Here are some of the details from the Sud-Ouest arrondissement council meeting on November 6, 2007:
Traffic and Safety
- School-zones for traffic (reduced speed zones) will be established around three schools: Petite-Bourgogne 555 rue des Seigneurs, Victor-Rousselot 3525 rue Sainte-Émilie, and Coeur-Immaculé-de-Marie 1845 boulevard Desmarchais.
- Members of Famijeunes deposited a petition to the borough council asking for a traffic light or stop sign at the corner of Notre-Dame and Saint-Augustin. Mayor Montpetit mentioned that the council is aware of the excessive speeding along that stretch. She also informed the audience and petitioners that the City of Montreal will be installing a traffic light at the corner of Notre-Dame and Chemin de la Station , to allow traffic to circulate in and out of the IGA and CLSC parking lots.
- During question period, citizens who live along rue Ste-Madeleine and rue de la Congrégation commented about the frequency and speed of heavy trucks that drive down their streets day and night. Mayor Montpetit stated that this was a complex problem and it would require more time to work out an effective solution for all parties involved
Terrases on Monk Avenue
Background: In Spring 2007, the arrondissement established a pilot project of outdoor bar-terrasses along Monk Avenue in Ville-Emard. This is a very contentious issue which dominates the question period at every council meeting since the implementation of the project.
- A couple of months ago the Borough council decided to hire a polling firm to conduct the phone survey about the Monk-Terrasses pilot project. The results are expected to be released soon.
- During question period Mme Bergeron, a citizen from Ville-Emard, commented on the petition in support of the bar-terrasses that was deposited during the October 2nd council meeting. It turns out that many of the signatures on the petition are not valid: signers from outside of the arrondissement, signatures attributed to vacant apartments and vacant commercial spaces, and “joke” signatures of famous people such as Maurice Richard, Guy Lafleur, Justin Timberlake etc. all of whom do not live in the area (or are dead).
- A visually impaired resident of Ville-Emard commented on the difficult obstacle course she has to navigate since the bar terrasses were established on the sidewalks of Monk Avenue. She also said that she has received injuries as result of the obstacles. With the aid of another citizen, she deposited several documents including photos, a written statement, and highlighted sections of the Montreal Charter of Rights and Responsibilities
Transport Quebec’s Turcot Interchange Project
- Borough Councillor for St-Henri–Petite-Bourgogne–Pte-St-Charles, M. Frechette, announced that the City of Montreal has appointed an official to act as a liaison between Transport-Quebec, the boroughs, and the central city government
Parks and Neighbourhoods
- A concerned citizen who lives near Park Louis-Cyr (St-Henri) asked why the playground, off-leash zone for dogs, and other planned renovations for the park have not been implemented. It turns out that the site is even more contaminated than was first thought, thus more money and time is needed to complete the decontamination. Once complete, then the Arrondissement can proceed with the installation of the dog park, playground for children, and landscaping.
- A citizen from Rozel Street in Pointe-St-Charles asked if the plans to build a 12 unit condo was illegal. The citizen mentioned that triple lot has a heritage property that will be demolished and five 60+ year-old trees will be cut down. The citizen didn’t receive a clear answer. It was promised that a representative from the arrondissement will provide him with the information.
