Saint-Jacques Escarpment, Natural escarpment in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montreal, Canada

The Saint-Jacques Escarpment is a natural ridge in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce area with steep slopes and thick groves of poplar trees. The formation stretches for several kilometers and creates varied natural habitats along its length.

The construction of the Lachine Canal in 1825 fundamentally altered the water systems of the region. The lake at the base gradually drained, transforming the local landscape over time.

The escarpment's poplar stands between Mount Royal and the Lachine Rapids make it a stopping point for resident and migratory birds. The name Saint-Jacques is recent, likely taken from Rue Saint-Jacques, which Upper Lachine Road became in 1964; a 1702 plan by the Saint-Sulpice priests labels the slope Coteau Saint-Pierre.

The park opened to the public in 2021 and runs 2.7 km between two entrances: Sainte-Anne de Bellevue Boulevard at Brock Avenue South in the west, and Rue Pullman just northwest of the Turcot Interchange in the east. Parts of the slope are unstable, so stay on the marked paths and follow the signs.

The escarpment's dense poplar stands between Mount Royal and the Lachine Rapids make it a refuge for migratory birds and for the brown snake, a species with precarious status in the Montreal region. The city's 2004 ecoterritory designation led to geotechnical, historical and biological studies in the 2000s.