from the archives of Turcot Interchange being built,....
I will also add a bunch more photos of the hiways being built around Montreal,imagine soon to be gone I guess,.where did the last 50 years go ? HF&RV
THANKS for stopping by, I do my best to acknowledge when someone leaves a comment,you do not have to be a member here & everyone is welcome. Ps: This site is monitored but not actively posting on a regular basis. Mostly these are stories & some photos saved from a defunct site known as Verdun Connections which was on MSN Groups initially then on a social network called Multiply.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Decarie Misery for Motorists Turcot Lane Closed
After inspections revealed severe damage to the infrastructure, Transport Quebec yesterday closed one lane of the two-lane southbound ramp that connects the Décarie (Highway 15) to the Turcot Interchange indefinitely.
The stretch of road is used by about 31,000 cars daily, many travelling from Décarie to the Champlain Bridge.
The one-kilometre section of the ramp reduced to one lane runs between the falaise St. Jacques in Notre Dame de Grâce and an area just south of the Lachine Canal.
At its highest point, the ramp is about 100 feet in the air.
Transport Quebec was urged to immediately close the lane yesterday afternoon by the engineering firms maintaining and monitoring the 43-year-old interchange, said Mario St. Pierre, a Transport Quebec spokesperson.
News of the emergency lane closing comes as Transport Minister Julie Boulet and Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay continue to tussle over the best way to replace the aging structure.
St. Pierre said inspections revealed "degradation in the concrete" in the horizontal structure under the asphalt. "You can't see it from the outside," he said. The problem does not extend across the entire length of the closed ramp. "Only a certain portion of it is faulty, about halfway" across the ramp, he said.
Engineers say the structure is safe for a single lane in the middle of the ramp. "The central lane is directly on top of the pillars, so this is the strongest portion of the structure," St. Pierre said.
No problems were discovered on the northbound ramp.
When will the second southbound lane reopen?
"We don't know how long repairs will last because we don't know what repairs we will have to do and how we will do them," St. Pierre said.
Transport Quebec expects the lane closing to cause major traffic bottlenecks.
The affected ramp is used by 1,900 cars hourly during morning rush hour and 2,500 cars in afternoon rush hour.
St. Pierre urged motorists to use public transit, carpool or change routes or commuting hours if possible. "We're advising people to stay away," he said. He said motorists who normally take Décarie to reach the Champlain Bridge should consider another link to the South Shore or another route to the Champlain.
Quebec is working on plans to tear down and rebuild the interchange and other parts of what's known as the Turcot Complex. The complex includes the Turcot - where Highways 15, 20 and 720 converge - plus the Montreal West, Angrignon and de la Vérendrye interchanges.
The entire complex is used by about 290,000 cars daily
After years of planning, Quebec and Montreal can't agree on the new Turcot.
Montreal put forward a new vision of the highway system last week that would cut car capacity and boost public transit. Quebec has said Montreal's plan comes too late and is too expensive, at $6 billion. Quebec's plan would cost $2.5 billion.
Quebec has given Montreal a detailed cost estimate of the city's proposal, Tremblay spokesperson Darren Becker said. He said the city was not ready to comment on the estimate yesterday as the figures were being examined.
Last week, Quebec said it wants construction to start on the new Turcot this fall and be completed by 2017.
The sudden Turcot lane closing will probably exacerbate Quebec motorists' wariness of the province's crumbling road infrastructure.
In 2006, the de la Concorde overpass collapsed in Laval, killing five people.
In the aftermath of that disaster, sections of several highways were closed because of deteriorating support structures, and aging overpass pillars were found to have insufficient steel reinforcement.
Montreal motorists have long been concerned about the safety of the Turcot, with its decaying concrete and exposed reinforcement steel.
The Turcot was part of a flurry of road building to prepare for Expo 67. The $25-million Turcot Interchange opened on April 25, 1967, two days before Montreal welcomed the world to Expo.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Belmont Park
A well made tribute film to Montreal's old Belmont Park.
Every Montrealer has most likely made more than 1 trip to old Belmont Park.
This film was just added to Youtube a couple of months ago.
