I have a feeling we're not in Montreal anymore. I’ve been asked a number of times if I’ve ever come across anything underground in Montreal that’s surprised me. I never really quite know what to say since most of what I see is fairly predictable. It’s mostly pipes and chambers of varying sizes, constructed out of either concrete, brick or occasionally metal. I haven't (yet) come across any dead bodies, pirate ships or gold coins — although I did find an old wallet once. What surprises do exist usually aren’t worth mentioning; a section that abruptly ends or a stretch that gets larger in diameter when you were expecting it to get smaller. Not exactly the sort of stuff that inspires answers people are hoping to hear. Occasionally, though, I do come across things that I’d consider to be quite out of the ordinary and this entry involves one such example. Enter the Cote St Paul Collector Sewer The Côte St. Paul collector (CSPC) delivers wastewater from the southern half of Côte St. Paul towards the eastern edge of Point St Charles where it falls into a far larger sewer, the Saint Pierre Collector. View Cote Str Paul Collector Sewer in a larger map The main arm of the CSPC begins as a 6’ brick pipe built during the late 1800s and finishes with 12’ prefabricated concrete pipe that was set during the 1990s. Running parallel for much of its length is the former water conduit turned sewer that I covered in this entry. A short connection exits between the two via a 5’ pipe, thus allowing any excess flow to be conveyed from one sewer to the other. I’m assuming the CSPC was added (or more likely reconstructed) to accommodate the burgeoning neighbourhoods that came after the second world war.

Source: MTQ Sitting in the over-heated community centre in St. Henri, hearing one presenter after another condemn the Turcot project, it became clear that the opposition to the Turcot is growing stronger, and gaining new allies. Indeed, with all candidates in the upcoming municipal election as well as the Parti Québecois coming out against the project as proposed, it appears that the hard work of groups like Mobilization Turcot and other feisty community voices has not fallen on deaf ears. Since many are predicting that this issue will remain on the municipal agenda leading up to the election this fall, I thought a review of the memoirs presented by the major parties might be in order. This is not to overlook the presentations by community groups, academics, governmental agencies and concerned individuals, many of which were better researched (and more interesting) than the politicians. The view from City Hall: Mayor Tremblay, M. Lavallé and the Union Montréal By far the most detailed plan of the candidates, the City used the muscle of its planning staff to lay out its issues with the project in a methodical, quantitative language (in other words, they used the dollar sign). After devoting half of their memoir to identifying the lofty goals espoused in its Transportation Plan, the city cited a few of their major issues with the project.

  Source: MTQ  On March 24, the Bureau des Audiences Publiques sur l'environnement revealed the documents which it will be considering its legally-binding process of environmental assessment. While these sorts of hearings are generally a token example of public consultation leading to an inevitable rubber stamp of approval, there is information presented that would be of interest to Montreal's concerned residents. Unfortunately, as with many public processes, the overwhelming quantity and dizzying legal-ease of its presentation discourages many from delving deeping. To that end, I will take on the unenviable task of sifting through this glut of 800 pages or so to highlight some of the more interesting issues and studies presented. To consult the documents yourself, the BAPE posted all documents here. Scope of the documents Considering the immense human resources involved in the preparation of these documents, the MTQ's report devotes a meager two paragraphs to the possibility of repairing the existing infratructure. Nor do they consider a reduction of volume and transfer of mode share to other forms of transport. In fact, all figures used in the study assume the continuation of the  increasing trend in automobile usage, despite (albeit) weak attempt by the City of Montreal to the contrary. As many have already commented, this project remains a major intervention in urban space and quality of life that was conceived and designed by traffic engineers.

This part of Côte-St-Paul is one of the strangest parts of Montreal I've ever been to.  Dilapidated houses, graffiti covered abandoned store fronts, auto repair shops, and new condo construction all sit in the shadow of an overpass connecting to the Turcot Interchange.  The area has an unsettling post-apocalyptic feel to it. Photo taken June 3, 2007