Press releases published by Projet Montréal

Montreal, October 28, 2009 - Mr Richard Bergeron, Projet Montréal's Leader and mayoral candidate for Montreal, and Mrs Sophie Thiébaut, founder of Mobilisation Turcot and candidate-counsellor for Saint-Henri - Petite-Bourgogne - Pointe-Saint-Charles, surrounded with experts, Mr Daniel Breton, President of Maître chez nous au 21e sciècle (MCN21), Jean Décarie, former urbanist for Montreal, Pierre Gauthier, Ph.D., urbanist and Adjunct Professor at Concordia University, and Pierre Brisset, Groupe en Recherche Urbaine Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, all presented their vision of how the Montreal South-West area should be developed.

Exhibiting seven maps illustrating the proposed lay out, this vision takes into consideration environmental concerns, public health and enclaves situations in residents' daily life as well as their numerous demands and mobilizations. "With those highly skilled experts, I'm pleased to demonstrate how Projet Montréal's propositions are rooted in what's best for the South-West district" said Mr Bergeron. The invaluable potential of this district will come about, thanks to a new vision encompassing all means of transportation.


South-West Montreal: a territory that must evolve in the right direction

According to Projet Montréal's leader, the Montreal South-West area is, without hesitation, one of Montreal's districts that will change most in the next decade. "The last big areas earmarked for building close to downtown such as Griffintown and the CN yard in Pointe-Saint-Charles are already eyed by developers" said Mr Bergeron. "However, we must not forget that more than 70 000 people live in this district where expressways form some kind of a belt" added Mr Bergeron.

According to experts attending the press conference, those expressways isolate the South-West districts from the rest of the City and they are largely responsible for health problems caused to residents. It's been decided that some expressways such as Bonaventure, Décarie and 720 will be rebuilt as part of the controversial project to improve and enhance the Turcot Exchange . "It is essential to take advantage of the moment to increase the quality of life of the residents inhabiting the nearby districts, by developing mass transit"
added Sophie Thiébaut.

With a slide show, the experts involved in the reengineering of Montreal's South-West districts demonstrated the railway potential of the area and indicated the urgent actions to be taken related to the Turcot Exchange. They addressed the participants' concerns regarding the environmental impact and explained how the Turcot yard and the Côte-Saint-Paul district could develop in order to meet not only the needs of the south-west residents but also the whole greater Montreal.

"During the fifties, we thought of building projects for the year 2000 and, in 2000, here we are thinking of building projects for the fifties" explained Mr Bergeron. "Today, we must look towards the 21st. century. The creation of urban boulevards will answer people's needs for mobility while minimizing the impact on districts and on the environment in general" said Mr. Bergeron.

Sophie Thiébaut insisted on the role played by local elected officials in this file. "The conseil d'arrondissement must be a major player in defining and guiding development in districts. Development must meet the actual population's needs and be part of a global vision bringing together the residential element, services, parks, green areas, as well as a coherent transportation network.

Additional information

Related to development, Projet Montréal's commitment and projects for Montreal South-West area.


- To promote dismantling Montreal South-West expressway affecting Saint-Henri and Petite-Bourgogne residents' health and replace
with urban boulevards.

- To demand that Décarie expressway (15), in Côte-Saint-Paul be buried into the ground.

- To also demand that part of expressway 15 that cannot be buried be protected with polycarbonate half-tubes in order to protect
residential areas near this heavy traffic expressway.

- To initiate a far-reaching reflection with Côte-Saint-Paul's residents about developing the Cabot industrial zone into a mixed area
including residential development.

- To promote dismantling Bonaventure expressway and answer the needs of Nuns-Island's commuters who use Bonaventure expressway to reach downtown by transforming Marc-Cantin Street, south of pointe-Saint-Charles into an urban boulevard. In order to keep up efforts to fight global warming, mass transit from the South Shore must be electric, therefore, dropping busses for tramways that would render obsolete the bus corridor on Dalhousie Street wich is part of the Société du Havre's project.

- To lay out the framework for Griffintown related to residents' needs and to its historical and cultural sites.

- To participate in the analysis of all the railway potential for Montreal and the South-West district.

- To develop a park north of the Turcot Yard, wet land, and to restore the Saint-Pierre River.

- To consider, with the designated officials, moving the AM triage yard from Pointe-Saint-Charles to the south of Turcot yard, in order
to minimize the impact of this type of activities in residential areas.

- To support social development projects carried out by Pointe-Saint-Charles citizens in order to answer the needs of the population.