Domaine du Vignoble, Chelsea QC

ESG drivers and principles were at the forefront of this project, including the involvement of the community, ACRE Chelsea, the Municipality and neighbors in various aspects of the project design.

The approved Community Development Plan (CDP) was 18 one-acre lots, a 12-acre protected forest and a 16-acre working farm/vineyard. ACRE Chelsea has retained stewardship of the 12-acre forest for wildlife monitoring and ecological and wildlife preservation. In addition, by reducing the project's lot footprint, it has allowed for natural surface water drainage, further protecting the area's aquifer. The property also served as a link between the Cascades and Farm Point areas for the Chelsea Trails corridor.

The most significant environmental gain of this project was obtaining a zoning change to reduce the project's footprint from a 2 acre to a 1 acre requirement while protecting 12 acres of pristine forest land. InHarmony pioneered this approach to land preservation and sustainable development, and this model was subsequently adopted for all rural subdivision developments in Chelsea and the MRC.