MONTREAL -- Local businesses are handing out flyers at the Deux-Montagnes train station Thursday to encourage commuters to consider working a little closer to home.

Construction on the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) is set to interrupt services on the exo commuter line on Montreal’s north shore. The entire line will close down in 2021 because the century-old Mount-Royal tunnel needs to be repaired.

“We have a lot of workers using the train every day to go to work, so we decided to offer them another option to make them realize we have a lot of jobs here,” said Caroline Parent, president of the Chambre de Commerce et D'Industrie MRC de Deux-Montagnes.

Marco Capone, a production manager at Paradox in Saint-Eustache, says his company is looking to fill many positions, from research and development to administration and production.

“We have very good work conditions, we have good salaries and we offer a lot of social advantages to our employees, so most of them are very happy,” he said.

“We have given many, many, many flyers to people. They seem to be happy to have the opportunity to get a local job.”

The chamber of commerce is inviting other local businesses to post their employment ads on their website and Facebook page.

The Mount-Royal tunnel is expected to be closed in January 2020, while a complete closure of the train line is scheduled for 2021.

For updates on the commuter train service, click here.