Sit back & take a trip back in time..........Cheers ! HF&RV
Every Montrealer has most likely made more than 1 trip to old Belmont Park.
This film was just added to Youtube a couple of months ago.
Sit back & take a trip back in time..........Cheers ! HF&RV
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Laurier Park in Mile End Plateau Montreal
Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Le Plateau-Mont-Royal (English: The Plateau) is a borough (arrondissement) of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The Plateau-Mont-Royal takes its name from its location on relatively flat terrain north of Sherbrooke Street and downtown, and east of Mont-Royal. The borough is bordered to the north and north-east by the Canadian Pacific railroad tracks; to the west by Park Avenue and the intersection of Pine Avenue and University Street; and to the south by Sherbrooke Street. It is one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in Canada, with 101,054 people living in a 8.1 square kilometre area.
There is a difference between the borough, Plateau-Mont-Royal -- a political division of the City of Montreal -- and the neighbourhood referred to as "the Plateau". The borough includes not only the Plateau, but also the neighbourhoods of Mile End (bounded by Avenue du Mont-Royal to the south and the Avenue Henri-Julien to the east) and the McGill Ghetto (bounded by University, Sherbrooke, Saint-Laurent and Pine). Both neighbourhoods are generally considered distinct from the Plateau.
Contents |
History
The Plateau was formerly a working-class neighbourhood, with the Eastern part being largely French-Canadian, and the Western part largely Jewish. The neighbourhood was the childhood home of Quebec writers Michel Tremblay and Mordecai Richler and both have set many stories in the Plateau of the 1950s and 60s.
The Plateau is characterized by brightly-coloured houses, cafés, book shops, and a laissez-faire attitude. It's the location of some famous attractions on Saint Lawrence Boulevard, including Schwartz's Deli (famous for its Montreal smoked meat), and a weekend street fair during the summer that sees extremely crowded streets. In 1997, Utne Reader rated it one of the 15 "hippest" neighbourhoods in North America.
In the 1980s, the area's bohemian aura and proximity to McGill University attracted gentrification. As rents increased, many of its traditional residents and businesses were dispersed to other parts of the city. For example, a historic local grocer, Warshaw, has recently been replaced by a Pharmaprix. The neighbourhood continues to gentrify, and it is now home to many upscale restaurants and nightclubs, and any number of trendy clothing stores have their place along this strip of St-Laurent and St-Denis.
Geography
The borough is located northeast of downtown, and was part of the City of Montreal prior to the 2002 municipal mergers.
It is bordered to the south by Ville-Marie, to the west by Outremont, and to the north and east by Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie. Clockwise from the south, it is bounded by Sherbrooke St., University St., Pine Ave. (av. des Pins), Park Ave. (Avenue du Parc), the southward projection of Hutchison St., Hutchison St., Mount Royal Ave (av. Mont-Royal), and the CP railroad tracks.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Logan Park ......but we know it as LaFontaine Park.
Neighbourhood La Fontaine
History
1845 1903Before 1903
In the 19th century, the territory comprised farmland belonging to the family of James Logan. In 1845, the land was sold to the federal government to be made into a military parade ground. In 1874, the City of Montreal rented part of it, giving birth to Logan Park, renamed La Fontaine Park in 1901.
By this time, some of the sites recognized as jewels of Montreal's cultural heritage were already in place, such as the Institution des Sourdes-Muettes, Fire Station No. 16, the Cherrier School and the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
Ferme Logan
Before 1903
In the 19th century, the territory comprised farmland belonging to the family of James Logan. In 1845, the land was sold to the federal government to be made into a military parade ground. In 1874, the City of Montreal rented part of it, giving birth to Logan Park, renamed La Fontaine Park in 1901.
By this time, some of the sites recognized as jewels of Montreal's cultural heritage were already in place, such as the Institution des Sourdes-Muettes, Fire Station No. 16, the Cherrier School and the Church of the Immaculate Conception.
