A new solution for the REM: Bypassing Sherbrooke East for 4.5 km, using railway land instead
A solution has been found to one of the holdout issues around Montreal's future rapid-transit line -- its route through the city's east end.
The REM was set to run along the main artery of Sherbrooke St., which both developers and local residents opposed.
But they had a counter-proposal that looks like it will work for 4.5 kilometres of the line. The new plan is to build it along the Souligny Railway route for that portion, running south of Sherbrooke before joining back up with the proposed route at the very eastern tip of the neighbourhood, at Georges-V Ave.
On Tuesday, the building corporation in charge of the line announced it made a deal with CN Rail on Dec. 30 and has secured an option to purchase a segment of this right-of-way.
This means the REM won't connect directly with the Honoré-Beaugrand station. But the new route will not only free up a commercial stretch of Sherbrooke St., it will also reach a new residential population, CDPQ Infra said.
"By bordering the Tétreaultville neighbourhood, the REM will be able to serve a substantial population pool lying farther away from the green line of the métro, reuse an existing railroad right-of-way, and incorporate the route into a broader transit corridor, thereby reducing impacts in this sector," CDPQ Infra said in a release.
"The neighbourhood is different, there’s a lot more room here, so that’s why we feel that the structure will feel less massive than if we were to install it on Sherbrooke -- definitely," the fund's vice-president, Christian Ducharme, told media.
The fund also says residents are happy with the idea.
"This corridor, because it's already a rail corridor, it's exploited -- they used to have a tramway here," said CDPQ Infra spokesperson Virginie Cousineau.
"So we think that some people see that that’s the real place to put a metro network here."
On Tuesday, some residents told CTV they didn't feel quite that way, and they think the line should be kept to the busier and more commercial areas.
"It’s going to be right in front of my door," said one local man, Ronald Daignault.
"It's not a good idea… it's unaesthetic, it's massive, it doesn’t belong in a neighbourhood where you live."
The line's new platform would be several metres high, similar to what's currently under construction in the west end of the ctiy.
Some are urging still more changes to the project, including at least one lawmaker who says it's already an eyesore.
"Anybody who goes on the road of the 40 can see this giant structure just beside it -- it's not very beautiful," said Quebec Solidaire MNA Alexandre Leduc.
The project's construction has already had its fair share of delays, from problems with location to soil issues, unexpected discoveries in the Mont-Royal Tunnel, and the pandemic.
All that has pushed the line's inauguration to fall 2022.
"We have to keep in mind that the REM is more than 300 workers, 30 work sites around Montreal," said REM spokesperson Jean-Vincent Lacroix.
"So of course the pandemic has an impact on activities."
Construction on the eastern section is still years away, and more meetings and consultations are in the works, with residents given another chance to voice their reactions to the new plans.
Whichever route is chosen, officials say residents in the east end will be able to get downtown in about 30 minutes on it.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'