The Van Horne overpass is to be demolished by 2030. Earlier this month, 24Hres wrote an elegiac history of the structure, but so far, nobody seems to know what – if anything – would replace it.
Updates from September, 2025 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Kate
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Kate
Ensemble is clearly busy recruiting people with name recognition. The radio journalist Leslie Roberts will be running in Peter‑McGill.
Ten years ago, Roberts was forced to resign from Global after it became known that he was a part owner of a PR company whose clients appeared on Global News programs because of the link with Roberts’ company. I suppose he wasn’t aware of the rules – just as Martinez Ferrada wasn’t aware of the rule that landlords can’t demand a deposit.
People unclear on the ethics. Great way to start a campaign.
DeWolf
Anti-bike, anti-trans, pro-genocide. All on top of his apparent struggle with the notion of ethics.
MarcG
Leslie Roberts having a show on CJAD tells me everything I need to know.
There was a party leaders debate last night with Sauvé, Rabouin, and Martinez Ferrada. I didn’t investigate what rules they applied to exclude the others. Sauvé and Rabouin came off like old friends who basically agree and Martinez Ferrada seemed kinda bored (maybe it’s a cultural thing?). Rabouin certainly gives the best overall impression and I would guess will win.
Kate
DeWolf: And Roberts is at least a third-generation media guy, his father and grandfather also having been in radio. He can’t claim ignorance of how the principles work.
Orr
Chambre de commerce du Montréal métropolitain-approved candidate for the Chambre de commerce du Montréal métropolitain-approved municipal party tells you all you need to know.
See also: “traffic fluidity.”Ian
So far Lorraine Printal & Jean Beadouin are their only good challenger candidates, IMO. Ferrada is clearly untrustworthy, but has a lot of incumbents.
I like Sauvé’s politics, but Transition is a real grab bag of has-beens and never-weres. I find it telling that his site is Fench-only – both other parties have an English version.
I don’t much care for Rabouin’s hand-wavey routine and won’t ever vote for PM again while Norris is still in the fold, but at this point it really does look like PM is poised for another sweep.
I do think Beadoin has a decent chance against PM’s Wong for Plateu mayor, though.
DeWolf
I disagree about Beaudoin’s chances, but we’ll see. Beaudoin so far has been extremely grumpy and negative compared to Wong’s sunny vibes, which doesn’t strike me as a winning strategy against a party that has swept the past four elections on the Plateau. We’re not talking majorities, we’re talking mega-majorities.
Ian
Hey, you never know. Even PM started small. Name recognition has value, and while PM is still riding high, with Plante gone some of the lustre is off.
Joey
Likeliest scenario I think would be PM sweeping the Plateau but loosing the mayoral race. Long term, it’s probably in Projet’s strategic interest to lose this election – the next four-five years are going to be brutal for cities: feds and provinces are running huge deficits, the housing stock problem is worsening which means the problem of homelessness is growing, the economy hasn’t fully felt the impact of Trump’s insane trade war, confidence in the public sector’s ability to do *anything* is waning, unions are flexing their muscles, politics is getting uglier, etc. I suspect a lot of Projet folks are eager to turn the keys over to Martinez Ferrada for a term to demonstrate their competency by comparison to what Ensemble will (fail to) accomplish.
walkerp
Damn, Joey, you are playing chess while we are all playing checkers!
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Kate
CTV reports that there will be new ideas being tried out in November’s elections, including headshots of the candidates on ballots in some towns, and a feature that will allow kids to participate in their own electoral setting.
I suppose the low turnout in civic elections has been noted, so efforts are being made to get the vote out.
The article says the kids’ thing is new, but I think someone mentioned on the blog seeing a kids’ feature at a polling station in a previous election.
Nicholas
Both these features already exist in provincial elections, but this is new for municipal. I don’t love the photos part, it’s like how in Europe everyone puts photos on their CV, and it’s not like people are explicitly judging people based on their looks or race, but it definitely happens.
Kate
I agree it’s unnecessary. Faces are usually out on campaign placards anyway.
Bert
I don’t see an issue with faces on ballots, or even in the actual voting booth, if it makes ballot production easier. It would help illiterate or poorly literate voters. If one is to be sexist or racist while actually in the voting booth, their decision has probably already been made before showing up.
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Kate
The man caught on video as he attacked a Hasidic man in front of his kids last month has been declared not criminally responsible.
The report says briefly that the parents of Sergio Yanes Preciado had tried to get him help for his psychiatric issues in the weeks before the attack, but police felt he was not dangerous. Since when do police make psychiatric assessments?
DavidH
Police in Quebec are the only ones with the power to apply law P-38 which allows forcing someone to undergo psychiatric care without a court order. The criteria are immediate threat of self-harm or harm to others. The important part here is ‘immediate’ meaning in the next foreseeable minute or so (not, say, ‘these days’). It’s a really weird system that even the police are not confortable with. It puts the power to act with the people that know the least about the patient and have the least amount of relevant training. In other juridictions, psychiatrists, doctors, etc. have that power, not here. P-38 is the equivalent of Nevada’s Legal 2000 or California’s 5150.