Fête de la reine à Montréal: la grande parade des volontaires sur le parc Logan et le Champ de Mars ("Le Monde illustré", vol. 13, no. 361, 6 juin 1896, p. 88)
Parc Lafontaine (Parc Logan)
1903
It was in 1903, when Montreal was redivided into 18 districts, that the old “Saint-Jacques North district” was first designated as the “La Fontaine neighbourhood”. This 230-acre area was bounded by Saint-Denis, de Montigny (renamed de Maisonneuve), and de la Visitation streets and the old city limits (near the existing Rachel street). Merchants, professionals and businessmen were drawn to the neighbourhood by the fresh air of the nearby countryside.
At the turn of the 20th century, many more institutional buildings and monuments were erected, such as the former Montreal Library, the old Palestre nationale and Hippolyte La Fontaine School. The monuments to Dollard des Ormeaux and Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine were inaugurated in prestigious La Fontaine Park.
Between 1890 and 1910, the face of Sherbrooke Street East was gradually transformed by magnificent, richly furnished homes. Emblems of the rising francophone upper middle class, they belonged to businessmen, lawyers, bankers, doctors and other notables. Some houses were built of Montreal greystone, while others were more modestly dressed in brick. Often, less wealthy owners occupied the ground floor and rented out the upper storeys.
Because the City required the builders to set back the buildings from the street, they compensated for the lost space by building exterior staircases, which have become a hallmark of Montreal architecture. These new dwellings gave substance to the neighbourhood and defined its character.
Montréal, Le Parc Lafontaine (Lafontaine Park)
8.7 cm
13.8 cm
1903
It was in 1903, when Montreal was redivided into 18 districts, that the old “Saint-Jacques North district” was first designated as the “La Fontaine neighbourhood”. This 230-acre area was bounded by Saint-Denis, de Montigny (renamed de Maisonneuve), and de la Visitation streets and the old city limits (near the existing Rachel street). Merchants, professionals and businessmen were drawn to the neighbourhood by the fresh air of the nearby countryside.
At the turn of the 20th century, many more institutional buildings and monuments were erected, such as the former Montreal Library, the old Palestre nationale and Hippolyte La Fontaine School. The monuments to Dollard des Ormeaux and Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine were inaugurated in prestigious La Fontaine Park.
Between 1890 and 1910, the face of Sherbrooke Street East was gradually transformed by magnificent, richly furnished homes. Emblems of the rising francophone upper middle class, they belonged to businessmen, lawyers, bankers, doctors and other notables. Some houses were built of Montreal greystone, while others were more modestly dressed in brick. Often, less wealthy owners occupied the ground floor and rented out the upper storeys.
Because the City required the builders to set back the buildings from the street, they compensated for the lost space by building exterior staircases, which have become a hallmark of Montreal architecture. These new dwellings gave substance to the neighbourhood and defined its character.
“Atlas of the City and Vicinity in four volumes : volume 1" / Chas E. Goad Co. - 1913, plate 44
1913
In Lafontaine Park
About 1913
8.6 cm
13.7 cm
© Collection Dinu Bumbaru, © Héritage Montréal
Montréal, Lafontaine Park, the Hot houses
8.8 cm
13.5 cm
© Collection Dinu Bumbaru, © Héritage Montréal
The official boundaries of the La Fontaine district were significantly reduced in 1921, down to about 195 acres. The portion south of Sherbrooke Street was reallocated, and new boundaries were set by Papineau Street to the east and Rachel Street to the north, while Saint-Denis was maintained. These modifications followed a trend toward greater population density in the neighbourhood.
"Lafontaine ward"
The official boundaries of the La Fontaine district were significantly reduced in 1921, down to about 195 acres. The portion south of Sherbrooke Street was reallocated, and new boundaries were set by Papineau Street to the east and Rachel Street to the north, while Saint-Denis was maintained. These modifications followed a trend toward greater population density in the neighbourhood.
"L'hôpital Notre-Dame, rue Sherbrooke Est, et le tunnel pour les piétons, qui débouche sur le Parc Lafontaine" ("La Presse", 31 décembre 1932)
18.5 cm
25 cm
1933-1945
Recession
The Great Crash of 1929 brought an end to residential construction in the neighbourhood. The single-family dwellings were adapted to the needs of a new population of more modest means. The lodgings were denser, and families huddled together to counter exorbitant rent increases. Rich homeowners abandoned La Fontaine for Outremont. The La Fontaine district took on a new appearance.
