Montreal's Peel Basin redevelopment to include thousands of housing units
Montreal's Peel Basin redevelopment to include thousands of housing units
After years of debate, The City of Montreal unveiled on Wednesday its new plan for the Peel Basin, which includes thousands of new apartments and the possibility of another REM station.
Right now, the area on the banks of the Lachine Canal is mostly industrial or in disrepair. Housing groups say the redevelopment is badly needed.
"The need for social housing in Pointe-St-Charles is skyrocketing. We have more than 50 families per month that come here," said Francis Dolan, an organizer with Regroupment Information Logement in Pointe-St-Charles.
The future of the Bridge-Bonaventure district has long been debated and was once explored as a site for a baseball stadium.
Now, Montreal wants to move forward with a housing project with 7,600 units.
A rendering of Montreal's plan for the Bridge-Bonaventure sector (Source: CNW Group/City of Montreal - Office of the Mayor and the Executive Committee)
At least 1,100 units would be social housing and 1,100 would be affordable housing.
However, one city councillor says that's not enough.
"To make this neighbourhood truly affordable, I think we'd need to hit a target like 40 per cent social housing in just the Peel Basin sector. That would be like 2,000 social units in Peel Basin," said Southwest borough City Coun. Craig Sauvé.
The city also hopes to add another REM station in the development, despite having one in the works less than one kilometre away in Griffintown.
"We think it's necessary because transport is huge. We're going to be building a lot of housing, and we don't want to create a cul-de-sac where people cannot move around," said Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante.
A rendering of Montreal's plan for the Bridge-Bonaventure sector (Source: CNW Group/City of Montreal - Office of the Mayor and the Executive Committee)
But Sauvé says the city should be even more ambitious.
"The opportunity we have is to make Montreal's first car-free area. In fact, it would be Canada's first car-free area," he said.
Housing groups say it's frustrating to see vacant land combined with low vacancy rates for apartments.
"We see some families with three or four children living in a two-bedroom or one-bedroom sometimes. It's really getting impossible for families to stay in the neighbourhood now," said Dolan.
Consultations on the project are expected to start later this year.
Four children were found unresponsive on a shoreline in Portneuf-sur-Mer, Que. on Saturday after they were swept away by the tide in a fishing incident. One man is still missing, while six other people were rescued.
New study finds increase in antipsychotic drugs use in long-term care homes across Canada, despite no significant increase in behavioural symptoms – something that may expose a potential area of concern for quality of care, researchers say.
Pope Francis warned the Vatican's missionary fundraisers on Saturday not to allow financial corruption to creep into their work, insisting that spirituality and spreading the Gospel must drive their operations, not mere entrepreneurship.
Canada is open to the idea of including a requirement to cut back on the production of plastic in a new global treaty to eliminate plastic pollution, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said Friday.
Photos released by NASA taken from International Space Station show the immense scale of the wildfires in Nova Scotia, with billowing smoke engulfing the landscape.
Toronto police say the five suspects involved in a stabbing at Kennedy Station Friday night that left a man in critical condition are between the ages of 12 and 15 years old.
A Halifax-area wildfire that forced thousands of residents from their homes over the past week is 85 per cent contained and no longer spreading, officials said Saturday morning.
Evacuees at the Sandy Wickens Memorial Arena in Barrington, N.S., are out of the fire zone but now face their own battle — how to cope with so much uncertainty, and what lies ahead.
A Dunville, Ont. man is facing charges after he allegedly exposed his genitals to minors in a change room and committed voyeurism, police in Owen Sound said on Friday.
A Sudbury teacher accused of having sex with a student has been found guilty of professional misconduct by the discipline committee of the Ontario College of Teachers.
It's the start of a new season at Moraine Lake and for the first time, you will have to take a shuttle bus to access the famous landmark -- no matter how early you're willing to show up.
A late spring heat wave is prompting the Region of Waterloo to remind residents of the need to conserve water when possible as the annual water conservation bylaw takes effect.
Four children were found unresponsive on a shoreline in Portneuf-sur-Mer, Que. on Saturday after they were swept away by the tide in a fishing incident. One man is still missing, while six other people were rescued.
The community of Tecumseh is in mourning following the death of an OPP officer, a 9-1-1 dispatcher found himself on the opposite side of a 9-1-1 call, Stellantis has not yet confirmed a new deal for Windsor’s EV battery plant, a Windsor police officer is facing an assault charge, and a family in Chatham is desperate to find their lost exotic pet. Here’s a look at the top stories on ctvnewswindsor.ca this week.
In an effort to foster community relationships and deter criminal activity, Windsor police will have an increased presence in the downtown core beginning on Saturday.
The City of Regina has a three-phase approach to address the flooding that occurs at the downtown underpasses during most heavy rainfalls, including Thursday night’s storm.
Eight years ago, the Regina Police Service (RPS) embarked on a facility dog program. Now, one of its first recruits officially retired from her career.
Four children were found unresponsive on a shoreline in Portneuf-sur-Mer, Que. on Saturday after they were swept away by the tide in a fishing incident. One man is still missing, while six other people were rescued.
A rendering of Montreal's plan for the Bridge-Bonaventure sector (Source: CNW Group/City of Montreal - Office of the Mayor and the Executive Committee)
A rendering of Montreal's plan for the Bridge-Bonaventure sector (Source: CNW Group/City of Montreal - Office of the Mayor and the Executive Committee)
