Residents blast STM over lack of proper consultation on proposed ventilation station project

Montreal's transit authority failed to properly consult with the public over its "indefensible" plan to force an elderly couple out of their home to build a new ventilation station in the Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie borough, a commission was told Tuesday evening.

Several upset residents attended the first of three input sessions for the controversial construction project to serve the Metro's Orange line.

The proposed station would be built on Bellechasse Street between Chateaubriand Avenue and Saint-Vallier Street, and last month the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) told a family living in a duplex on Bellechase Street since 1983 that they would expropriate their home to proceed with the project.

Residents accused the STM of ignoring the impact of four years of construction on the street, which they say has more than two dozen families living within 30 metres of the work site.

"Residents need a real and impactful say much earlier in the process. They need full and timely access to all information. They need the opportunities to ask questions and receive answers," said Kate Wyatt, a composer who lives in the area. "Most importantly, the human impact must be given a real weight in their site analysis process."

An independent commission speaks at an input session about a proposed STM ventilation system in Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (CTV News)

Trivi Ly told CTV News he's worried about losing his family home due to expropriation.

Since the public outcry, the STM has said it would consider an alternative site, giving the family some hope.

But the process nevertheless angered residents, who say it still lacks transparency.

Many residents also said construction of the ventilation system would cause noise, destroying the neighbourhood atmosphere and possibly putting their children in danger from trucks and heavy construction materials.

On Tuesday night, Adrian Vedady told the independent commission hired by the STM to oversee the consultations that he has asked the transit agency for documentation to explain why the Bellechase site was deemed the best place for the ventilation station.

He said it's been 21 days since he submitted his request and has not heard back.

He said it points to "a complete lack of real study in the human and environmental impact of this gigantic construction project. A project that would take place in one of Canada's most densely populated neighbourhoods."

There are five other possible sites that deserve a closer look, Vedady said, including two belonging to the province and three belonging to the STM, "and in all five cases would not require the forced eviction of an elderly couple."

The public consultation commissioners said they would take the residents' concerns to the STM.

Construction of the ventilation station would begin in the fall of 2026 and be completed in 2030.

The STM says it's needed to ensure proper air flow in the Metro network.

The STM said the submission period for public feedback has been extended to Jan. 14, 2025, at 5 p.m.

-- with files from CTV Montreal's Caroline Van Vlaardingen.