Mixed feelings on Pointe Claire project
The massive mixed project (another Royalmount, another Dix30) planned by Cadillac Fairview in Pointe Claire west of Fairview would involve razing one of the few remaining wooded lots in the West Island. If you look at Pointe Claire on Google Maps you’ll see it’s short of parkland, and that the lot is 40 acres of fairly unspoiled land. Some people don’t want it to happen. It will happen.
Su 15:46 on 2020-10-27 Permalink
Such a Green project.
Su 15:50 on 2020-10-27 Permalink
Where does the Caisse think the protected wetland fauna will go?
Kate 15:53 on 2020-10-27 Permalink
I don’t imagine the Caisse loses much sleep over environmental issues.
JP 17:48 on 2020-10-27 Permalink
Are they referring to Terra Cotta park? I don’t live in Pointe Claire but I work there. This actually makes me so mad. Does anyone NEED or WANT this???!!!! Fairview and a bunch of other commercial strips are close by. I don’t get it…we can’t reverse these buildings. Once the natural space is gone, it’s gone.
I’m not ever tempted by the idea of living in the West Island, but I would consider Pointe Claire; however, getting rid of that parkland would dramatically reduce its appeal.
This summer, in the spirit of avoiding the indoors as much as possible, I met up with friends in different parks, Terra Cotta being one of them. The pandemic made me realize even more how valuable our outdoor spaces are, not to mention the environmental, ecological reasons. Maybe if different parts of the city had adequate green space, Mount Royal wouldn’t get so crowded all the time….
We have this lovely piece of green space in my neighbourhood (Park Marcelin Wilson), and I often ask myself whether it will still be there in 15-20 years or so…it would be a shame if it disappeared.
Kate 17:52 on 2020-10-27 Permalink
JP, it isn’t Terra Cotta park. Look at Pointe Claire on Google Maps, but switch to satellite view, because the piece of land is totally unmarked on map view – it isn’t a park. Southwest of Fairview there’s a rectangular piece of land covered with trees, between Brunswick Boulevard and the 40. I believe that has to be the area in question, because it has no other label and it’s close to Fairview.
Su 17:59 on 2020-10-27 Permalink
I am fed up with my pension fund being used to decimate the natural world. No doubt many other people feel the same.
Faiz imam 19:11 on 2020-10-27 Permalink
I’m gonna be that guy again aren’t i?
I’ve studied this proposal in detail, ever since the town of Pointe-Clare passed their amended master plan for the area in 2016, of which this is one part:
http://www.pointe-claire.ca/content/uploads/2016/05/Chapitre-4-Le-centre-ville_EN-projet.pdf
Its a cool document. People who care about this should give it a read.
Comparing this in any way with Dix30 or Royalmount is not only reductive, but inaccurate. Those are terrible regressive traffic generators they do not function with their surroundings.
While this includes a large developer led component, but its one that is definitely Transit first, with a strong focus on active transportation. It also wants to focus on elder care and services, which I think makes a lot of sense. It’s also the first step of a city led initiative to densify and improve all of pointe-claire.
In essence its the kernel of what may become a suburb that is unrecognizable to current inhabitants, for the better.
As for that wood lot, I don’t know what to think. I know its history. It is a empty lot that was for a long time owned by John Abbott College to be used to build a new campus, but they never did. It’s been sitting empty for decades but was *always* zoned for development. As far as the city documents are concerned there is no conception that it has any special status. Perhaps this is wrong? I’m not from there, i don’t know what its ecological properties are.
EmilyG 21:02 on 2020-10-27 Permalink
I used to go by that forest all the time. I was under the impression that it wasn’t public, that you couldn’t just walk into it. But I enjoyed seeing the trees there, and there are many people who don’t want it “developed.”
PO 23:06 on 2020-10-27 Permalink
This is not the Caisse, its Cadillac Fairview. Not sure where anyone was getting the idea that this is a QPP funded investment.
I don’t have an opinion. It looks dense and transit-based, at least more than anywhere else in the west island.
Some of the commenters here confuse me. You hate the suburbs, you hate car drivers, you hate low-density projects. But you also hate that there’s a shortage of housing in Montreal, you hate that rents are rising, and some folks hate tall residential towers. And then you hate gentrification and hate the transformation of neighborhoods and the displacement of people. But also hate the people who flee Montreal for the suburbs… and hate the people moving into Montreal and doing the gentrifying. Also, hate parking spots and hate Dix30 style shopping centers.
Where would a project like this fit into the standard hate scheme? Its an automatic no-go because its green? Its surrounded on 2 sides by industrial/commercial lots, one side with a mall and another with suburban bungalows in a neighborhood already fully of parks. Would I prefer it stay wooded and untouched? Yes. But I also know that in a decade, Montreal risks being as unaffordable as every other major Canadian city.
david844 00:50 on 2020-10-28 Permalink
Actually, you’re confused about the broad consensus. It’s generally pretty straightforward.
There’s me and like maybe 1-2 others who are opposed to:
suburbs, car drivers, low-density projects, shortage of housing in Montreal, rents are rising, gentrification, displacement of people, fleeing Montreal for the suburbs, parking spots, and hate Dix30 style shopping centers.
Almost everyone else who posts regularly here is opposed to:
suburbs, rents are rising, tall residential towers, gentrification, transformation of neighborhoods, rents are rising, displacement of people, fleeing Montreal for the suburbs, people moving into Montreal and doing the gentrifying, and Dix30 style shopping centers.
It’s a subtle difference, but you’ve touched exactly on the fulcrum, which is someone like me wants dozens of these sorts of projects, because long term, this is the way to sustainability and progress.
Su 06:24 on 2020-10-28 Permalink
Yes PO The project is in partnership with our pension plan. The forest which Cadillac Fairview purchased in 2013 will be deforested and The Caisse(quebec pension plan) is Planning on building townhouses on the 2 000 000 square foot space.
Tim S. 08:38 on 2020-10-28 Permalink
FWIW, I vote for better suburbs – they’re possible. I grew up in the Brossard/Greenfield Park/St Lambert triangle. St Lambert is nice and has a sense of community, Parts of Greenfield Park are nice and have a sense of community. Brossard is a soulless residential emptiness. I haven’t looked closely enough at this project to have a strong opinion, but the suburban ppst-war status quo is not working and this seems like the kind of thing we should at least try, with public pressure to make sure it turns out as well as possible.
Urban/suburban greenspace is important, but I’d also like to see transit-accessible greenspace that actually feels like true countryside. The Grand Parc de l’ouest could be that if they don’t cover it with cafes and interpretive centers. I’d sacrifice a few tress near a highway to make those kinds of projects happen.
Uatu 10:45 on 2020-10-28 Permalink
I grew up in Brossard and I agree with Tim. If they modelled future suburbs like st. Lambert then I wouldn’t mind. These new developments will be built because it’s the rem’s raison d’etre. A bunch of real estate developments built on cheap land connected by rail. Kinda like Disney world. And the rest of us are just along for the ride