The city plans to levy fines on households with no working smoke detector. According to this item, 16 people died in fires in Montreal in 2011, most of them in buildings with no detector.
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The city’s public consultation office says citizens don’t get enough information about telecommunication antennas, although – like the smart meters – radio frequencies are generally agreed to be harmless. It’s also a question of aesthetics.
In any case, the city’s going to announce new rules soon as antennas are proliferating like crazy all over town.
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Longish La Presse piece by Michèle Ouimet asks whether the homeless can be helped off the street – not surprisingly, the answer is “sometimes, but it takes concerted effort and funding.”
She mentions that the successful “Chez soi” program is going to lose its funding in 2013. Here’s a clue to the government: nobody, not even people accustomed to the street, likes to feel that while they have a warm private place to sleep this year, it’s anyone’s guess if they’ll still have it next year. Itinerants are victims of instability – adding to it is only going to make things worse.
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A suspect has been nabbed in Ontario for the year’s second murder, the young man shot in the Wendy’s parking lot in Snowdon.
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Jack
Can someone tell me why they do not release the name of the victim? Next of kin have obviously been notified.
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Marc
I doubt it’s an option but can the families request that names be witheld?
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Kevin
Families can and frequently do ask to withhold names, but the names often get revealed during court proceedings.
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Peter Gordon
His street name was Chronik. The RIPs were all over twitter the following day. People saying that he ran with the wrong crowd, etc, so sense was that it wasn’t a huge surprise.
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At this hour, students are blocking education ministry offices on Fullum to express opposition to tuition hikes.
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The closure of an east end appliance factory will terminate more than 700 jobs by 2014.
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Shawn
I actually thought this had closed years ago. I remember it being called by a different name, though: “Can”… something. Or was that another factory?
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Shawn
Yes, that’s right, Camco. Amazed it had lasted this long….
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The CN tracks through the Turcot are damn well going to be moved, says the transport ministry, even though it means putting them on ground that has to be expensively stabilized because it’s had a river and a small lake in it since before white people lived on this island.
Such planning genius, it doesn’t cease to amaze.
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Charles
Too many cooks in the kitchen? These types of decisions have been made for so many years, you’d think someone would have found a simple solution to managing these huge projects.
In the case of Turcot, making it simpler from the start would have been a solution. At least two groups suggested solutions that were cheaper, simpler and would have even included public transit. The only “downside” was that theses solutions reduced the capacity of the interchange. But since people would have gotten used to the reduction during the construction, it wouldn’t have been a problem in the long term. -
Kevin
We have constant, near 24-hour bumper to bumper traffic along the Met and Decarie because those roads cannot handle current car volumes. Any suggestion to build a new interchange and actively reduce capacity should be laughed at.
I’m not advocating sprawl — I’m saying the number of commuters is already well above capacity and yet STILL people drive.
I can only imagine what the city would be like if it had not experienced 3 decades of substantial emigration.
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Chris E
@Kevin: when the holidays are over and you notice you’ve put on some extra weight, do you take care of the new weight by putting a couple new holes in your belt?
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Matt
What the hell is happening in this province?! Is it normal to assume there will be cost overruns and dumb decisions that we’ll have to live with for another 30 or 40 years?!
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Friday morning’s freezing rain is the day’s biggest story. Then two breakdowns on the orange line threw another spanner into the works.
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Sad tale here about a man in Charlemagne who saw his house and business expropriated to build a station for the Train de l’est – and now the AMT has decided to cancel that station for budgetary reasons.
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Matt
This poor man. They should scrap the whole project if you ask me. Why the train has to run all the way to Mascouche is beyond me. My parents live there and frankly, taking a bus to a train station in Repentigny wouldn’t be the end of the world. Think of how much it’s costing everyone to lay down new track on the 640. How nice is that Terrebonne station going to be, right between two directions of highway traffic?
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Still the city’s signature tall building, Place Ville-Marie is marking its 50th birthday this year with some new art to be installed on the mezzanine and an invitation for suggestions for a time capsule.
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Robert J
The Derek Drummond (in the OpenFile link) article makes a big deal about Place Ville-Marie as a major public space. Its seems to me that it is a good and a beautiful public space, but like Westmount Square it is a bit closed off to the public. The exterior court seems to be designed for office worker cigarette breaks as it has little street exposure (can be used as a shortcut between Réné-Lesvesque and St-Catherine, but you have to know its there). The interior court is a shopping mall, and even it is mostly used as a cafeteria by the office crowd (it doesn’t have as public a profile as the Eaton Center, for example).
