• Urbanization
• Sanitation and Pollution
• Governance and management
• Investment and Finance
• Environmental Impact and Climate Change

As one in 2 people in the world spend their lives in an urban center and 95% of the urban population growth is projected to take place in the developing world, managing fresh water resources is becoming a priority for governments (UN Water, 2011). For cities the challenge of maintaining and improving infrastructure and public water utilities is increasing as 1 out of 4 residents (789 million) live without access to sanitation facilities and 1 in 6 (894 million) don’t have access to safe freshwater. We are appropriating 56% of all accessible freshwater of which 70% is used in irrigation, 22% is used by industries and 8% for domestic use.  But access is only half the story. The pollution of this source of life exacerbates the challenge faced by urban centers and increases the strain on entire river basins. Every year 2 million tons of human waste are disposed in water courses and an additional 70% of industrial waste in the developing world is dumped untreated into waters (UN Water, 2006).

The main UN sponsored event took place in Cape Town, South Africa. The international conference held on the 22nd was highlighted by three main panels: Connecting Cape Town to the World which brought together water experts, professionals and suppliers to discuss the “challenges and opportunities of water and urbanization”. The second panel focused on governance and policy and included mayors, representatives of development banks, and international organizations working with local governments. The conference closed with a High-Level Panel which resumed the recommendations put forward throughout the day. An exhibition and fair running from march 20 to 22nd showcased “key international as well a national organizations and companies presenting their activities on Water and Urbanization.”

In Montreal WWD was celebrated at the NDG Ecocartier with a water-themed workshop (6575 Somerled, #206 from 7-9PM), a photo exhibition of Oxfam-Quebec’s projects in developing countries (Eaton’s Center), and a presentation of Montreal Action H2O to the Post Graduate Student Society of McGill environment committee (at Thomson House restaurant 3560 McTavish, at 6PM). In Quebec City organisers of the Quinzaine de l’eau stretched out the activities for 2 weeks to mark the 2nd International day without bottled water (Development and Peace) and WWD.

For more information on water related stats visit the UN World Water Assessment Programme
For everything you need to know about water see UN Water and here for the WWD events and past campaigns

Watch the Message by the UN Deputy Secretary-General

A surprising discovery was the fact that Montreal was the place where Siemens Canada first established in 1912. Since then the company has mainly operated in the energy sector as well as health. It has been involved with Hydro Quebec since at least 1968 when it supplied the ‘largest German-built transformers to date’. Although the two companies have collaborated in R&D and other energy sector technology transfer, competitiveness has also kept them at a certain distance. The thorny issue comes in the field of wind energy. In 2005 Siemens proposed the government a 3000MW wind project in the James Bay area, which was turned down and not made public at the time because the Rupert diversion was in EIA phase and the wind project could have raised even more doubts about the need to dam more rivers.  The proposal was leaked by Fondation Rivieres in 2007 but it did not stop Hydro Quebec to go ahead with the Rupert project and more recently with the Romaine diversion. According to Réal Reed, a former Hydro Quebec test engineer in wind energy, Quebec missed a great opportunity to become a strong leader in the wind industry. In addition to assuming the costs and creating a windmill blade manufacturing facility in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean that would have employed 450 people, Siemens had proposed a partnership to develop a low-temperature wind turbine capable of performing in Arctic weather, technology which could have had a global potential.

Despite of these setbacks, Siemens remains a company dedicated to technology innovation and according to Siemens Canada CEO, Mr. Roland Aurich, “Although Hydro Quebec has been more limited in the past in making progress Siemens has an interest in being a more active partner with Hydro Quebec and go forward.” Their partnership with Voith Hydro received the contract, valued at over $140 million, to design, build and equip the turbine-generator units for the Eastmain 1-A powerhouse (Rupert project). “The energy dominance that Hydro Quebec plays in Quebec isn’t an obstacle. They are powering a lot of new renewable utilities in the electrical system. That also relates to the transmission lines, to increase the capacity in the existing networks, also increase the quality and by that having a more efficient usage of the electric grid and that is exactly the right way to enhance the grid in order to accommodate new renewables.” We asked Mr. Aurich why he thinks North America in general is reluctant to embark more proactively in energy alternatives especially since he was Siemens’ CEO in Sweden, a country that is now fossil-free and where 62% of its heating is derived from biomass. “It is really the development of sustainable solutions and environmental friendly technologies have taken a lot more leverage in EU than in North America. The reason behind that is that energy prices are a lot higher [in EU] and that kind of fosters energy efficiency usage. There are a lot of cheap and available energy resources here in North America and people enjoy that.”