La Fontaine Lumineuse au Parc Lafontaine/The Illuminated Fountain, Lafontaine Park
8.5 cm
13.6 cm
1933-1945
Recession
The Great Crash of 1929 brought an end to residential construction in the neighbourhood. The single-family dwellings were adapted to the needs of a new population of more modest means. The lodgings were denser, and families huddled together to counter exorbitant rent increases. Rich homeowners abandoned La Fontaine for Outremont. The La Fontaine district took on a new appearance.
The Illuminated fountain, La Fontaine Park
8.7 cm
13.7 cm
Centre Calixa Lavallée
1945-1975
City Living
Until the 1970s, the landscape of the La Fontaine district was bleak. Homeowners did not have the means to renovate and tenants did not have the incentive; some moved to the suburbs. High-rises sprang up around La Fontaine Park. Highway projects are developed leading, in the 1950's, to the opening of Berri street.
Still, in the mid-1950s, La Fontaine Park became home to municipal projects for the enjoyment of Montreal families: the open-air Théâtre de Verdure, and the unforgettable Jardin des Merveilles
Théâtre de verdure
1945-1975
City Living
Until the 1970s, the landscape of the La Fontaine district was bleak. Homeowners did not have the means to renovate and tenants did not have the incentive; some moved to the suburbs. High-rises sprang up around La Fontaine Park. Highway projects are developed leading, in the 1950's, to the opening of Berri street.
Still, in the mid-1950s, La Fontaine Park became home to municipal projects for the enjoyment of Montreal families: the open-air Théâtre de Verdure, and the unforgettable Jardin des Merveilles
Parc La Fontaine, Jardin des merveilles - Conditions existantes - démolition des équip. et infra.
80.5 cm
102.5 cm
Parc La fontaine - jardin des merveilles - enclos du petit éléphant - détails
70 cm
115.5 cm
La Poulette Grise, Garden of Wonders, Lafontaine Park
8.7 cm
13.7 cm
© Collection Dinu Bumbaru, © Héritage Montréal
Ancien pavillon d'entrée du Jardin des merveilles, Parc La Fontaine
2.3 cm
3.5 cm
"200 000 personnes prévues au Jardin des Merveilles" ("Guide du Nord", vol. XXX, no 19, jeudi 14 mai 1964, p. 3)
38.5 cm
28.5 cm
Parc Lafontaine, Rues Amherst et Rachel
20.2 cm
25.2 cm
Édicule de la station Sherbrooke
Since 1975
The start of a new era …
Officially, the designation “La Fontaine neighbourhood” no longer exists. The redefinition of the district boundaries, which made it a part of the Plateau Mont-Royal district (and today of the borough of the same name), coincided with a return to the inner city, which has given the neighbourhood a new air of prosperity: luxuriously renovated houses, cultural vitality and renewed commercial activity. The area still has a few surprises left in it!
Le théâtre de Verdure en été
Since 1975
The start of a new era …
Officially, the designation “La Fontaine neighbourhood” no longer exists. The redefinition of the district boundaries, which made it a part of the Plateau Mont-Royal district (and today of the borough of the same name), coincided with a return to the inner city, which has given the neighbourhood a new air of prosperity: luxuriously renovated houses, cultural vitality and renewed commercial activity. The area still has a few surprises left in it!
Bassin du lac au Parc La Fontaine
2.3 cm
3.5 cm
École primaire supérieure Le Plateau
Thursday, April 22, 2010
So now it's called a 'New Vision Turcot Plan" ----sounds like political double speak
MONTREAL – A circular interchange that would take up less space. A tramway linking downtown to Lachine and LaSalle. An attractive entry point to the city. Two lanes for cars, instead of three. Dedicated lanes for buses, taxis and carpoolers. A housing development next to a major new green space.
Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay made public the city’s counter-proposal to Quebec’s controversial plan to rebuild the Turcot on Wednesday, upping the pressure on the province to change its tune.
