{"id":6423,"date":"2010-04-27T07:00:31","date_gmt":"2010-04-27T12:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spacingmontreal.ca\/?p=6423"},"modified":"2013-01-21T11:30:54","modified_gmt":"2013-01-21T16:30:54","slug":"montreal-nord-in-exile-public-transit-and-social-exclusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spacing.ca\/montreal\/2010\/04\/27\/montreal-nord-in-exile-public-transit-and-social-exclusion\/","title":{"rendered":"Montr\u00e9al-Nord in exile: Public transit and social exclusion"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Montr\u00e9al-Nord<\/a>
\n\u00ab Le permis de conduire est devenue le dipl\u00f4me le plus discriminatoire sur le march\u00e9 de l’emploi. \u00bb
\n– \u00c9ric Le Breton<\/em><\/p>\n

We citizens of Canada, living in one of the world\u2019s safest countries, and belonging predominately to the ranks of the middle-class, take our mobility for granted.<\/p>\n

If I need to go to work, I walk 15 minutes up the relatively pedestrian friendly avenue du Parc. If I were in Mexico City, where the pedestrian death rate is 3 times higher than that of Los Angeles (and L.A. is by no means a walker\u2019s paradise), going to work would be a life or death decision.<\/p>\n

If I need to go to school, I climb Mont Royal (which is more a large hill than an actual mountain) by bicycle, reaching my destination in less than 15 minutes. If I were in Gulucan Village in West China, the everyday walk to school would require navigating a narrow and winding path carved into a cliff. On one side, rock; on the other, a 5000-foot sheer drop<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If I need to escape the monotony of the Montreal entertainment scene, I board a bus, rent a car, take a train, or catch a flight to any destination in Qu\u00e9bec, Canada, or the world; and do so at a low-cost. If I were in Iqaluit, leaving town would involve embarking on an epic journey. Despite being the capital of Nunavut, it is not connected to any other Canadian city by road. One must rely on boat during the short 2-month period when the waters surrounding the town are ice-free, or depend on a combination of dogsled and snowmobile the rest of the year. And, with flights to other Canadian urban centres at a premium, flying almost becomes a privilege bestowed solely upon the rich.<\/p>\n

Clearly, as the previous examples illustrate, we all do not profit from the same degree of accessible mobility. These differences consequently have a tremendous impact on the style and the quality of life one leads. Increased mobility affords greater opportunities for one to become an integrated member of society. This raises the question: What happens when one lacks or is denied the same mobility as their fellow citizens? The answer: Social exclusion. Would this be the case for the residents of Montr\u00e9al-Nord, one of the most densely populated areas in Montreal not linked to the city-centre by a rapid form of transit, and home to what many consider some of Montreal\u2019s most serious social problems?<\/p>\n


\n\"Girls
\nSocial exclusion:<\/strong><\/p>\n