Montreal City Weblog

Kate 08:43 on 2022-10-20 Permalink Reply  

• Blork 10:27 on 2022-10-20 Permalink

  Someone in my neighbourhood FB group proposed organizing community car pooling. The comment thread is an indication of how unpractical that can be (at least when nobody is willing to give an inch of inconvenience).

• DeWolf 10:36 on 2022-10-20 Permalink

  The REM does have an opening date – December 1. The CDPQI told Radio-Canada the other day they’re still committed to that date, barring any unforeseen issues with testing in November.

  I’m sceptical, but I guess we’ll see!

• Thomas 17:51 on 2022-10-20 Permalink

  La Presse is now reporting this afternoon that phase one of the REM will be delayed to Spring 2023, sadly

• carswell 17:58 on 2022-10-20 Permalink

  Link to the artlicle: https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/grand-montreal/2022-10-20/le-rem-de-la-rive-sud-retarde-au-printemps.php

  So, five or six months after it starts really being needed. Good thing we entrusted the project entirely to the private sector to ensure everything was completed on time and under budget. /s

• Thomas 18:01 on 2022-10-20 Permalink

  I mean, it is private and it isn’t. Given that it is our public pension plan. But the whole idea is certainly a bit convoluted.

  Nonetheless, it still seems to be on track to be built faster than anything else in recent decades.

• dhomas 18:45 on 2022-10-20 Permalink

  The CDPQ is a crown corporation, but it is a for profit enterprise. Sure it manages “our” pension plan(s), but it’s end goal is to make its investments grow. In order for it to turn a profit for our pension plans, it must make money from its CDPQInfra enterprise and the REM. To do so, it will take public funds and put them back into the public pension plan? It has always seemed like a conflict of interest to me. It’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul.
  The only way I can see this as a net positive for Quebec and our pension plans is if they manage to export the concept of the REM to other provinces/countries.

• Kate 21:19 on 2022-10-20 Permalink

  Same REM delay story from Radio-Canada.

• Ephraim 04:31 on 2022-10-21 Permalink

  dhomas – The CDPQ is making their money not only on the REM line itself, but on the land that they have purchased around the stations to be developed. The CDPQ is also not subject to the “buy Quebec” clause, which increases the costs of building anything… in particular the metro. Which was why the Quebec government had the CDPQ build the REM. Was this a good idea? I doubt it… anytime private enterprise goes into where states should have been, it doesn’t end well for consumers.

  Recently, we were on Southern Railway in the UK. The break up on British Rail has resulted in European train companies now running parts of the UK system and being paid subsidies to do so. Why do I mention Southern Rail? Well, it’s really Govia Thameslink Railway. Which is owned 65% by Go-Ahead Group and 35% by Keolis. Go-Ahead Group is 51% Kinetic Group and 49% Globalvia. And Kinetic is partially owned by OPTrust and the government of Ontario. Keolis is 70% owned by SNCF and 30% owned by… CDPQ. Oh and what else does Keolis run that you may know… Orleans Express buses. So basically 30% of 35% or if you prefer 10.5% of Southern Railway in the UK is indirectly owned and operated by the CDPQ. (GTR was paid 8.9B GBP over 7 years as a subsidy.)

• Uatu 07:44 on 2022-10-21 Permalink

  I doubt anyone from Boucherville would venture as far as Brossard to get downtown. That’s a second commute in itself and the metro and st. Lambert train is a lot closer