What this news tells you is that the parents started to have reasons to be worried and called 911 at some point but they were not far enough along in the process to have gotten an ‘ordonnance de soins’ from the court. Often happens when family hopes the patient can still be convince to get help willingly. Going to court is taxing on people already dealing with these issues.
MarcG
Quoting the Mayor of Côte Saint-Luc when the story was first reported:
“[The attack] reflects something deeply wrong in our society. Hatred of Jewish people is not a Jewish problem. It is a societal problem. The kind of derangement needed to attack a father beside his young daughter grows from long-standing prejudice against Jewish people. It is supercharged by a news media that too often parrots propaganda by Hamas without due diligence and a social media environment that pushes conspiracies and lies. This toxic mix leads to marches where extremist rhetoric is spread and otherwise decent people learn to hate…”
That’s a long way from smoking too much weed and getting paranoid about energy fields. Will he issue a new “oopsies!” statement about the mental health crisis and need to fund systems that improve support and outcomes?
Ian
When I had to get a family member with dementia brough to hospital care against his will, the first responder was an ambulance. When the paramedics confirmed that he would not come voluntarily, they assessed his medical condition and determined that he was not in immediate danger. The next procedural step was they called the police. The police determined that he was not a danger to himself or others. They tehn called a social team who did a psych assessment, and established that there was confusion and a history of dementia, and agreed to authorize his involuntary intake. The police then read him his rights and explained the situation, and he went to the hospital with the paramedics.
All this to say there are specific procedures that are followed and while the police can make an assessment it is only under very specific conditions. Their main role is to determine criminality and/ or secure a scene.
Kate
Thanks everyone for their thoughts on this.
It’s worth noting that the item says “Les deux psychiatres indiquent d’ailleurs que l’attaque n’a pas de motif religieux, contrairement à ce que les policiers suggéraient dans le rapport lié à cet événement.”
walkerp
I agree this is not a hate crime and the mayor of St-Luc needs to be impeached but I also would still factor anti-semitism into the attack. I mean I don’t think it was random that he picked this man.
Kate
Preciado’s attention may have been caught by the other man’s distinctive outfit and hair and beard arrangements. CBC radio just reported that Preciado didn’t express any antisemitic attitudes.
MarcG
The article says he was triggered by perceiving an “aggressive movement” by the victim.
Kate
If the shrinks are correct that Preciado was in a state of psychosis, it’s fruitless to surmise what he may have perceived.
MarcG
The article implies that it was the shrinks who provided that information.
walkerp
It’s only tangentially a question of what he did or didn’t surmise. It’s that anti-semitism (and racism in general) is on the rise in our culture these days and it drives behaviour. If I were a visibly Jewish person, hearing that the psychiatrist said he was in a state of psychosis would do very little to reduce the fear I would feel about future attacks like this.
So basically, anti-semitism is still very much at play in this story.
Ian
But it’s literally not. Despite pressure from the police, the Jewish community, and local political interference, the guy was legally assessed, found to be psychotic and reacting to perceived aggression, and the assessment clearly states that there was no religious element. How much clearer can it be?
To a hammer everything looks like a nail.
Kate
I wonder whether Preciado was acting strangely in the park, so the Hasidic man reasonably moved to gather his kids to get them away from the crazy man – which in turn, may have caught Preciado’s attention.
Ian
As long as we’re playing “what if” and want to make up motivation, what if the Hassidic man gathereed his children nearer because Preciado is black? I mean, a long as we’re making assumptions about prevalent forms of racism and all.
GC
That would be racist, Ian, but how would it be relevant??? The attacker’s state of mind is considered by the legal system, but I don’t think the victim’s is.
Ian
If it gives a clue as to what the attacker perceived as provocation it’s no less relevant than assuming the attacker was motivated by racism – which it appears he wasn’t but some aren’t willing to let it go.
walkerp
Yeah, like the victims…
Ian
Considering no words were exchanged I think I’ll take the psychiatric assessment over the victim’s assumption s about why they were attacked.
Just because the victim is Hassidic is no more of an explanation for this incident than that the attacker was black.
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Kate
Seems to be big news in the Formula One world that a sprint race will be added to the 2026 Grand Prix.
It isn’t certain yet, but excitement is building around the news that Geoff Molson wants to bring some of the matches in the hockey World Cup here in 2028.
I’m also told it’s relatively big news that the Grand Prix race in 2026 will start two hours later than it usually does – 4 pm rather than 2 pm – not to conflict with the Indianapolis 500.
Jim
The sprint race is not loved by all teams and drivers, as it adds even more complexity, but it is great for the audience and it will certainly add huge value to the whole F1 weekend.
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Kate
Le Devoir asks whether Montreal has become as expensive as New York seen in terms of the ratio of income to real estate.
MarcG
The headline-as-question trend is so irritating.
Steve
CE
I’ve been annoyed with all the “everything you need to know” type headlines in the news lately. They’re almost always about things that we don’t really “need” to know anything about at all.
Ian
Here’s one cool trick to find an apartment in Montreal
One simple trick that Montreal Landlords HATE
Moving to Montreal? Check out these cool tricks only locals know!
