Between our buildings in the District Central, there was an alley. It was born from the construction of the neighborhood, wedged between warehouse walls, made of gravel and nothing else. No one ever stopped there.

Since September 18th, it has a name. La Lisière is open to the public, behind 9790 rue Meunier.

Why a coat brand is taking care of an alley

OOKPIK has been designing winter clothing for 15 years. Our work depends on the climate, and that climate is changing. It becomes hard to talk about winter without asking ourselves what we are doing, concretely, in the place where we work.

The District Central is a neighborhood of concrete and warehouses where thousands of people spend their days. Green spaces are rare there, and the heat builds up every summer. For our 15th anniversary, we wanted to leave a mark that lasts longer than a birthday party.

A name borrowed from sewing and ecology

In sewing, the ‘’lisière’’ (selvedge) is the edge of the fabric that keeps it from fraying. In ecology, it is the place where two ecosystems meet. In a neighborhood built by the textile industry, the choice was obvious.

Between the city and the living world

Our coats have always lived between two worlds. During the week, they take the metro and head into the office. On Saturday, they leave for the cottage or a trail up north. We design them for this passage from one environment to the other, because that is how most Canadians live their winter.

The alley offers this passage on a smaller scale. In a few steps, you leave the warehouse walls behind and enter a plant-filled space, among the grasses and fruit bushes. We wanted people in the neighborhood to experience it without taking the road to the cottage.

Regenerating what was already there

Rather than starting from scratch, we regenerated what existed. The soil was reused and amended. The ornamental stones were salvaged from a construction site in the neighborhood.

The plants are native and need little watering. An urban landscape that depends on drinking water to stay alive is not truly sustainable, and this principle guided the choice of every species.

At the entrance, a meadow of grass and fruit bushes feed the birds and insects. Further in, the vegetation surrounds a public square where people who work in the area can come have lunch or take a break. At the far end, the trees close in to form a more intimate area that invites you to slow down.

The moments that matter

At OOKPIK, we believe the moments that last rarely seem important while we are living them. It is a family walk after supper, or lunch outside with colleagues on the first mild day of April. In the moment, you don't think about it. Years later, it is what you remember.

That is what a good coat is for. It lets itself be forgotten so you can stay outside a little longer with the people you love. La Lisière carries the same idea at the scale of the neighborhood: it gives those who work here a reason to step out of the studio and share a break in the fresh air.

A neighbourly affair

La Lisière is first and foremost a collaboration between neighboring businesses. Sly & Co – OOKPIK and the Centre d'art CAB share this corner of the District Central, and it was the SDC District Central that gave the project its shape and framework, by including it in its Plan d’interventions Signature.

Sylvain Roy, co-founder of OOKPIK and Sly & Co, had many ideas for this place. It was with the SDC team, under the direction of Hélène Veilleux, that they took shape. Marc-André Carignan, project manager for signature landscaping, supported the project from start to finish. Nouveaux Voisins designed the landscape and Paysage Saint-Sulpice built it. The Government of Québec contributed financially through the Fonds signature métropole.

Investing in what comes next

A well-made coat lasts through many winters. It ages with the person who wears it and becomes a witness to their best moments. Sometimes it is then passed on to someone else in the family, and it is with this lifespan in mind that we have always designed our clothing.

A planted alley follows the same rhythm. The trees planted this year will grow fuller with the seasons, and every spring, the fruit shrubs will attract a few more birds. What we have sown here belongs above all to those who will come after us, to the next teams of the District Central and to the children who will grow up watching an industrial neighborhood turn greener.

Fifteen years is the age when a company starts thinking about what it will leave behind. We chose to start here, a few steps from our door. On September 24, we unveiled Mini-Me there, our collection of children's coats coordinated with their parents'. It felt right to present it in a place planted for the future.

It's yours

On the scale of a city, an alley is small. It is also one less heat island, and proof that an industrial area can be made more human, one alley at a time.

Do you work in the District Central or pass by rue Meunier? Come have your lunch there, or simply see what's growing.

This landscape is the result of a collaboration between the SDC District Central, Sly & Co – OOKPIK and the Centre d'art CAB. The project receives financial support from the Government of Québec through the Fonds signature métropole.

Design: Nouveaux Voisins

Landscaping: Paysage Saint-Sulpice

Inauguration photos: Charles-Olivier Bourque