Spring Arboricultural Meeting 2026

Opening of the 2026 Spring Rendezvous

Networking breakfast - Coffee, croissant, and pastries will be served.

Welcome address from the organizer and presentation of the day

Speaker : Frédéric Millard

Description : To be announced

Bio : To be announced

Speaker: Ghislain Breton, City of Québec Description: This lecture explores the unique history of the Cannonball Elm, an emblematic tree of Québec, and its transformation into a work of art. Through this story, we will highlight the vision of urban forestry, the technical expertise, and the artistic sensibility of the City of Québec, which have allowed for a prestigious tree to be given a second life and inspired a reflection on the future of our heritage urban canopies. Bio: Ghislain Breton is a forestry engineer and director of the Urban Ecosystems section at the City of Québec. He holds a master's degree in land management and regional development from Université Laval, and has been working for the City of Québec since 2014. Ghislain coordinates a section of multidisciplinary professionals, implementing and coordinating several major environmental planning initiatives for the City of Québec, including the tree vision, biodiversity strategy, and urban agriculture action plan. It is under his leadership that the Québec Biosphere Region application project was completed.

Speaker: Olivier Lamontagne, Lamontagne Consultants

Description: The presentation will focus on excavation methods that allow working near roots without causing significant damage to urban trees. We will present the two main techniques used in this context, which are hydro excavation and pneumatic excavation. The presentation will cover their operation, their respective advantages, and different application contexts for tree management and protection in urban environments.

Bio: Olivier has been an arborist for over 20 years. He started very young by working with his father, which led him to observe trees and their growth since childhood. Today, he runs a consulting office specializing in arboriculture and urban forestry with his father. Their practice focuses on identifying tree problems and diseases, structural analysis, monetary evaluation, and developing tree protection plans during construction sites.

We take advantage of this moment to discuss with colleagues in arboriculture and urban forestry. Lunch is included.

Speaker : Jérôme Picard, City of Québec

Description : This presentation explores the challenges related to the application of regulations governing trees in urban areas in the City of Québec. It highlights the gap that can sometimes exist between regulatory objectives and the realities observed on the ground. The green infrastructure represented by trees is not so well-suited to be part of a rigid regulatory framework.

Bio : Trained as a forest engineer, Jérôme has been serving as an environmental advisor at the City of Québec for a little over 10 years now. His current role in support of the management at the Urban Forestry and Horticulture Division involves him in various topics surrounding the management of trees in urban settings. Passionate about forestry and communication, the urban environment is the ideal world for him to work in.

Speaker: Daniel Boyer

Description: Most municipalities have regulations governing the management of trees and wooded areas. Although sometimes complex, they aim to prevent abusive interventions and regulate landscaping, authorized species, and plant diversity. The LAU also sets limits on fines, particularly based on the impacted areas.
Development projects often face the challenge of preserving trees, leading to the increasing use of levies, the application of which remains demanding.
My goal is to share my experience in urban forestry, as well as the experience gained in Laval, in a spirit of exchange and discussion.

Bio: At the beginning of his career, Mr. Boyer mainly built a solid field experience: forest, ecological, and urban inventories, especially as part of the first eco-forestry inventories of the Ministry of Forests, conducted throughout the regions of Quebec.
Before 2014, he mainly worked in consulting firms, including Sylvico/Novafor, Darveau Grenier (DGR), SODEM Planicité, and Nadeau Urban Forestry.
He also worked for about ten years as an accredited advisor in the Laurentians as part of the private forest development program, within his company Timmerlinn Inc.
Since 2014, Mr. Boyer has been a forest engineer for the City of Laval, where he acts as a professional advisor to Public Works and various municipal services. He contributed to the action plan against the emerald ash borer, the Tree Policy (2017), and the Urban Forestry Plan (2020), and participates in several committees, including the Green and Blue Corridor.
Interested in natural environments and tree ecosystems, Mr. Boyer is also an ornithologist and self-taught bonsai practitioner; he strives to promote the place and role of trees in urban and natural landscapes.

Speaker : Bruno Paquet

Description : 

Bio : Bruno was a municipal manager of parks and green spaces for many years. He is also a recognized speaker and trainer, actively involved in the field of urban forestry and arboriculture. He founded the consulting firm Gestion Arboreta to serve boroughs and cities. He collaborated in the translation and adaptation of the 1995 edition of the Guide d'évaluation des végétaux and the latest edition of 2023. He has acted as an expert consultant in numerous court cases. He has been the designated trainer for Level 1 and Level 2 monetary evaluation of vegetation training for over 30 years.