Its recent commissioned report aims to shed light on urban sustainability challenges by “striking a balance between competitiveness, quality of life and protection of the environment.” Sponsored by Siemens Canada in conjunction with the David Suzuki Foundation the report focuses on five key infrastructure areas: transportation, energy, water and waste water, healthcare and, safety and security. It also features a specific section on governance. Indeed the report and much of the discussions surrounding it are making an explicit link between sustainable technology implementation and the political will to see it realised. This is because “the infrastructure that drives sustainability in cities is really under the governmental or politicians’ control. So that underlies the decision process. It is about the politics to take the right decision now to sustain their cities” said Mr. Aurich. Although technology innovation and implementation are a crucial component to sustainable city infrastructure “it’s really about the power to decide, the willingness and the guts to decide, to take those long lasting decisions now. When we discuss about sustainable infrastructure, it costs a lot of money, it needs to be a decision process that focuses on a long-term plan. But technology, for sure, is the visible part of that decision process.” According to him, Siemens’ role is “to engage with the technology and tell them to a great extent this can be done today. What we expect from the decision makers is that they are making their part and show innovation, show leadership in taking decisions now. We can assist, we can provide technology, we can provide suited solutions for each city depending on the challenges they have.”

Although the report was primarily geared for decision makers “it also targets all of the stakeholders around environmental organizations. We did the report in conjunction with the David Suzuki Foundation so that is a strong message that it has also other stakeholders we use in our research. And I think that is one of its strengths because it has a board sweep of the population. We love to have the facts on the table when we do decisions within Siemens, and this is report is a kind of example of fact-based research; a fact which feeds talking about convincing other people to share that knowledge and perhaps drive the questions and focuses in a certain direction. It also gives a way for the Montreal public to also make known, in a democratic way, their opinion and give a direction.”

As for Montreal, “we view with interest what is going on with the transportation sector. We do also see a need for Montreal to enhance the infrastructure system, the water system and the water treatment. We are also involved in the health care with imaging technology, making sure we have efficient processes, at the very least making the waiting time for patent shorter.” The healthcare technologies are a field that Siemens has engaged with First Nations in Canada. “We have an approach that we apply to combine our knowledge in healthcare with establishing hospital-like institutions that could come closer to those First Nations areas. We have some examples in Ontario and Quebec where we are actually addressing those issues. Siemens, as a turn-key supplier, can erect and install a facility for First Nations.”

The challenge remains in engaging the civil society as well as good governance for a sustainable urban future. For Mr. Aurich “is really about talking to people in a qualitative way: its’ nice to be in the city which is clean, which attracts business, which attracts knowledgeable people, giving that momentum really creates a good and high quality of life.  We showed in this report some differences across the Canadian cities where we see that expectations on how the quality of life will impact people into the future. We do see that there is a parallel between those cities that have a good approach to sustainability infrastructure solutions and they also enjoy higher quality of life.  We think that this kind of balance between the competitiveness, attacking people and the quality of life and having those as the basis for the environment. It is really a kind of a virtual circle that needs to be in balance. And if these pieces work together we would probably have a good place to be where people enjoy living and makes the economy turn.”

To foster this kind of dialog a series of Thought Leadership Roundtables in Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax, Calgary, and Toronto were held. The website contains an impressive amount of information from reports to video clips. People are invited to comment and get informed on how they get involved.

The brain-child of Equiterre, the 6,0389 square meter – 5 floors Center will house the offices of Equiterre as well as seven additional environmental non-for-profit organizations: Option Consommateurs, CRE-Montreal, Le petit reseau daycare center, ENvironnement JEUnesse, Le Regroupement national des conseils régionaux de l’environnement du Québec, the Regroupement de services Éco-quartier, and the Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement. So far two research partners, Concordia University and the École de technologie supérieure of Université du Québec , are affiliated with the Center.

Equiterre and ETS (Ecole de technologie supérieure) are proud to present the fourth edition of Ecologez, a competition of integrated design for a green building. With a design ‘charrette’, the competition offers the opportunity to students coming from the fields of architecture, engineering, design, environment, and urbanism to put their knowledge in practice for designing an ecological building. This designing will be carried out in an integrated fashion, an approach that is gaining ground in the professional world as the preferred approach to achieve environmental and social objectives in buildings.