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Kate
Pivot looks into how pro-Israel lobbies are putting pressure on McGill University, in a mostly successful attempt to shut down pro‑Palestine protests.
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Kate
Deaths of people in a situation of homelessness have risen sharply in Quebec, at least 108 having perished in 2024. La Presse has a dossier Tuesday, examining the case of a troubled young woman who died of an overdose, and a list of others and their fates.
EmilyG 21:12 on 2025-09-16 Permalink
I used to live near there, and I’d go walking in that area, including walking up the bridge. I like looking out at the city from that viewpoint. I like the general area there. I think I’d miss the overpass if it went away, but maybe I’m being sentimental.
CE 21:35 on 2025-09-16 Permalink
I always hoped it would someday be turned into a sort of High Line linear park that would connect the two neighbourhoods. The view is very nice up there, especially at sunset.
DeWolf 00:29 on 2025-09-17 Permalink
I hope it’s replaced with another elevated structure, but one that includes a lot of public space from which to enjoy the view.
Not replacing it with anything would be a real blow to connectivity in the area, given the CPR’s intransigence in allowing more level crossings. The viaduct also creates some interesting spaces underneath and this could be taken even further with a better design.
Ian 09:46 on 2025-09-17 Permalink
Goodbye skate park, free punk shows, sheltered area in no-name park, best sunset views in the neighbourhood…
DeWolf 11:09 on 2025-09-17 Permalink
Why do you think the skate park would be demolished, Ian? The city spent a lot of money developing it in collaboration with the Montreal Skateboard Association. It’s one of the largest skate parks in Quebec.
Orr 12:50 on 2025-09-17 Permalink
@dewolf You can walk up the stairs right beside boulevard St-Laurent and the skatepark and enjoy the excellent view.
This lookout needs a big sign “Belvédère Van Horne”.
DeWolf 14:04 on 2025-09-17 Permalink
Yes, I know, but it’s not exactly a place to linger. It’s a narrow sidewalk next to traffic going 20-30 over the speed limit.
Let’s not forget the viaduct isn’t being demolished for fun. It was already renovated in 2019 to extend its life by 10 years, which was a stay of execution after the Coderre administration initially drafted plans to replace it in 2018. It’s not a question of whether or not it should be demolished, it’s a question of what will replace it.
Joey 14:11 on 2025-09-17 Permalink
The viaduct is a major connector between downtown and Rosemont/Petite-Patrie and beyond. It’s surprising that, with 2030 only about four years away, there’s not even a vague idea of what will replace it.
I can’t imagine level crossings will be a thing – obviously the railway doesn’t care at all about its impact on daily life. That said, I’m always skeptical of the benefit of level crossings. Don’t the cargo trains that run there often move very slowly?
Ian 16:39 on 2025-09-17 Permalink
The one at Wilderton and Jean Talon is notorious. If there’s a train there it’s almost always faster to go all the way over to CDN & JT where there’s an underpass.
@DeEWolf I hope they try to keep the skate park but that is a BIG structure. I have my doubts. Considering that digging a hole in the sidewalk on the east side of Parc by the new Maxi “requires” shutting down half the street with cones and barriers, I can’t imaginew how they intend to take down an entire elevated roadway without damaging stuff directly beneath it. Then again they will have to somehow not affect rail traffic, so who knows what the plan is. Oh wait, there isn’t one.
Anton 19:10 on 2025-09-17 Permalink
Well, from an urbanism perspective, perhaps the ideal thing would be to elevate the railway by 2-3m (on an embankment) and restore the street grid below it. If the railway is above ground level, any street or walkway passing through it doesn’t require ridiculously long ramps before and after like today, so the impact of it on the street grid, street level experience and urban fabric should be much reduced.
GC 19:36 on 2025-09-17 Permalink
I hope they keep the skate park, even if I’m likely never going to use it myself. Also, the great new basketball courts right beside it. Those I might actually use one day. But, they are always packed, regardless.
I suppose there are already ways to walk or drive _under_ the tracks, at various places. Like Joey, I can’t believe they don’t have a plan for only five years out…
Ian 20:37 on 2025-09-17 Permalink
@Anton I think you misunderstand, nobody is ever allowed to touch the railway, except the railway.
To be serious though I think the main issue in what you describe is that this line is used for various purposes but especially heavy transport, including double-stack intermodal. A deeper bed is needed not just to support the train itself but to distribute the impact of its travel.
MarcG 07:30 on 2025-09-18 Permalink
Whatever is done, I hope they incorporate a way for pedestrians to cross the tracks safely at the east end, but I wouldn’t hold my breath since a similar connection between NDG and St-Henri was dropped from the Turcot rebuild despite fairly heavy public pressure.
DeWolf 15:52 on 2025-09-18 Permalink
@MarcG, are you talking about the east end of Mile End? The city wanted to build a level crossing at Henri-Julien (next to the Champ des possibles) but the CPR fought it. The Canadian Transportation Agency ruled that the city could only build an underpass or overpass at that location, which would be all but impossible without destroying a lot of green space.
MarcG 15:55 on 2025-09-18 Permalink
Yeah that’s the spot.