The place that the Inuits stayed at while they were in town for hospital reasons is moving out of the West end just as a hospital a few blocks east is being built.
Until 1998 patients from the North were sent to Ottawa but then they were switched to Montreal where they stayed at the Baffin house. Then Nick Patulli became owner of these Module du Nord buildings, which had a staff of 13 atttending to about 105 visitors and opened in the spring of 2000. Nick Patulli recently built the Kosa Arts Center building, which does a school of rock thing on Crowley just across from the superhospital site. He apparently wants to demolish these and build condos but his current proposal goes higher than zoning currently permits.
This sad site is the once-booming Clifton Market a few blocks east on Upper Lachine Road. It is supposedly slated for demolition as well, also targeted for condos. The owner figures that since it's going to be demolished, there's no need to keep it from looking like this.
The St. Raymond's area of NDG (ie: below the tracks) is said by one academic study to need to double or triple its population before it can have its own services such as schools and other amenities. It might happen. It depends on whether you believe that a nearby hospital brings money to a neighbourhood. some cite other parts of town that have hospitals and note that the nearby roads are not paved in gold. Any increase in population density in St. Raymond's surely turn the area into a traffic hell as the current road system is already woefully inadequate.
This sad site is the once-booming Clifton Market a few blocks east on Upper Lachine Road. It is supposedly slated for demolition as well, also targeted for condos. The owner figures that since it's going to be demolished, there's no need to keep it from looking like this.
The St. Raymond's area of NDG (ie: below the tracks) is said by one academic study to need to double or triple its population before it can have its own services such as schools and other amenities. It might happen. It depends on whether you believe that a nearby hospital brings money to a neighbourhood. some cite other parts of town that have hospitals and note that the nearby roads are not paved in gold. Any increase in population density in St. Raymond's surely turn the area into a traffic hell as the current road system is already woefully inadequate.
Actually, Quebec's road systems in general are pretty terrible but it shouldn't be a problem for this neighborhood if the population increases. It's pretty near the Metro, no? And you can take the bus down St. Jacques if it's too far to walk? There could be some more bus routes added if more people move there but making streets more attuned to the needs of cars is not the way to go. That being said, the new hospital is going to cause major traffic problems for the whole area and it's not because the street system needs work, this hospital is just a bad idea in this location. I'd like to know what impact Montreal's other hospitals have had on their neighborhoods.
ReplyDeleteRe St. Rayumond's: you can't travel south at all because of the cliff. North is largely inaccessible, even to pedestrians unless you hit on one of the few accesses (Melrose tunnel, Cavendish, Decarie/Girouard). Going west is doable but going east is an issue now too.
ReplyDeleteKristian Love your blog. You seem to focus on many issues that truely interest me , being a former NDG'er , of 45 years , now in the Beaconsfield ghetto for the last 4. Although been working in Costa Rica for 1/2 of the time , you bring me back to the 'hood. You are truly a modern day Edgar Andrew Collard ( if my memory is correct ) Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I once spoke to Collard on the phone. I was like "hello" and he said "what?" and I said "can you hear me" and he said "what?"
ReplyDeleteAnd so forth.
The old Town Squire Motor Inn was a member of "Friendship Inns International".
ReplyDeleteThe H-B Spa above the Clifton Market was legendary for the amount of time they would spend to get Lt. Dick Johnsson to stand straight to salute the flag before he was allowed empty out his inner sanctum.
Do you have any more info on the condos like a rendering or a name, etc? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteKristian
ReplyDeletethank you for all yopur comments about what is going on in NDG..I need to make a correction in your blog statements regarding the KoSA Arts Centre..Nick Paulli built this fabulous centre in collaboration with Aldo Mazza ( www.aldomazza.com ) member of world reknown percussion group..REPERCUSSION..He has worked with the likes of Jon Bonjovi, Aldo Nove, james Brown, Celine Dion , Nikki Yanofsky...and many more..Aldo is the founder and artistic director of KoSA .... for over 15 year doing workshops , camps, festivals round the world. ( www.kosamusic.com) he founded the KoSA Academy which is now house in the KoSA Arts centre. This new centre is the world headquartes for all KoSA music actvity. which has been launching music programs in the NDG community on an international level...with faculty suc as as Ndugu chancellor ( Michael Jackshon, ..Walfredo RTeyes Jr..Santana, Kenwood Dennard ( Sting) ..and many more.... more to come from this collaboration between Aldo Maaz ..musician, producer, educator , visionary and Nick patulli .
For the record, We need to make a correction and update regarding the building belonging to Nick Patulli on Crowley Ave. Yes it is true that Aldo Mazza was involved in the vision of building an Arts Centre in NDG . KoSA lent its name to the building as it was conceived as the home for KoSA Music and other cultural activity. In March of 2011 Aldo Mazza and KoSA organization requested that the KoSA name be permanently removed from the building as it was agreed that the association was being terminated. In September 2011,Aldo Mazza and KoSA Music moved out of the building on Crowley Ave permanently...
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