I think Place des Arts and Place Émilie-Gamelin are much better examples of public squares in Montreal. They attract passers by and invite people to use them. Place des Arts (and the new squares around it) is by far the most occupied public space in Montreal in the summer. Émilie-Gamelin is located at the cities metro hub as well as major office towers, the provincial library, etc.
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William
Oh yeah, the open air drugmart otherwise known as Place Émilie-Gamelin or Berri Square… great example :S
Best public square in my opinion? The fields at McGill.
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Lucas
I must say I’ve always enjoyed the central square at PVM. There are many afternoons when I’ve sat by the fountain and read. The view up McGill College to the mountain and the scale and, in my opinion, elegance of PVM1 always made it my favourite “space” in the city. I think it is underused at present and would be very excited to see someone take a crack at making it more hospitable.
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Robert J
The problem with the PVM square is not the architecture of the buildings or the square, which are beautiful examples of modernism. Its the access to the square that is lacking.
On the Réné-Levesque side there is no crosswalk leading to the square, which creates no movement of people toward it (think of the crosswalk across Parc that leads to the monument in Jeanne-Mance park where the tam-tams are).
On the Cathcart side, the entrance to the square is blocked by parking garage ramps. The stairs that lead up to it are on either side.
Nothing at either entrance indicates a major public square, even though it could be used as a shortcut between Ste-Catherine, and say, the Gare Centrale (think of the way Square St-Louis is used as a path between St-Laurent and the Sherbrooke metro).
Even without a major makeover, adding a pedestrian activated crosswalk and signage would completely change the square. Put signs from the south side of Réné-Levesque and at the southern entrance to the square indicating the way to Ste-Catherine (could be marked “shopping and entertainment district” for tourists). Put a large sign at the Cathcart street entrance indicating a pedestrian footpath to the train station.
Such signage, specifically designed for pedestrians, is often used in Europe (the brown state-park looking signs indicating walking directions whereas the white ones are for cars, and other similar schemes).
I agree with Lucas, the square is beautiful, but to make it more hospitable we would need to create pedestrian traffic. As it stands, PVM is just a good place for a cigarette break if you work in the adjacent buildings.
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Jacob Larsen spots a knot in the government’s Turcot plans – the unstable remains of Otter Lake that lie right in the way of the proposed shift of the CN tracks.
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This video’s been widely linked the last few days, but why not: explanation of ventilation in the metro and how it will be improved in the new trains. With English subtitles.
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Tux
Oooh, now this is one STM plan I like! Increasing comfort while not increasing energy use! Specifically, I hope they warm up Cote Vertu (on cold days that station is cold all the way down to the platform) and cool down Snowdon (The Direction Montmorency platform is boiling hot year-round no matter the weather) – Better temperature regulation on board the trains is good too though I’ve never found it as hellish as the bus, where, bless us, the STM actually HAS installed air conditioning on some of ‘em… (hopefully more in the future!)
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walkerp
That was quite interesting to learn why they can’t install AC in the trains in the metro.
They compare the closed tunnel system here to the open-ended one of NYC. I found that interesting because in New York some of the metro stations can get way hotter than anything I’ve ever experienced here. The trains are air-conditioned, but the stations aren’t and mid-August they can be quite hot and sticky.
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Marc
Of the stations I use most, I find Guy-Concordia to be the worst – like a sauna.
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SN86
It’s simple why air conditioning the metro cars would not be good. The heat being extracted from the cars and importantly the heat of AC machinery would increase the temps of the whole line with hot spots, an example being Guy. The reason the hot air in the tunnels cannot be removed is because of the many dips and rises so it will settle somewhere where vents don’t exist. As for heating the metro for very cold days, that might not be possible. One way is to reduce the tunnel to surface vent speeds but keeping the air fresh is a priority and adding heaters is not good as they are energy intensive considering the large volume.
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ant6n
@SN86
Hot air goes up; the stations are in the high points (dips are between stations). Shouldn’t that actually make it easier to remove hot air, because it should rise twoards the stations? -
truenorth
@ Marc I think they dug a little too deep there – too close to Hades.
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Blogger Gab Roy (we don’t all look like that) is being accused of inciting mischief after his post accusing a car dealer of a scam appears to have resulted in a fire and other damage at the dealership. Of course Gab Roy is blogging about it.
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Tux
Wish I could see the video in question that allegedly incites harassment. Then I could know whether my gut instinct that this guy is a total dick is correct.
