We’re to expect heavy rain over the long weekend.
Updates from October, 2023 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Kate
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Kate
Housing starts are down in the greater Montreal area compared to last year. And the Journal says rien ne va plus on Ste‑Catherine Street, although other commercial streets in town are doing all right.
DeWolf
Most of the article focuses on Ste-Catherine West, and yet there’s a graphic at the bottom of the story that shows commercial vacancies on that part of the street have dropped from 19% last year to 14.4% this year. Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story!
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Kate
Skimming the Guardian front page I was stopped by the headline Greece contemplates dismantling of Games stadium roof. How familiar does this sound? Flashy Olympic stadium with novel roof designed by star architect, gradually allowed to decline till it’s actively dangerous to hold events inside, so some people are saying it should be dismantled.
The Greek version even has an accompanying velodrome building, although Athens hasn’t turned its version into an interior zoo.
The Olympics. What a scam.
Ephraim
Their stadium was opened in 1982, even though the Olympics were in Athens in 2004.
Faiz Imam
Do we know if it’s possible to keep the tower while demolishing the bowl?
Because that tower is heritage, not to mention the Desjardins offices. and the pool /espace de le vie is important.
But that stadium really doesn’t have much to justify itself.
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Kate
STM drivers are under so much pressure that the transit commission is finding it hard to hire and keep people. The shortage means that service punctuality hasn’t been great.
Interesting that this story and the previous are about public jobs with good salaries, benefits, strong unions… and yet they can’t hire enough people or keep them on, and many workers are on leave for mental health reasons. What, we could ask, is wrong with this picture?
And I have no glib answer either.
Editing to add: Seems like a strange moment to make that “12 Minutes Max” promise.
Nicholas
There’s just a continent-wide shortage of bus drivers. If you can drive a bus, you can usually drive a truck, an occupation that also has a huge shortage of drivers and is competing to hire.
Josh
It’s the same at all levels of government where I live in Whitehorse, as well. Turnover is unbelievable, whether it’s bus drivers, admin clerks, or lawyers who work for government.
walkerp
glib answer: neoliberalism
steph
”public jobs with good salaries & benefits” is simply a lie.
Kate
Which part is a lie, steph? I am not habitually a liar.
steph
the part about the salaries and the benefits being good.
CE
The job listing for STM bus drivers says de 28,11 $ à 34,60 $ with paid training. Not too bad of a starting salary for a job that only requires a high school diploma and a class 5 driver’s license.
Ian
It’s also a crazy stressful job. One if my neighbours is an STM driver and he’s basically in perpetual road rage.
CE
I know one bus driver who applied to work with the STM but ended up working for an intercity agency. He wanted to work for the STM but said the issue for him is that the schedule for the first decade is really bad. You never really know what your hours are going to be from week to week and you’re given all the worst routes and hours. After you get some seniority, it’s smooth sailing. I also spoke to a Metro driver once and he said his job is the endgame for many drivers. He seemed to love the peace and quiet and lack of human interaction.
Chris
Ian, I’m curious: crazy stressful how? Is it irate customers? Can you elaborate on the road rage? I’ve thought of road rage usually coming from stress of being late for work, etc. but if you’re being paid to drive in circles, with no actual destination personally, why would you get enraged? Or do you mean other drivers are enraged at bus drivers? Wouldn’t that require some dick move by the bus driver?
Ian
Did you not realize buses are expected to follow a schedule?
Chris
Ian, yes, I did. Do you realize that meeting the schedule is largely out the control of the driver? He can’t do anything about traffic conditions, equipment failure, crashes, surges in passengers, etc. Is the STM expecting magic from their drivers? Do they expect them to speed and run lights to meet their schedule?
Ian
Hence the road rage. Fighting construction, cars, delivery trucks, cabs, pedestrians, cyclists … and having to deal with commuters mad that their bus is late, crowded, and slow. I imagine it’s basically like your job is to commute back and forth all day with no time to decompress.
He also thinks bikes should banned from all major streets and jaywalking should get jail time haha
Chris
So basically he thinks the streets are his and is grumpy that the aren’t. Well, that’s not increasing my sympathy.
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Kate
The SPVM is preparing to cut the number of metro police. Social workers will continue to respond to some kinds of calls, and whichever police station is closest will act on urgent calls.
Item mentions that patrolling the metro is far from a favourite posting for police.
Ephraim
What was this idea called, where social workers would do the social work and police would do the police work? I’m sure I heard a term for this a few years ago… it’s right on the tip of my tongue. Ah… defund the police… that was it.
Ian
Maybe we should have a big, big conversation about it 😛
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Kate
Loto-Quebec has suspended the real estate listing of a building on Cité du Havre originally constructed for Expo 67. It later served as the city’s contemporary art museum for 25 years. Parc Jean‑Drapeau may be buying it, because otherwise – as suggested in the La Presse piece – it will probably be torn down to make room for another condo tower.
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Kate
CTV looks at the work done around the Gare Viger. The green courtyard is nice, although the idea that the glass box is a great addition is somewhat dubious.
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