To inspire construction of green bridge, candidates invited to clean up the Saint-Jacques Falais
For the sixth year in a row, volunteers gathered Saturday to clean up the Saint-Jacques Escarpment.
The green space hugs the south-side of Saint-Jacques St. in the Notre-Dame-de-Grace (NDG) borough, stretching nearly 2 km long.
Candidates from NDG and the Southwest borough were among those picking up trash, all of which was illegally dumped in the area.
They were invited to participate by Sauvons la falaise, a citizen group that aims to protect the Saint-Jacques Escarpment and connect it with other green spaces.
“We want to make sure that anyone that could possibly win the election knows what a jewel we have here," said the group's founder, Lisa Mintz.
Mintz hopes to inspire candidates and speed up the construction of a new bridge, a project promised to Montrealers over a decade ago.
“One of the main things that needs to be done is the Dalle Parc, which is a green cycling pedestrian bridge which links NDG with the southwest," said Mintz.
Located at the Turcot Interchange, Dalle Parc wouldn't be just any bridge -- its surface would become a lush, green landscape, to be explored by both humans and wildlife.
But according to Mintz, the city isn't moving fast enough to make this dream a reality -- and after helping out on Saturday, some candidates agree.
"People who are elected will have to speed things up," said Joe Ortona, independent candidate for the Loyola district.
Romean Alam, Ensemble Montreal candidate the Southwest borough, expressed concern over the amount of litter he found in the Saint-Jacques Escarpment.
"I'm disappointed that those things happened and people [are] just [throwing out] their tires. We have to have a plan, make action," he said.
Earlier this year, Montreal announced a green recovery plan which would inject $1.8 billion into parks like the Dalle.
NDG's Projet Montreal candidate, Peter McQueen, said he's been waiting for the Turcot Interchange to be completed so the Dalle Parc project can get underway.
"What NDG really wants is a way to ride down from Saint-Jacques St., get across the highway to the Lachine Canal and Angignon Park."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.