2007-2009
Le terrain situé au coin des rues St-Jacques et de Courcelle où se dressait autrefois l’église Sainte-Élisabeth est toujours vacant et ce, près d’un an après sa démolition. Le projet de construction d’immeubles à logements prévu pour ce site serait-il tombé à l’eau ?
7 comments
Ce serait un bon endroit pour refaire Turcot, pas besoin de démolir des maisons…
This is the site where 2 residential projects (affordable condos and supposed ‘social’ housing) will soon be built, after having recently passed the re-zoning public consultation phase http://sudouest.wordpress.com/2009/02/03/public-consultation-ste-elisabeth-site-courcelle-and-st-jacques/.
Many community groups involved in the Turcot mobilization find it somewhat ironic that housing is being built within a block from the homes that are slated for demolition. The new social housing will lie within less than a 100 m distance from the path of the proposed highway. Numerous studies demonstrate the significant negative health effects of living within proximity of any high traffic road (see the forum for examples http://lotek.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4&sid=028a9a73f0344dc35121ebab6a0da931) so the question is this:
If we can legislate cigarettes in restaurants and cell phones in cars, due to known risks to public health, why are there no restrictions to the construction of seniors’ residences, schools and sports facilities within a given distance of high traffic areas? Is the government not negligent when they fail to ensure air quality standards ? The 2 populations most vulnerable to the effects of air pollution are seniors and children (the social housing above is prioritizing families). Something’s seriously wrong when the need for social housing is so bad, that we’re willing to overlook the fact that it will be located in an area that will create more social and health problems for the families who live there..
I live nearby, and wondered what is happenning with this.
We can legislate against cigarettes, because it does nothing good to the people who smoke. But you can’t legislate against cars, because society has so thoroughly made cars indispensable by wrecking public transit that it would grind to a halt without them.
Heck, if 10% of motorists decided not to take their cars, the STM would be in deep shit because it does not have enough buses to do the job.
@Jody
The problem with your argument is you even say anything about social housing, which only creates poverty instead of alleviating it.
What about air quality? The air quality in this area is well below recognized standards of Quebec, or even the US… the air might not be as clean as it is in the middle of nowhere, but it is right next to downtown Montreal…
Sad the church burned down though… I drove past it when it was on fire, I had wondered what the smoke was as I made my way down St Antoine
@Jean
Le probleme c’est l’autre cote… si tu mets l’echangeur ici, il va falloir demolir davantage de batiments a l’ouest en lieu de profiter de l’immense espace vide de le cour Turcot.
L’eglise Ste Elisabeth looks similar to the Mt Albert War Memorial Hall, in Mount Albert Owairaka, Auckland, Aotearoa NZ.
See this link for a small image of the War Memorial Hall…
http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/council/services/venues/mtalbertwarhall.asp
To Marc
”We can legislate against cigarettes, because it does nothing good to the people who smoke. But you can’t legislate against cars,…”
The case against car dependence is pretty strong: The multiple health effects ranging from obesity to respiratory disease (not to mention accidents) are a heavy burden to our health care system. It’s a matter of time before some smart lawyer puts together a class action suit on behalf of those who have to breathe toxic air …
To Cyrus
”The problem with your argument is you even say anything about social housing, which only creates poverty instead of alleviating it.”
Social housing CREATES poverty? The church site is going to be turned into affordable condos and (slightly below market costs) rental units for families, with a few token low cost (25%) units thrown in to appease the housing groups. Hardly a ghetto.
Besides, the point is rather about how the most vulnerable in our society: The poor, the elderly, the mentally ill, etc. are the ones whose living conditions and whose health are the worst …
http://lotek.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=36&p=64&sid=3c5bbb2d7c522f0ab5b49cf7780aec36#p64
http://lotek.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=25&p=51&sid=3c5bbb2d7c522f0ab5b49cf7780aec36#p51
Back to Marc…
”Heck, if 10% of motorists decided not to take their cars, the STM would be in deep shit because it does not have enough buses to do the job.”
Wouldn’t it be nice to have that problem… ? :-)
If you decide to come to Mob Turcot’s April 30th meeting on the BAPE over at the CRCS http://mobilisation-turcot.info/ Please come find me …