“It’s a new vision, a new mindset,” Tremblay said.
The proposal – presented at city hall by Richard Bergeron, Tremblay’s urban-planning point man – struck a chord among critics of Quebec’s plan, but the province did not immediately reply.
Tremblay, who presented the proposal to Quebec Transport Minister Julie Boulet this month, said he expects to get feedback – including the estimated cost of Montreal’s alternative plan – from Boulet within a week.
But Boulet appears cool to the idea of changing her plan. On Monday, she said “it’s a little late” to present an alternate plan. “We don’t necessarily have the time to start over, to start from zero,” she said.
Yesterday, Tremblay shot back. He said the city has been telling Quebec for four years that a new Turcot should cut car capacity, increase public transit, favour green space and improve the quality of life of nearby residents.
“We’re not starting from scratch,” he added, noting under Montreal’s proposal the north-south component of Quebec’s plan – connecting the Décarie Expressway to the Champlain Bridge – would go ahead. “We can do the east-west axis afterward,” he said, referring to the Turcot interchange and Highway 20, which links the West Island to downtown.
He said concerns about the safety of Turcot’s aging infrastructure can be dealt with by immediately tearing down elevated portions and rerouting cars at ground level.
Tremblay said the upfront cost of Montreal’s plan could be higher than Quebec’s but the city’s solution would decrease gridlock, a drain on the local economy, and open up much more land for development, which would generate tax revenue for the city.
The mayor also issued a plea to the premier, suggesting if Jean Charest is serious about his ambitious plan to cut Quebec’s greenhouse-gas output, he could start by cutting the Turcot’s size.
Quebec unveiled its Turcot plan in 2007. Construction was to have started last fall.
Built in the mid-1960s, the Turcot – a tangle of highways and access ramps west of downtown Montreal – is where Highways 15 and 20 and the Ville Marie Expressway converge. It’s used by 290,000 vehicles daily.
Critics say Quebec’s plan, which had a $1.5-billion price tag, would increase capacity to 320,000 cars, encourage urban sprawl and do nothing to cut car use. In addition, Highway 20 would be moved north, making it difficult to turn the falaise St. Jacques into a public green space.
City hall opposition leader Louise Harel, one of Tremblay’s fiercest critics, praised the mayor’s alternative.
“Quebec can now see that Montreal is speaking with one voice,” she said.
Daniel Bouchard, of the Conseil régional de l’environnement de Montréal, a coalition highly critical of the Quebec plan, also applauded the city proposal. “It answers everybody’s concerns – it cuts car traffic, increases public transit, increases green space and improves quality of life” in the area, Bouchard said.
“It’s a great improvement over Quebec’s proposal,” said Pierre Gauthier, a Concordia urban planner who developed an alternate plan supported by Turcot opponents.
“There are many good ideas, though we still don’t know by how much this would cut the number of cars,” said Gauthier, whose plan would cut car capacity by 40 per cent.
Quebec, for its part, said it will study the city’s plan and expects to issue a response by the end of next week.
Réal Grégoire, a spokesperson for Transport Quebec, said the department must determine whether it’s feasible. It is also studying the impact on the project’s price and construction schedule (Quebec wants it completed by 2017).
“We also have to verify whether Montreal’s proposal would have to go before environmental public hearings,” he said. “We have to identify what studies would have to be done to go ahead with this concept, because this is a new concept.”
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The City of Montreal in the Future ?
But before they can complete their part of the puzzle, they must get the design approved – by government, by investors, by prospective tenants and, if only for good PR, by the general public.
First pitch, then build – that’s the idea behind Le Montréal du futur, a six-day exhibit of architectural plans that opens Tuesday afternoon at Complexe Desjardins and continues through Monday.
Forty presenters, 60 projects and lots of ways – from architects’ drawings to cardboard models to computerized 3-D simulations – to show how it will all look are featured at the free show.
Some of the projects are already under way (the new hall for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the renovation of the Montreal Casino, the enlargement of Molson Stadium), while others are waiting to be built or are still at the pipe-dream stage.
