Montreal residents slam plan to build REM track through east end neighbourhood

Ronald Daigneault was among those living in Montreal's east end who were adamantly opposed to constructing an elevated light-rail track right down Sherbrooke Street.

So after plenty of public outcry and concerns about the feasibility of the project, CDPQ Infra, the contractor in charge of building the Réseau express métropolitain (REM), moved a 4.5-kilometre section of the track several blocks south.

Now the massive concrete structures that hold the track, standing as much as 12 metres high, will be right in front of Daigneault's home on Dubuisson Avenue — built on a grassy railway corridor separating Dubuisson from Souligny Avenue.

"Yes there is a railway here, but it is used every second day or so," he said, noting it was once a day when he first moved to the area, but still nothing compared to the frequency promised by the REM, which will pass every few minutes for most of the day.

Holding a sign in protest of the new plan as he spoke with reporters Tuesday, Daigneault said the project has no business in his neighbourhood.

"It's not a project for the people," said Daigneault, who is with the Collectif en environnement Mercier-Est citizens' group.

He would like to see the REM moved farther north, along Highway 40 instead — away from densely residential areas.

As it stands, he said, the project is looking less like public transit that serves the population and more like a business proposal aimed at turning a profit for deep-pocketed investors and real estate developers farther east.

Buying right-of-way from CN

Quebec's pension fund manager first announced the light-rail network in 2016, and construction of the electrified train is well underway in areas like the West Island, downtown and on the city's South Shore.

The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is shouldering most of the up-front costs and will be collecting revenue. But when the Caisse announced it was heading east with the project, along arteries like Notre-Dame and Sherbrooke streets, opposition quickly blossomed with petitions and protests.

An aerial structure was envisioned for Sherbrooke Street between Honoré-Beaugrand Street and Georges V. Avenue, but CDPQ Infra announced Tuesday that Canadian National agreed to sell the Souligny rail corridor's right-of-way on Dec. 30. 

This plan will allow the REM to reach people along a stretch farther away from the Metro's green line, providing two stops along the route, project officials say.

"We're working very hard with an expert committee to make sure that structure is going to be well-integrated into the community," said Virginie Cousineau, a spokesperson for CDPQ Infra.

This new solution responds to the concerns raised about building on Sherbrooke Street while creating an "opportunity to better serve the residents of Tétreaultville, who currently do not have access to sufficient public transit," said Christian Ducharme, engineering vice-president with CDPQ Infra, in a statement.

He said CDPQ Infra is constantly looking for ways to adapt to the community's needs while maintaining the project's technical and financial viability.

Step in right direction, mayor says

But the new location means people like Marc-André Dupuis will see an imposing grey structure topped with electrical wiring every time he looks out his window. 

Dupuis said he worries his kids won't be able to sleep with REM cars passing some 20 hours a day, seven days a week. His kids' bedroom is only a few metres from where the structure will be built.

He's also worried the construction project, slated to run between 2023 and 2029, and the vibrations from the passing cars will damage his home and others in the area.

"We won't have any sun here," he said. "It makes no sense."

While not everybody is happy, the announcement was well received at Montreal city hall where Mayor Valérie Plante called it a step in the right direction. 

"Obviously, a route via Souligny Avenue will also pose urban integration challenges for which the best solutions will have to be found. We will continue to work in collaboration with the borough and the CDPQ to identify appropriate solutions," she said in a statement.

"What we want is for it to be integrated in an exemplary way throughout the route while taking into account the needs and expectations of citizens."