'Lamb mowers' for Montreal parks? A former shepherd hopes so

A Montreal man is hoping to bring flocks of sheep to the city to graze in its parks.

MathyasLefebure, who was ashepherdinFrance for a decade and now lives in the city,says grazing sheep is anenvironmentally-friendlyway to maintain and fertilize green spaces.

He also wants to use sheepto educate city dwellers about farming.

"That's the point of it, because if we want to brighten and educate, we will tour them around in different parks and even(boroughs)in Montreal," he said.

Montreal wouldn't be the first Canadian city to try something of this kind.

The Wascana Centre, a public park in Regina, did the same thing with goats this year to gobble up invasive weeds.Similar programs exist in Seattle, Paris and Lyon.

Lefeburehas the support of RosemontLaPetite-Patrie.

The boroughwas set to vote on a sheep-grazing by-law on Tuesday evening, but decided to postpone the vote because Lefebure's non profit group was not able to come up with funding.

Lefebure says his group, Biquette Montreal, would have to build a little barn and a moveable wood enclosure for the sheep.

If the project is approved,he also hopes to produce a Montreal sheep cheese in time for the city's 375th anniversary.