The competition will be held on March 6 and 7, 2010, at ETS (an engineering school named Ecole de technologie superieure) located in downtown Montreal. Students registered in a Bachelor or Graduate University Program related to building design and its impact are welcome to participate. The design problem will be presented at the beginning of the competition, on the morning of March 6. The multidisciplinary design teams will also be defined at that moment. We invite you to register as soon as possible. Twelve teams will be formed with the first 72 registered participants. The deadline for registration is March 5. In addition to offering a rich experience to the participants, this competition will also offer 5000$ in prizes to the teams that will rank in first and second.

By concern of having a balance between the disciplines represented within the teams, the organizers reserve the right to refuse inscriptions if a number necessary of participants of the same discipline were already registered.

Register here

To know more about the competition, take a look at the previous year’s competitions

Read comments and quotes from past participants

To learn more about the fundamental notions of integrated design

With this new competition where collaboration and the environment matter, Equiterre and ETS wish that students will be able to learn and experience the fundamental notions of integrated design, an approach that is becoming essential in a professional practice that must respond to the current requirements of sustainable development.

Co-organizers

Although the MOPC preferred that the site would maintain its institutional vocation, given the absence of any offers from a public institution, it has recommended that it be zoned as a residential area and has given the green light to Cato Development Inc.’s project provided it “allows the preservation and enhancement of the natural and cultural heritage of the site” and it doesn’t present any physical and visual impacts on the view between the Mt. Royal park and the city. It maintains that “real estate development and institutional expansion on the mountain are regarded as a privilege and are subject to a public justification of their essential and exceptional character. That they are surrounded by clear boundaries, some of which should be non-negotiable, including the protection of the ecological network and woodlands of the historic and natural borough of Mont-Royal, the protection of threatened vistas, and the preservation of significant built elements. They should also be guided by criteria of environmental integration and application of compensatory measures.”

Guided by the Plan de protection et de mise en valeur du Mont-Royal (PPMVMR), the MOPC has concentrated on the eight main issues put forward by the borough’s municipal council: the protection of natural spaces and the built heritage, respect of the landscape components, respect of the vistas from the Mt. Royal park, adhering to the carrying capacity of the area under the PPMVR, the public access to the site, long-term adherence to the guidelines and demands of the City, and the full assessment of the project before the final decision is made by the municipal council.

Although the Project has numerous positive aspects such as the inclusion and restoration of the original building (the chapel and commemorative monuments), the ecological management plan and the conservation of woodland, as well as the low vehicular circulation and underground parking, the MOPC is nevertheless concerned about some negative impacts and has made recommendations that will amend the original plans. Among these are:

• The condition that the natural habitat surrounding the development be open to the public without any restriction, certain areas will be reserved for the future owners, nevertheless the total area open to public access needs to be expanded.
• The built surface be reduced so that the carrying capacity of the site be maintained by reducing the number of single occupancy villas by a eight-floor condo complex.
• The iclusion of specific engagement of the future owners to adhere to the recommendation and guidelines of the final authorization permits.

The MOPC has nevertheless declined some important compensatory measures brought forward by the public such as: declining to maintain the existing sports complex that was regularly used by two elementary schools in the area shifting the responsibility to the City; declining to include social housing units within the Project and recommending instead that the City create a fund for such purposes; and declining to limit the parking area, allowing the full 656 spaces (two per residential unit) to be built even though the City had offered to increase street parking by an excess of 15%.

The proponent is willing to comply with the MOPC’s recommendation and said they would be able to comply with about 75% of these, nevertheless “these modifications must be within the economic feasibility of the project” and has, so far, refused to replace the single-occupancy villas by the eight-story condominium complex recommended by the MOPC.

Since the Project requires a zoning change, citizens have the option of opening an official register against the project. Moreover, article 89 of the City of Montreal Charter charges the municipal council with the final decision and emission of authorization certificates, which could be subjected to a borough referendum. Friends of the Mountain has already indicated that it will demand a moratorium on the project. “The MOPC report highlights well the issues that were expressed and there are many. Now, we must stop the project, sit down, and work seriously to find solutions”, said Sylvie Guilbault, general director of the NGO.

The full report can be found here.

