Patrick Barnard’s 28th instalment of the Pimento Report (you can watch the entire video on www.westmountwatch.org) is all about allowing Lansdowne Avenue residents a voice.
Having recently presented a petition to Westmount City Council, Lansdowne residents are now being seen interviewed by Barnard where they discuss ways to maintain the “residential character” of the street. During the video, they bemoan the heavy morning traffic, the additional traffic expected to compound the problem when the MUHC hospital and the super-sized arena are completed, the noise and dust, as well as the huge Public Works trucks barrelling down Lansdowne now, despite the “No Trucks” sign there at the moment.
Some of the concerns are more valid than others. In my humble opinion, you can’t opt to live in the city (no matter how residential your area claims to be) and complain about the noise and the dust. There’s no invisible bubble that can shield you from the inevitable consequences and inconveniences of ever-present and ever-increasing traffic. Even sound barriers can only do so much.
But some of their concerns are more than warranted. If traffic is at a saturation point now, there’s no telling how bad it will get when the hospital and the arena are built. Despite assurances to the contrary by the local administration, you don’t need to be an urban planner to deduce that two NHL-sized hockey arenas are going to bring a lot of traffic and cars to the area. Hockey is not the kind of sport you play with no equipment. You lug a lot of stuff with you when you practice and/or play. And you don’t lug it on a bus or by foot. You need a car. Yes, underground parking will accommodate these cars, but they still have to drive on Lansdowne to get there. Pretending that it won’t affect the tranquil residential character of the area is preposterous and solutions need to be found now; not after the arena has been built and residents are faced with a reality they neither wanted nor expected when they originally decided to reside in the area.
Despite assurances to the contrary by the local administration, you don’t need to be an urban planner to deduce that two NHL-sized hockey arenas are going to bring a lot of traffic and cars to the area. -
Trent reacts appropriately
During an interview with CBC Radio last week, Mayor Trent revealed that he had resigned from the Union des Municipalités du Québec (UMQ) board of directors and its executive committee because of allegations of corruption plaguing president Marc Gascon, mayor of St. Jerome, (who originally refused to, but has since stepped down). Gascon is one of several mayors north of Montreal feeling political heat relating to allegations of unethical dealings.
“We have to set an example,” Trent stated. “It has to start at the top; not at the bottom.” Citing the behaviour unacceptable, he chose to step down and kudos to him for doing so.
Head out to Greene this weekend
It’s been a long, dusty summer for the merchants on Greene Avenue. You can’t revamp a street without affecting the flow of traffic and the circulation, and the businesses located on the shopping stretch have certainly felt the dire effects on their sales. So go out and support them this weekend and get a head start on your Holiday shopping, while you’re at it. Local businesses need local support, first and foremost.