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Domenico Cotugno
Gab Roy has since removed the original video he posted, but you can find it reposted here: http://youtu.be/ox6EXVVAGf8. He is pretty much a total dick.
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Tux
Ah, this guy is basically an internet troll but unlike most trolls he doesn’t stop being one away from the keyboard. Normally I’d defend his right to free speech but the internet and the world are already polluted with enough dickery as it is. I say lock him up!
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The head of a trucking organization warns that bridge tolls could isolate Montreal (ironic because “isolate” means “to make an island of” which we already are). The CAA is also anti-toll.
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Martin
Surprise, surprise, this was published in La Presse, whose Automobile section is on top of all things…
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Matt
I can’t wait to hear what defenders of toll-free roads will argue, though I’m certain none of it will make any sense to anyone fearing what’s to come over the next 10 years.
(And how is it that drivers feel entitled to freely accessible roads? Do they not understand the potential benefits of tolls? Do they not understand that driving is a privilege and not a right, and thus should cost them more than it does now?)
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Jonathan
I don’t see why trucks carrying goods can’t be excluded from tolls. This type of transport is essential. What the intention is in charging tolls is to charge drivers the cost of their using the roadspace to other users, namely goods transportation and other drivers. Because there are alternatives, it would make sense to charge drivers and not trucks with goods.
As well, considering that the effects of tolls usually reduces congestion, the idea is that transporting goods to and from Montreal would actually be easier, and therefore cost transport companies less.
To take it further… an equitable tolling system that charged transport trucks would actually charge the trucks the exact same amount of money they end up saving by the reduction in congestion. This would mean there would be no difference in the bottom line.
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qatzelok
Jonathan, the problem with subsidizing trucks “because they’re essential” is that this kind of unfair subsidy MAKES trucks essential by making other less destructive forms of transportation uncompetitive. It’s better for everyone to force trucks to pay for all the damage they really cause.
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Steph
Many toll roads charge by the axle — the bigger the truck, the bigger the toll.
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City ombudsman Johanne Savard has been at the job for eight years, and is now branching out into social media. Not sure why she’s in the news now, as the thing about social media was mentioned last year and blogged here too.
Once you see Ms. Savard’s picture, something may tweak your memory. Patrick Lagacé addressed this point a couple of years ago.
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Tux
Okay, that’s hilarious! When I saw the picture I was like “No way is JoJo ombudsman, seriously?” – Turns out it’s her sister! That is some funny stuff. For some reason, my thoughts turned next to “Bleu Nuit” – I guess ’cause I often watched both it and JoJo when trolling late night TV as a youngster!
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Henry Aubin casts a critical eye on plans to enlarge two major access routes in and out of the city – Autoroute 15, the Laurentian autoroute, and Autoroute 19, essentially the extension of Papineau into Laval. Aubin notes that this flouts the CMM’s PMAD plan to limit sprawl, instead encouraging it, as Quebec has consistently done. Not everyone is thrilled with the Autoroute 15 plan.
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The issue of the “dangerous” Hydro-Quebec smart meters continues in the news with one group claiming they can cause headaches, palpitations, hormonal problems and possibly cancer.
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Tux
We’re constantly bathed in RF… not sure how a few more waves are going to make much difference. Frankly, I like the idea of the wireless meter, it means I don’t have to let hydro employees into my home (our meters are in the furnace room).
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Charles
Their websites (http://www.cqlpe.ca/ and http://www.dangersemo.com/) really look like conspiracy theorists’ sites! I guess they didn’t want to spend to much time in front of a computer.
Hydro should offer people the possibility of wired meters (they already have those) but people would have to pay for the extra cost (phone line installation, etc). -
mare
My (he’s a regular since the 8 years I live here) Hydro meter reporter came by last week and I asked him when we would get the new meters. He told me that after the pilot they’d roll out first in the west of Montreal and then in 2014 arrive here, in Petite-Patrie. I quipped he still had a few years of job security and he laughed wryly.
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Marc
It’s obvious these people have no idea of the difference between ionizing (x-rays) and non-ionizing radiation.
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John B
I’m going to sound a bit like a conspiracy theorist here, so bear with me…
When I first heard about this issue I thought it was just the crazies coming out of the woodwork, (and it may well be), but I read an article yesterday on CTV’s website, (http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120125/mtl_hydro_120125/20120125/?hub=MontrealHome), that made me think twice. I didn’t know that smart meters were wireless, I thought that they used some sort of over-the-wire communication on the power lines themselves, however, they seem to be wireless.
