Based on a conversation with Allions-Nous, interviewed by Erika Massoud and Chúk Odenigbo at the Tamarack Institute, this article is part of a series reflecting on the experiences of groups who participated in the Community of Practice for Collective Climate Transitions (CPCCT), organized by the Tamarack Institute in partnership with the Foundation of Greater Montreal.
In Montreal's LaSalle borough, the citizen organization Allions-Nous aims to preserve and repurpose a former school, abandoned since 2007, to transform it into a hub for the socio-ecological transition. This movement is simultaneously heritage-related, community-based, and ecological.
Allions-Nous is a temporary occupation project, a concept developed by the organization Entremise, for the courtyard of the former Allion school in LaSalle. Through this work, the organization hopes to demonstrate that a community has the power to act within its living environment, to come together around a shared space, and to imagine collective uses for a building that has been neglected.
Video produced as part of the "Opération Patrimoine Montréal ", where Allions-Nous received the City of Montreal's 2025 "Agir Ensemble" Award
Allions-Nous operates on the principle that by mobilizing the community, it is possible to collectively transform the future of a neighborhood. Beyond simply being a gathering place, the organization envisions the abandoned school as a hub for the socio-ecological transition, capable of hosting community activities and supporting citizen mobilization. This hub would bring together local organizations working on the environment, food security, and other issues related to the transition. Eventually, this space could address needs such as access to collective spaces for these organizations and even affordable housing for community members.
For Allions-Nous, the project's significance extends beyond the building itself. The former school represented an abandoned space for the community, a place where people would feel powerless and unable to act upon. By coming together, the neighborhood's residents have demonstrated that action is possible. They are building a shared vision of what this school can become and rejecting its decline.
“The importance of our work is to demonstrate that citizens have the power to act,” summarizes Allions-Nous. This conviction guides the organization in its efforts to transform an abandoned site into a vibrant and inclusive space.
For Allions-Nous, participation in the Community of Practice for Collective Climate Transitions (CPTCC) was driven by a desire to learn, connect with other organizations, and collectively address shared challenges. Some of these challenges included citizen mobilization, building trust, acting on climate justice, governance work, and issues of equity and inclusion in the socio-ecological transition.
Given the diversity of the groups represented, a shared desire for change emerged: to learn together and support one another in transforming our neighborhoods. The CPTCC also allowed Allions-Nous to gain perspective. One of the most important lessons learned was recognizing that it is not necessary to carry everything on one's own shoulders. Delegating, trusting, and accepting that perfection is unattainable became guiding principles for lightening the collective burden.
Like many community organizations, Allions-Nous faces the recurring challenge of funding. The organization points out that available funds are often tied to specific projects rather than mission-oriented. This reality makes it difficult to hire staff and consolidate the organization. Without core funding, the organization must constantly seek additional resources.
Citizen engagement is another key challenge. Allions-Nous has approximately 120 members, but often only about fifteen are consistently involved. Since many are young families, already busy with work and daily responsibilities, the risk of burnout is real. Maintaining momentum and supporting those involved therefore requires constant attention.
Adding to these challenges is the particular complexity of a project tied to a physical building. Allions-Nous had to find a sponsoring organization capable of managing the aspects related to the purchase and renovation of the school, while sharing the organization's environmental and community values. Discussions with the building owner remain complex, but having a recognized intermediary has opened doors.
For Allions-Nous, reusing existing and abandoned buildings is also an environmental issue. "The most ecological building is the one that isn't built," the collective points out. Preserving and repurposing a former school therefore means protecting heritage, avoiding the waste of resources, and creating a space that serves the neighborhood.
While awaiting the progress of the acquisition and redevelopment project, Allions-Nous continues to occupy the schoolyard on a temporary basis. This occupation keeps the space vibrant, maintains community engagement, and offers activities driven by the local community.
During the summer, several activities are hosted in the schoolyard every week: community gardening, a mini-recycling center, swap meet-ups, canvas painting workshops, community gatherings, and other initiatives. These activities are recognized for their community-based nature, as the ideas originate from local residents. When someone wants to organize an activity, Allions-Nous provides support and assistance, but without replacing local initiatives.
This community mobilization has earned Allions-Nous recognition from the City of Montreal: the "Agir Ensemble" award, as part of the Grand Prizes of the "Opération Patrimoine Montréal". The organization believes this recognition is a testament to the community, as it is residents who bring the project to life.
Allions-Nous is entering a new phase of work that will allow it to continue mobilizing efforts, collaborate with local partners, and collect stories from former students of the school. This last step is to preserve the memory of the place, regardless of the outcome of the real estate project. If the school were ever to be demolished, Allions-Nous hopes to have at least captured the memories, emotions, and connections that the students had with their former school. These stories will serve as a reminder that the building is not just a space to be redeveloped, but also a collective landmark inscribed in the history of the neighbourhood.
For Allions-Nous, citizen movements play an essential role in the convergence of struggles. Each group acts within its own sphere, but all contribute to a broader movement to transform ways of life and address inequalities. As the organization reminds us, “Alone, we go faster; together, we go further.” The former LaSalle school is a starting point, but the project extends beyond its walls, demonstrating what communities can build when they dream and act together.
An artificial intelligence tool internal to the Tamarack Institute was used to assist with transforming the transcription of this interview recording into a text format. The final version of the text was modified, corrected, and approved by the Tamarack team and the communities involved.