the quality of life of their citizens.

The fleurons are awarded for a period of three years, and are accompanied by a professional assessment report suggesting ways to further improve municipal greening. Classifiers visit 60% of each municipality's territory and evaluate all sites in public view, including public, institutional, commercial and private sites.Sustainable development initiatives (composting, community gardening, conservation of arboreal heritage, etc.) are also counted.

Currently, 40% of Quebecers live in a municipality that has been awarded a fleuron. By 2023, 328 municipalities in all regions of Quebec will be proudly displaying these awards!This demonstrates the growing interest of communities in greening, beautifying and improving their environment.