According to the CTV article the wireless communication is about the same power as a cellphone or a wireless router, (which I thought were quite different, but that’s another story). So if each smart meter is like adding another cellphone to the city, that could add up to be quite a bit of radiation. Assuming that every adult in my apartment building, (5 units, 10 adults), has a cellphone, and every unit has a wireless router, then the number of cellphone/router-class wireless devices goes from 15 to 20 when the smartmeters are installed, a 33% increase. Citywide this could lead to quite a bit if electrosmog, as Kate puts it. In larger apartment buildings with hundreds of units this could lead to quite a bit of output, especially if all of the meters are in one room. I’m sure individual meters are safe, but we may be looking at an issue like cellphones on airplanes here: one phone won’t bring down a plane, but 200 might, so nobody’s allowed to use their phone.
That said, I’m not a physicist, and there are lots of unknowns here, (how often are the transmitters actually on? Constantly? Once a day? Once a month?). I think smart meters are the way of the future, but the crazies might just have a point on this one because of the sheer numbers.
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Kevin
@John b
It doesn’t matter if there’s one transmitter or a hundred thousand: what matters is the frequency they use.
Radio transmitters just can’t hurt us. The very idea is about as sensible as being mortally wounded by the colour green (which is radiation at a frequency of about 510 nanometres) -
John B
@Kevin I guess that makes sense, after all radio waves are just light, but a “colour” that we can’t see.
On the flipside, I would think that if there was enough green light shining at me, I might burn simply from all of the energy landing on my skin, although I imagine it would take somewhat more energy than the output of the 5 smart meters in my apartment block.
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Kevin
@John B,
Maybe if it was a laser, but even then it’s unlikely to do more than dazzle your eyes.
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See, every so often the Canadiens pull this kind of win out of their hats and we all go “ahh! see, they CAN do it!”
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A man is still in critical condition in hospital after a January 12 accident at the incident-plagued CHUM construction site.
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Vision Montreal calls the $300K salary of new city DG Guy Hébert “indecent” but Quel Avenir asks why the fuss now when the previous DG earned more. Although he does go on to point out that the salary is high compared to similar posts elsewhere.
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A committee pondering the Olympic Stadium is in favour of a retractable roof. Death, taxes and the stadium roof, the three unavoidable facts of life in Montreal.
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Doobious
Four, if you count potholes.
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Ian
Five, if you count the inevitable arguments over which place has the best poutine/ bagels / smoked meat.
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Bill Binns
Didn’t the city already pay for a retractable roof for this stadium?
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Faiz Imam
nah,
the original design, which didn’t work for the games and took until 1988 to finish subsequently ripped itself to pieces in months causing them to keep it closed at all times. They installed the current permanent blue roof in 1998.
The recent talk of retractable roofs has all been speculation, this is the first conclusion by anyone in a direct position of authority on the issue in a while.
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MB
I hope they put flashy multicolored LED lights on it so that we feel like we’re getting our money’s worth, at least.
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Fascinating profile of Georges Marciano, onetime jeans magnate and now owner of the posh LHôtel in Old Montreal.
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The Henri-Bourassa-Pie-IX road bridge is to be held together with duct tape and baling wire until it can be torn down and replaced later this year.
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ant6n
…bridge replacement by not replacing the bridge
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Opposition at city hall is pushing for stronger interpretation of Bill 35 so that construction firms tainted by ties with companies whose licenses were suspended for tax fraud will also be barred from city contracts.
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The St-Jacques exit from the Ville-Marie will be closed for months this year as a new access road is built for the MUHC hospital project.
David Tighe 14:29 on 2012/01/27 Permalink
It would be a disgrace to abandon the program which can do so much good for people. The amount it costs per itinerant per year (I assume) is only 18 000$ which I find reasonable although the article calls it ‘ énorme”. What kind of society do we live in which can consider such an expenditure excessive?
ant6n 15:01 on 2012/01/27 Permalink
@David
Isn’t that much more than welfare?
I and most people I know live on less than 18K a year.
Of course that doesn’t include any treatment etc., but you’d have to explain the expense to make it not seem ‘enorme’.
Kate 15:20 on 2012/01/27 Permalink
ant6n, I think that includes some amount of social work – I imagine that this is like any kind of bureaucracy in that at every stage somebody gets a cut. I would be startled if even half that sum finds its way directly into the hands of the client being helped. But it does cost money to rent apartments and look after people who have trouble keeping themselves organized.