Whether it turns out to be mere fancy or concrete fact, each project is being promoted as a new way to work, live and do business in the metropolis. But the timing may seem a bit strange.
Developers aren’t exactly flying high with good publicity these days. Construction scandals have engulfed Montreal city hall and the Charest government. And on the heels of a worldwide economic recession, it’s surprising to see developers trot out their fanciest and costliest ideas for public review.
But the show is somewhat of a marketing tradition. It has been held twice before, in 2006 and 2008. The difference this year is that the economy has made developers think more conservatively.
Gone are the plethora of big hotels and skyscrapers of more prosperous times. There are still some, but the accent now is on lowering financial risk.
How? By building places where people work and also live – so-called mixed-use commercial and residential complexes – as well as taking on government-sponsored “institutional” projects like hospitals, railway stations and performance centres.
“It’s funny, we were supposed to be in a recession and yet I have more exhibitors presenting more projects than ever this year – and higher ones, too,” said chief organizer Robert Vézina.
“When you actually see the show you’ll go, ‘My God, there’s a lot of stuff going on in this city.’ It’s all here in one spot.”
Put together by BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) Québec, whose 350 members control more than 50 million square feet of property mostly in and around Montreal, the exhibition showcases some striking designs.
There’s the eye-catching dome of the SAT (Society for Arts and Technology) centre under construction on the Lower Main. There’s the horsetrack shape integrated into a rethink – by UQÀM urbanism students – of the old Blue Bonnets hippodrome off Décarie Expressway. There’s the green-think of the Montreal Biodiversity Centre, a project going up in the Botanical Gardens.
Some are designed with maximum fun in mind (a high-speed roller coaster opening next month over the drained Lac des dauphins at La Ronde), some propose to expand on existing landmarks (such as Pointe-à-Callière archeological museum), some transform historic buildings for new use (the Erskine & American United Church will house Canadiana from the Museum of Fine Arts).
Other projects impress by their height and scale – or their hubris, depending on your perspective.
“Of course, a lot of it is simply mercantile utopias,” said Dinu Bumbaru, an architect with the conservation group Heritage Montreal.
“It’s probably nice to flip a property but it’s nothing really essential to the revitalization of the city. A lot of the projects are excessive.”
On display at the show will be plans for the mega-expansion of Ste. Justine Hospital (with a simulated bird’s-eye view that’s new to the public), the conversion to condos of the Mont-Jésus-Marie convent on Mount Royal (done by developer Frank Catania and approved under great controversy last month) and two shiny new skyscrapers planned over Victoria Square and Phillips Square.
“I think it’s important for developers to show what’s on the drawing board,” said Richard Corso, vice-president of Canderel, the firm behind the Phillips Square project, which would see a 32-storey tower rise after demolition of the east side of the historic downtown gathering spot.
The tower’s facade went through as many as 40 redesigns before a final one was completed eight months ago and approved by city hall. Now the trick will be to find tenants interested in the 400,000 to 900,000 square feet of space that would be available if ever the tower – which would have an inner courtyard for shops and restaurants – gets built.
Le Montréal du futur is “a way to make the public aware of what the concepts are for the site and what’s forthcoming,” Corso said, describing the 3-D aerial view that visitors can see of the tower, as if they’re getting a guided tour by helicopter.
“Will these projects occur? Maybe, maybe not. But at least the show gives you an idea of what the city will look like five to 10 years from now, because at least some of them will happen.”
Designing the future is one thing – but what kind of future? That question preoccupies development watchdogs like Heritage Montreal. “We’re interested in the real future, not the salesmen’s future,” Bumbaru said.
“When you do buildings and architecture and landscaping, you should have in mind what their condition is going to be 25 years from now.
“That’s not something most developers are concerned about. They’re more interested in getting the photo op and the building permit, with no real vision … of the long-term development of the city.”
Bumbaru will stop in at the Complexe Desjardins show, just as he did in 2006 and 2008.
“The great value of this kind of event is it sheds light on many of the rumours or bits of information that appear in obscure vocabulary in public notices about zoning – have you ever tried to read these things? They’re not made for people to understand. So at least an open event connects the public to visuals, so people can appreciate what’s going on.”
