An IGA In Montreal Is Growing Its Own Vegetables On The Roof

JACOB SEREBRIN, MONTREAL GAZETTE
More from Jacob Serebrin, Montreal Gazette

Published on: July 19, 2017 | Last Updated: July 19, 2017 5:27 PM EDT

Required by Saint-Laurent to install a green roof, Richard Duchemin, the co-owner of IGA Extra Famille Duchemin, decided to plant a garden on it. ALLEN MCINNIS / MONTREAL GAZETTE

An IGA store in the Saint-Laurent borough says it’s the first grocery store in Canada to sell produce grown on its own roof.

More than 30 different kinds of produce, including lettuce, kale, garlic and basil, are being grown on 25,000-square-foot roof. All of the produce is certified organic. 

Required by Saint-Laurent to install a green roof, Richard Duchemin, the co-owner of IGA Extra Famille Duchemin, said he decided to go a bit further.

Duchemin said he likes to offer locally grown produce to his customers and this was a chance to offer them the most local products possible. He said also he wanted to set an example for other grocery stores.

“Why don’t supermarkets plant vegetables on their roofs?” he said.

A garden bed ready for expansion at the huge rooftop garden at an IGA store in the Saint-Laurent district of Montreal. ALLEN MCINNIS / MONTREAL GAZETTE

While the costs are higher, due to the small scale of the project, Duchemin said the produce grown on the store’s roof is being sold at the same price as any other organic produce.

The project is part of a partnership with The Green Line: Green Roof, a Montreal-based company that installs green roofs. 

The Green Line is responsible for managing the actual growing of produce on the roof.

While many rooftop gardens opt for hydroponic systems, this one uses soil on the roof — which allows it to be certified organic.

However, because the soil is quite shallow, it limits the type of produce that can be grown, said Tim Murphy, a project manager for The Green Line. Large root vegetables, for example, aren’t an option. 

jserebrin@postmedia.com