Present and future site map

The property was originally part of L’ancien Domaine de la Montagne of the Priests of Saint Sulpice in the 17th century. The Society of Saint Sulpice was established by the Jesuit priest Jean-Jacques Olier in 1642 in Paris and its main mission was for the education and perfection of ecclesiastics at its conservatories. The Ecclesiastical seminaries distinguish themselves from the novitiate and the scholasticate in that the members receive both spiritual and intellectual formation. He considered going to Canada to support the Jesuit mission there in the conversion of First Nations but he died before crossing the ocean leaving behind the Society of Notre-Dame de Montreal, his vision of a city in honour of the Blessed Virgin (Villemarie in the Island of Montreal) and the headquarters of the Indian missions and stronghold against the Iroquois. The Jesuits ceded their rights and duties to the Society of Saint-Sulpice in 1663 making them ‘owner and lord of the Island of Montreal’. The island was bought for 130,000 livres from the Jesuits and received over 1 million dollars between 1657 and 1710 from the seminary in Paris for its maintenance. There is little information on the history of the Society of Saint-Sulpice between the 17th and 19th century and its organization and function is shrouded in secrecy. Some sources maintain that the Order was set up to protect a ‘secret’ and have linked it to the Priory of Sion and covert government infiltration in France.

At the end of the 17th the Sulpicians had created six parishes as well as churches, presbyteries and schools in the vicinity of Montreal. After the French Revolution and the subsequent persecution of the clergy, the Sulpicians fled to Canada where they were free to continue their work.  In 1767 they founded the College de Montreal and in 1840 the Grand Séminaire de Montréal which became the Theological Faculty of University of Montreal. Since 1866 the Society of Saint-Sulpice gradually abandoned the administration of parishes in Montreal retaining only the parishes of Notre-Dame and Saint-Jacques in the city and that of Oka. The seminary of philosophy was created in 1894 and operated until 1974 when Marianopolis College moved on the premises.

Mount Royal Natural and Historical District

The seminary of philosophy is located in the borough of Ville-Marie and is covered by article 94 of the Cultural Property Act of the City of Montreal that declared Mont Royal as heritage site and the 2005 provincial government decree which declared the park, cemeteries, and several adjacent parks and institutions as the Mount Royal Natural and Historical District (Arrondissement historique et naturel du Mont-Royal) in order to legally protect the cultural and natural heritage of the area, the only such status awarded in Quebec. As such the residential project is subject to city bylaws regarding height, volume, density, preservation of historic features and use (it will be converted from public to private use), and  protection of the vegetation.

The original plans have already been scaled down with the cancellation of a private medical clinic that would have increased access to the site and occupied some 2000 square meters and the felling of more than 100 trees on the property, which did not confirm to the City’s Plan de protection et de mise en valeur du Mont-Royal (the conservation and development plan for Mont Royal). Although the Ministry of Culture and the city of Montreal appear to be in favour of the development project, the Conseil du patrimoine de Montréal (CPM), the city’s advisory body on heritage matters, issued an unfavorable report in February this year that led the initial changes. Some of its recommendations were:  limit the parking spaces; limit the maximum height of the buildings so that the view on the mountain and the city will not be restricted; undertake traffic studies to conform to the Ville-Marie bylaws and promote public transportation; preservation and enhancement of the interior features of the seminary such as the wooden stairs and the chapel; harmonize access to the local natural landscape for the public; replace any felled trees and harmonize the vegetation to the original species found on the site; and a City enhancement study of the sports complex and employee house before the final demolition decision is taken.

Artist rendering of the residential project

A series of public consultation were held on May 4, 5 and 11 at 1550 Metcalfe. On May 27 the public can submit written briefs. Les amis de la montagne, a charitable organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing Mount Royal through community involvement and environmental education, have so far opposed the project. An online petition can be found here. Detailed information on the project plans, studies, city and organizations brief as well as the bylaws amendments under consideration can be found at the Office of Public consultation website.

Lizard's tail

Apart from St Joseph Island the archipelago is only accessible by water and no development has taken place in the area. Approximately 40% of the area is comprised of wetland and riparian ecosystems and another 15% has been characterised as black maple (Acer nigrum) old growth forest, which is a rare and unique habitat of the St Laurence Valley. These habitats have been characterised as fragile given the intensive agricultural areas in Terrebonne and the large urban concentration of the City of Laval. Two rare and threatened species are found: the Map turtle (Graptemys geographica) on Saint-Joseph island and  Lizar’s Tail (Saururus cernuus), a medicinal and ornamental plant, on Vache and St Pierre islands. Last week Sauvons nos trois grandes îles presented its conservation plan that can be found on their website: www.sauvonsnostroisgrandesiles.com

The plan puts forward two zones: one as conservation where ecotourism can be undertaken and one for nature adventure tourism on l’île aux Vaches with minimal infrastructure. The conservation area will be accessible for observation and interpretation activities to limit the impact on the ecosystem, and the nature adventure zone will include multifunctional trails (hiking, snowshoe walking, cross-country skiing), bike paths, picnic areas, a public beach and playgrounds. An information center is proposed to be located at the existing Historical House on the Terrebonne shore. The archipelago is to be harmonized within the existing Rivière-des-Mille-Îles Park that was initiated and now managed by Eco-Nature and the Rivière-des-Mille-Îles Wildlife Refuge that comprises 10 islands of the Mille-Îles River.