Developers are getting more sophisticated in their presentations, Bumbaru added. They show a greater interest in graphics – for example, by simulating nightscapes of their projects, which show the buildings lit up after working hours.
But he cautioned that while computer imaging can produce very realistic views of a project, those views can also be manipulated to minimize a building’s visual impact by playing with perspective. One example, he said: Molson Stadium, whose new upper deck is to be completed for the start of the 2010-11 season.
“Everyone said from the visual simulation that the (upper deck of the) stadium wouldn’t be seen,” but now it’s like a wall between the mountain and the city,” Bumbaru said.
Also misleading are developers claims to thinking “green,” he added. “Green roofs and bike racks slapped on to an awful project don’t make it any less awful.”
And what about the big picture? The City of Montreal will display a 3-D mock-up called Imagining-Building Montreal 2025, but otherwise there’s no master plan, no overview, no model or computer graphic of what the city would look like if all 60 projects were to be completed.
For the next show in 2012, Bumbaru suggested, someone should draw up a grid of past projects and indicate whether they ever got off the ground – and slap all the rejects up on a website for people to keep track of. Instead of Le Montréal du futur, he said, they could call it something else: The Future That Was Promised But Never Came.
Now that would be quite a development.
The third edition of Le Montréal du futur, an exhibition organized by BOMA Quebec, begins Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the Grande-Place of Complexe Desjardins and continues through Monday. The event, which is free, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Monday, to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and until 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For info, go to www.boma-quebec.org or email boma@affaires.com or call 514-282-3826.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Montage of Buildings in Verdun Beginning of 20th Century on a 1899 Map
I have made a montage of the buildings built in the beginning of the 20th century on a 1899 map from our archives (SHGV). I have listed below the 15 buildings and areas with a short description. It is surprising to know that Verdun had so many important buildings considering the small population at that time wich was approxmately 2000:
1- Aqueduc - Photo 1918, Conceived by Thomas C. Keefer, Engr in 1852, Construction 1854 to 1856
2- Wellington Tramway, Photo 1909, corner Wellington and Church, circuit: Wellington to Rielle, to Lower Lachine Rd (LaSalle) to Gordon, to Wellington, return east on Wellington.
3- First Police/Fire station - photo 1905, corner Church and Ethel, founded 1886
4- Police/Fire Station, photo 1910, corner Church annd Evelyn
5- Aqueduc, filtration plant, photo 1925, built 1923
6- Church/School Niotre Dame des Sept Douleurs, photo 1905, inaugurated 16 September 1900, in operation 1900 to 1905.
7- Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs church, basement construction October 1904 to November 18th 1905
8- Le Pavillon, construction 1725, foundation of Verdun in 1876. In 1838, 2 military officers had the last dual held in Canada near the Pavillon. Major Ward was killed par Cpt Robert Sweeney and hjis body was brought to the Pavillon.It was demolished in 1954 to be replaced by a car wash.
9- Verdun Model School, first school built in Verdun in 1895, enlarged in 1902 and between 1913 and 1922. Became Externat Classique Jean Jacques Olier. Now a McDonald's.
10- Queen's Park Club, date of construction unknown, corner LaSalle and Rielle, Chapel of the Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs parish, first mass th 17th September 1899.
11- Velodrome Queen's Park. The stadium contained up to 12,000 spectators, was situated app. betwwen Church (then called Pavillon), Bannantyne (then called Waverley), Willibrord (then called Willibrord), LaSalle (then called Lower Lachine Road), The international bicycle races called "Worlds Meet" were held there in August 1899.
12- Maison Nivard de Saint Dizier, photo 1930, 7244 LaSalle Blvd, foot of Lloyd George, construction 1710. Was completely renovated (cost 1.2m) and will become a museum to open this fall,
13- Saint Clement's Anglican church, photo 1910, construction 1900, originally called Belcher Memorial Church, now called Church of the Epiphany. Oldest church in Verdun.
14- LaSalle Power Dam, beginning of construction 1895, official inauguration 25 September 1897 par Queen Victoria by pressing a button at Windsor castle by Atlantic Cable.
