The City of Montreal is asking the Government of Quebec to slow down its planning and construction projects for schools in certain future neighborhoods of the metropolis.
The development schedule for the grounds of the former racecourse, Louvain-Est and the current Saint-Denis garage in La Petite-Patrie does not require the immediate setting aside of spaces for the benefit of the School Service Center of Montreal (CSSDM), according to the Plante administration. This is the response it made to the CSSDM’s requests.
“Given the recent revision by the City of the housing forecasts for this sector, the City suggests postponing this request for land for a minimum of two years”, for example Montreal responded to requests for space to build two primary schools on the racetrack site. Same request for postponement for Louvain-Est, in Ahuntsic-Cartierville.
“It’s a shame,” lamented opposition city councilor Sonny Moroz, who added that these projects are dragging on. It was he who raised the situation with the Montreal city council on Tuesday.
Since 2020 and the abolition of school boards, it is up to the municipalities to identify and prepare the land for future schools in Quebec, according to the general needs expressed by the school service centres. Once the application is submitted, municipalities normally have two years to provide land. It is this period that the Plante administration seeks to stretch for its future quarters.
Montreal has assured that the planning of its future neighborhoods is progressing, but that it is not yet at the stage of locating future schools.
“We have implemented planning exercises led by the Office de consultation publique de Montréal,” said Benoit Dorais, head of housing on the executive committee. “It’s a good exercise we’re doing. We are moving fast. […] We are the ones who decide the future of our neighborhoods and our city. »
The mayor of the borough where the racecourse grounds are located, Gracia Kasoki Katahwa, also defended the work of the Plante administration in this matter.
“I’m really happy to see the speed at which we are moving forward on the racecourse project,” she said. “It is clear that in the hippodrome, there will be schools. »