Concept map St Francois archipelago

The status of the archipelago allows the area to conform to the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) land use and development plans and activities and the Quebec strategy for protected areas (Stratégie Québécoise des Aires Protégées). Created in 2001 the CMM is a planning, coordinating and funding body serving 82 municipalities, city of Laval included. Following the signing of Community Agreement on Sustainable Development (2002-2007) in 2002, the CMM founded the Metropolitan Secretariat for the Enhancement of Blue and Green Spaces (SMEBV) whose primary task is to implement the “Blue Fund”, an action plan for riverbank protection projects to enhance public access that has generated nearly $30 million in investment. Since 2005 the SMEBV has also coordinated a program to acquire green spaces of ecological importance so as to protect and enhance major woodlands, an investment of $3 million. The Sauvons nos trois grandes îles hopes to take advantage of the new $4.5 million investment plan for the Blue Fund for the 2009 fiscal year.

Mrs. Larochelle, one of the group’s administrative members is hopeful about the position taken by the city administrations:  “They tell us they continue to share our goals. What is important is that we are moving towards an acquisition and development plan. We want something concrete.” Nevertheless it hasn’t been easy for the citizens involved to appeal the 2001 residential development plan. Its repeal comes on the heels of a citizen’s complaint sent to the Ministry of municipal affairs (MAMR) in 2007 whose allegations of infringement of the citizens’ right to public consultations was supported by the ministry experts and which has opened debates for a public inquiry. The municipal council held a public consultation assembly on Thursday, March 26, 2009. The results will be made public in the coming months. In the meantime citizens are urged to sign the Sauvons nos trois grandes îles petition on their website.

Site map

The new body repair shop has been designed to respond to the STM’s sustainable development objectives and especially its social, cultural and ecological parameters by promoting a pleasant working environment and a harmonious integration within the existing neighborhood infrastructure. Particular attention has been paid to energy efficiency by installing a 500 m2 solar wall on the south facing façade that will use the energy for ventilation and which will permit to save between $10,000 and $15,000 in energy costs. The exterior of the building as well as that of the Legendre Center will be made out of wood-textured prefabricated cement that allows creeper vegetation to grow and which will help natural air-conditioning and protects the structure from harmful solar rays. In addition two green roofs with a total surface of 950 m2 will be installed that will also control the natural-air conditioning and rain water. Water retention structures will be incorporated on the premises which will facilitate the transition to the neighboring park.  Other characteristics and operation activities include the annual recycling of approximately 15 million liters of water for car-wash, volatile organic compound (VOC)-free paint, a large bicycle parking space, green spaces and tree planting, and recreation space for the employees.

New body repair building designs

Although alarming, this is not news for researchers. A study by Blaise, C., F. Gagné, P. Eullaffroy, and J.-F. Férard published in the Brazilian Journal of Aquatic Science and Technology in 2006 had found a dozen pharmaceutical products in the effluent from a sewage treatment plants emptying into the St. Lawrence River. The cocktail of pharmaceuticals included: anti-inflammatory, lipid regulators, anti-convulsants, antibiotics, caffeine, and a nicotine metabolite. The long term effects on the aquatic life have yet to be established, nevertheless scientists observed that certain compounds can have toxic effects at concentrations 10 times lower than those measured in municipal effluents.

Municipal Wastewater Effluent (MWWE) is one of the largest sources of pollution, by volume, discharged to surface water bodies in Canada. The State of Municipal Wastewater Effluents in Canada prepared by the Indicators and Reporting Office of Environment Canada  found that wastewater effluents “are made up of both sanitary sewage and stormwater and can contain grit, debris, suspended solids, disease-causing pathogens, decaying organic wastes, nutrients, and about 200 identified chemicals.” Health problems related to water pollution in general are estimated to cost Canadians $300 million per year. In 2006 there were 84 treatment plants in operation in the St. Lawrence riverside municipalities, servicing 90 municipalities in whole or in part. It is estimated that everyday an equivalent of 1700 Olympic-sized swimming pools, or 4.6 million cubic meters of treated wastewater is returned to the St. Lawrence River. The main sources are the larger urban centers such as Montreal, Quebec City, Laval and Longueuil. Montreal alone treats and returns close to 2.8 million cubic meters of wastewater per day, in total more than 1 billion cubic meters of wastewater in a year.

