La Presse says the newly unveiled REM trains will be fit for our climate and the Gazette follows suit, but Global says forthrightly that the trains, manufactured in India, have not been tested in winter conditions and TVA says they’re peu habitué à l’hiver.
Updates from March, 2019 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Kate
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Kate
An 85-year-old woman was killed Friday afternoon as she crossed de Lorimier on Jean-Talon. No details here about the vehicle involved.
That’s two pedestrian victims this week – one young, one old.
Alex L
Sad, sad, sad… and frustrating, again.
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Kate
Fr Claude Grou returned to his tasks at St Joseph’s Oratory on Friday but says he hasn’t forgiven the man who attacked him a week ago. His alleged assailant is being evaluated at the Pinel Institute.
BB
Sounds like the priest has forgiven the attacker.
“This is someone, from what we heard, who has problems with his health,” Grou explained. “I have no rancor towards this person – I’m going to keep him in my prayers, because this is someone in need of support and prayer.”
Kate
When I first read the piece at that CTV link they did say he hadn’t forgiven. I think this is a question of content update.
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Kate
A man was shot six times in his car outside his house in Côte-des-Neiges Friday morning. He was taken to hospital in critical condition.
Checking the map I see the street’s in the tiny Glenmount enclave.
Update: The man has died. Homicide #6.
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Kate
A taxi driver slashed his own arm on camera during a news interview on LCN, so cabbies have suspended pressure tactics for the moment.
Blork
According to CBC Radio news, the driver who slashed himself owes the bank more than $1,000,000 for taxi permits that he owns, and those permits will be almost worthless if the law passes. Yikes.
Chris
Yikes indeed. Banks will loan that much to people that earn so little? I didn’t think so…
john B
@Chris: Of course they will if you have collateral. In this case he owns several taxi permits, which are/were worth a lot, but if their worth becomes zero the bank will probably come after him, not his permits.
Blork
Hopefully the loan is to his business and not him personally, as that at least gives him some protection.
This guy is not alone, although I don’t know how many people own multiple permits. But even if you only own one, your loan for it can easily be in the six figures. I’ve always thought that permit system was a racket, and this is (one of the reasons) why.
Bert
I have some tulip bulbs for sale, as well as some land in Florida.
The permit system is a racket, as are other government run programs like property taxes, income tax, etc. What broke the permit system is the government not being able to regulate the car sharing industry. In my opinion Uber et al. waddles and quacks.
This reminds me of a story I listened to a year or so ago. I think it is this guy: https://www.businessinsider.com/nyc-taxi-king-rise-fall-2017-8#default-on-a-loan-from-citibank-leads-to-bankruptcy-filings-4
Marc
It seems like it would only be fair for the government to buy back the permits at fair market value if they’re going to suddenly change the law. When they destroy homes to build highways aren’t the people normally compensated?
Kate
Marc, when you’re expropriated the government gives you its assessment of the value of your property, which isn’t necessarily the amount you would’ve made if you’d sold it voluntarily in the normal way.
I think the same thing may be applied here in the case of the permits.
Marc
Ok I actually bothered to read a bit and I see that they are offering compensation, but I guess the issue is that having $45,000 in your pocket is not the same as having a permit which generates income. And also that a highway could be deemed a useful public utility. Has the government actually given any good reasons for changing the law?
Kate
Has the government actually given any good reasons for changing the law?
Now, that’s a valid question I have not seen answered.
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Kate
When you’re sardined in a metro train or cursing on a gridlocked highway, remember there are now two million people living on this island.
It doesn’t say, but I wonder how much the population rises during weekdays when commuters are here working.
Thomas H
Daytime population rises to 390,000 on weekdays.
Source: https://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/commuting-montreal-toronto-and-vancouver
Thomas H
Excuse me, I should say the daytime population rises by 390,000 (so it rises to 2.4 million or so)
Blork
That’s a lot of lunches and after-work beers!
Kate
Thomas H, thanks for the number.
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Kate
Some notes on where not to drive this weekend.
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Kate
A three-alarm fire that broke out overnight in Griffintown is still burning as the sun comes up. The building contained a car wash with offices upstairs, so it’s assumed nobody was there during the blaze.
Mr.Chinaski
Alphaplantes right next to it will be demolished for a new condo complex, so I guess we can easily rule that it wasn’t an accident.
CE
I wondered when that place would burn down.
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Kate
Since the average income in Sud-Ouest borough has risen due to gentrification, schools there no longer offer a virtually free lunch to students. But this means the poorer kids are deprived of a benefit they sorely need. Parents and community groups are protesting.
jeather
I continue to think it is scandalous that free public education doesn’t include coverage for lunch. And $5 for a school lunch is highway robbery. (Note that the low cost lunches were not for all students in these schools.)
This is really something we do poorly.
Tim S.
Actually, at our public school (EMSB) even if you pack your own lunch, you still have to pay 250$ a year for supervision.
That said, as a parent who can afford it, the 5$ bought lunch is well worth it, for both quality and convenience.jeather
Yes, that was what I was saying — it’s scandalous that free public school excludes 12-1 (or whenever lunch time is). I know foods are more expensive in Canada than the US, but school lunches there do not cost anywhere near 5$, and there are in fact many good school lunches available there (though also bad ones).
Tim
Does anyone send their kids to school with packed lunches anymore or is that not done?
Tim S.
I think the vast majority of the kids at my daughter’s school pack their own. We usually do, but the hot lunch is a nice option when we’re especially busy.
Of course, even a packed lunch isn’t free, and I certainly see the argument for subsidizing lunches and breakfasts in low-income areas.Marc
It seems awfully stupid and lazy to base this on the average income, especially when the designation of our boroughs is often so weird (Verdun proper, Nun’s Island and Crawford Park are all “Verdun” for example).
Kate
It’s a tricky one. You don’t want to force kids to bring in proof of how broke their family is. You need to apply the offer universally so individual kids don’t feel singled out. I understand why a threshold exists but it’s a man-made thing and should be tweaked if it’s causing hardship.
Uatu 13:06 on 2019-03-30 Permalink
You’d think that a winter proof design would be the 1st thing to consider when buying a train for our environment. Just waiting for the anger and frustration when it breaks down and every one is stranded because the non compete clause makes the REM the only transit option across the Champlain.
DeWolf 19:24 on 2019-03-30 Permalink
There are very few cities with a winter as harsh as Montreal. Harbin in China is about the only equivalent I can think of, and it is not as snowy. Even Moscow isn’t quite as cold or snowy. I wonder where trains could have been tested to ensure they are “winter-proof.”
I’ve heard Ottawa’s problems with its light rail system goes well beyond the actual rolling stock.