I suggest you contact the City of Montreal's Public Works Department concerning their current and long term plans.
As you know, for a long time the city has been using private contractors for 50% of its snow removal budget, no doubt partially based on seemingly never-ending conflicts with its unionized workers. Indeed, I have been told directly by N.D.G.-CDN employees that their borough receives a lower budget than other districts, but no surprise there.
From what I've noticed lately, Montreal has been steadily closing down or reducing in size some of their existing and long-established garages and parking areas in which their trucks and snow removal equipment had for decades been based.
For example, their property to the west of the corner of Bates Road and Darlington Avenue has shrunk in size. Another at Peel and de la Commune appears to be undergoing renovation or replacement (as of 2021 plus) by a new housing or commercial project. See Google Images.
The large Public Works complex east of Rue des Carrieres near Rue de Normanville adjacent to the former, now-disused garbage incinerator, however, seems likely to remain intact for the time being, although surely it too has also been designated for potential, future housing development or possibly for a new green space.
That N.D.G. lot in your videos (referred to as "Madison" by their fleet radio dispatchers) may likewise be either diminished in size or sold off for housing at some point.
So...where to geographically shift the Public Works' trucks, sweepers, plows, snowblowers, etc? How about using part of what remains of the former CNR's Turcot Yards in addition to the proposed green space and cyclist bridge linking N.D.G. across Route 20 to Lachine (that bridge project unfortunately now shelved for the time being)?
Take the speedy 191 or 491 bus along Notre Dame West, look north, and see the now bulldozed-flat, wide open vistas of the former CNR land alongside Route 20 south of The Bluff (La Falaise) where on top once stood the stately home of Scottish manufacturer Walter Benny; his extensive farm that had once extended northwards, later to be purchased by the city and following WWII subdivided for Cavendish Boulevard and the then much needed housing for the war veterans and their boomer kids.
Incidentally, I cringe every time I hear our radio traffic announcers continue to refer to "The Yards" in spite of the fact that the former railway infrastructure including locomotive repair shops and roundhouses were closed several years ago and where now only a few tracks actually remain in use. Yards no more.
Considering that the majority of younger motorists (many of whom are recent immigrants) hear these traffic reports (every 15 minutes, no less!) likely have no idea what "the yards" means, and even if they do, it doesn't make a lot of sense to keep referring to what no longer exists, particularly to tourists and non-resident truckers coming into town who must be baffled as they wonder, "Yards? Huh? WHAT yards? Where?".
Nit-picking?
"The Borough of Roxboro", anyone?
Remember the old signage: "La Ville de Boucherville"? Arrgh!
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I suggest you contact the City of Montreal's Public Works Department concerning their current and long term plans.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, for a long time the city has been using private contractors for 50% of its snow removal budget, no doubt partially based on seemingly never-ending conflicts with its unionized workers. Indeed, I have been told directly by N.D.G.-CDN employees that their borough receives a lower budget than other districts, but no surprise there.
From what I've noticed lately, Montreal has been steadily closing down or reducing in size some of their existing and long-established garages and parking areas in which their trucks and snow removal equipment had for decades been based.
For example, their property to the west of the corner of Bates Road and Darlington Avenue has shrunk in size. Another at Peel and de la Commune appears to be undergoing renovation or replacement (as of 2021 plus) by a new housing or commercial project. See Google Images.
The large Public Works complex east of Rue des Carrieres near Rue de Normanville adjacent to the former, now-disused garbage incinerator, however, seems likely to remain intact for the time being, although surely it too has also been designated for potential, future housing development or possibly for a new green space.
That N.D.G. lot in your videos (referred to as "Madison" by their fleet radio dispatchers) may likewise be either diminished in size or sold off for housing at some point.
So...where to geographically shift the Public Works' trucks, sweepers, plows, snowblowers, etc? How about using part of what remains of the former CNR's Turcot Yards in addition to the proposed green space and cyclist bridge linking N.D.G. across Route 20 to Lachine (that bridge project unfortunately now shelved for the time being)?
Take the speedy 191 or 491 bus along Notre Dame West, look north, and see the now bulldozed-flat, wide open vistas of the former CNR land alongside Route 20 south of The Bluff (La Falaise) where on top once stood the stately home of Scottish manufacturer Walter Benny; his extensive farm that had once extended northwards, later to be purchased by the city and following WWII subdivided for Cavendish Boulevard and the then much needed housing for the war veterans and their boomer kids.
Incidentally, I cringe every time I hear our radio traffic announcers continue to refer to "The Yards" in spite of the fact that the former railway infrastructure including locomotive repair shops and roundhouses were closed several years ago and where now only a few tracks actually remain in use. Yards no more.
Considering that the majority of younger motorists (many of whom are recent immigrants) hear these traffic reports (every 15 minutes, no less!) likely have no idea what "the yards" means, and even if they do, it doesn't make a lot of sense to keep referring to what no longer exists, particularly to tourists and non-resident truckers coming into town who must be baffled as they wonder, "Yards? Huh? WHAT yards? Where?".
Nit-picking?
"The Borough of Roxboro", anyone?
Remember the old signage: "La Ville de Boucherville"? Arrgh!