More disconcerting is the fact that even in 2009, there is no federal act that specifically governs wastewater management in Canada, especially since nearly 60% of Canadians are serviced by a primary or secondary treatment plant. The current regulatory framework is a hodgepodge of federal, municipal and territorial regulation with little coordination. The only country-wide policies that govern contamination of waterways are the Fisheries Act that “protects Canadian waters from the discharge of contaminants in waters frequented by fish” and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act that governs the “discharge of deleterious substances into the environment and the adoption of regulations on the use of these substances.”

The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) established a committee to develop a Canada-wide Strategy for the management of MWWE by November 2006. The Strategy will address a number of governance and technical issues resulting in a harmonized management approach which includes: harmonization of the regulatory framework, coordination of science and research, and the development of an environmental risk management model. The consultation period for the Canada-wide Strategy ended on January 31, 2008 and the CCME is supposed to release its report sometime in the near future.

More information on the health of the St. Lawrence River can be found at the St. Laurence Center, “the only federal research and development centre devoted entirely to the river ecosystem.”

Horsecar cca. 1887 [STM Archives]

Montreal is no stranger to the Tram. At the beginning of the 20th Century the city’s public transportation was exclusively serviced by Trams which first hit the streets in 1861. The horsecar system serviced 118,000 montrealers between 1861 and 1894 under the Montreal City Passenger Railway Company, which managed 6 miles of railway, one stable, one shed, 8 vehicles and 14 horses. In 1892 the first electric car, nicknamed the Rocket, starts running and by 1894 the entire system is powered by electricity. The last horsecar was retired in October the same year. By 1910 Montreal had 225km of railway and 600 cars transporting over 1.4 million passengers for 5 cents a fare. Successive waves of immigrants significantly increased the city’s population, putting pressure on the transportation system. Two new boroughs, Victoriatown and Griffintown, sprung up near the Lachine canal, becoming the most important industrial sectors. The concentration of commercial railways linking the city to the national railway system on Bridge Street posed a problem for the tramway system whose 1893 rails had to be replaced. 1919 marks the begging of the end for the Tram in Montreal when the first two buses start running on Bridge Street.  By 1925 regular bus service is available and in 1937 the first modern trolley bus in Canada starts operating on Beaubien Street. By 1939 Montreal public transportation included 929 streetcars, 7 trolley buses, and 224 buses, carrying over 200 million passengers per year.

Notre-Dame and Peel, 1956 [STM Archives]

Rapid urbanization and economic development after WWII lead to an increase of the personal car and Montreal begins to suffer serious traffic jams and transportation problems. Beginning in 1951 the newly created Montreal Transportation Commission puts forward a plan that will substitute the tramway by buses and trolley buses within an 8 year period. On August 30, 1959 the last tram is pulled off the streets of Montreal.

Almost half a century later the Tram is making a comeback in Montreal. Projet Montréal released its first detailed tramway system plan earlier this week that it hopes will propel its appeal in the upcoming by-elections. Bergeron takes issue with Tremblay’s plan which gives priority to cars. Projet Montréal maintains that the city transportation policy is worrisome as it plans “to implement the streetcar in affecting vehicular traffic as little as possible. This fixation on traffic flow is the polar opposite of what the past twenty years has been all over the world [that of reducing traffic]”. Bergeron, with years of experience in urban planning at home and abroad, maintains that the tramway introduction should be harmonious and adequate and should give priority to reducing the number of cars in the city core and give priority to pedestrians, cyclists and public spaces. The current plan proposes to implement the tram at the center of the street, on average reducing sidewalks from 3.65m to 2.40m. The plan proposed by Bergeron while varying with the existing street planning, will extend the pedestrian space by placing the tramways on each side of the street. It is argued that such a placement will also regulate traffic and would discourage jaywalking. The City of Montreal has reserved a $5 million budget for the tramway implementation studies. Bergeron has pledged $1 billion investment between now and 2012 if he is elected mayor on December 14.

Project Montreal tramway plans. Left: Rene-Levesque. Right: Mont Royal