15- Douglas Hospital, photo 1910, founded 1881.
Guy
ARCHIVES SOCIÉTÉ D'HISTOIRE ET DE GÉNÉALOGIE DE VERDUN
CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Lachine Rapids Development ? "Let's Talk"
The Nun’s Island Heritage Committee is the first citizens group to take advantage of a new program allowing Montrealers to initiate public consultations under the Rights of Initiative, created in January by the Office de consultations publique de Montreal.
The historical rapids require protection as they are particularly fragile between Champlain and Mercier bridges, explained Nina Blussé of the Nun’s Island heritage group.
The nuns practiced sustainable development when they occupied the island, she said. But since the 1970s, areas touched by the rapids, including the Lachine Canal, the seaway, and Nuns’ Island, have seen continuous growth, Blussé said: “It’s not just condos on Nuns’ Island.”
The group is seeking to define conservation measures that would limit the growth of commercial and residential developments.
“The changes are cumulative. There’s a continual frittering away and there needs to be strict regulations because it’s not sustainable. This is urgent,” Blussée said.
But although the city has approved their request for a petition, a public consultation will not be held without the requisite signatures.
“We have 90 days to get 15,000 signatures,” Blussé said,
To that end, the group has contacted various high schools to mobilize their senior students through various leadership and community service programs to help protect the rapids.
A former teacher, Blussée says this is an opportunity for youth to influence municipal decision-making.
“It’s pupil power for the environment,” she said. “We’re asking young people to help us make a better Montreal.”
Only those age 15 and older and living in Montreal City boroughs are eligible to sign.
For information on Right of Initiative in public consultations, click here.
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
Thursday, April 15, 2010
New Commuter Trains WILL NOT be LATE ( & also Just In, the Tooth Fairy has doubled her rates)
Commuters on the Dorion/Rigaud commuter rail line are accustomed to late trains.
But their brand-new double-decker train cars will arrive on time – before the end of June, as promised last fall, the Agence métropolitaine de transport said Thursday.
Bombardier has so far delivered 19 of the 24 new cars that will go to the line this spring but they must undergo routine testing before going into service, AMT spokesperson Martine Rouette said. When the 24 cars are in place, just under half of all the cars on the line will be new ones.
The new cars, which can accommodate more passengers and will replace older cars, will increase rush-hour capacity by 30 per cent. They also are more comfortable and expected to be more reliable than the aging fleet.
Dorion/Rigaud is the AMT’s second busiest line, used by 16,000 people daily.
Rouette denied a news report suggesting the AMT is delaying introducing the new cars on Dorion/Rigaud because it doesn’t have the required inspection facility or maintenance personnel.
A new, $7-million inspection facility in Vaudreuil-Dorion will be completed in the coming days, she said. As for maintenance, Bombardier is taking over the work from CP and CN on June 30. But Bombardier personnel will do maintenance on new cars put into service before then.
The AMT ordered 160 new cars from Bombardier in 2007 at a cost of $386 million.
So far, 30 are in service, all on the Mont St. Hilaire line.
The St. Jérôme/Blainville line will get new cars this summer, Delson/Candiac in the fall, Rouette said. More new cars will go to Dorion/ Rigaud later. Thirty cars are for the new Repentigny/Mascouche line, known as the Train de l’est, due in 2012.
Unlike the other lines, Deux Montagnes, the AMT’s busiest route, is electrified. It uses cars built in 1995.
Old Photos from à Verdun Senior Citizen
Helen Ward is a Verdun Senior Citizen who is sharing her old Album photos with us. Here are 2 of those photos, The top one is undated but is probably from the late 20s or early thirties just before the upper section of the LaSalle Hydro dam was demolished (in the background).
The second photo was taken at the Verdun Model school around 1938. Helen is the second at the right.
I have also added these two photos in my photo albums, no. 7 and no. 38.
Helen is also a member of our society (SHGV) and we honored her by having an article on her biography in our society publication, Les Argoulets.
These photos enrich our archives for all future generations to consult.
Guy
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