To put an end to the dispute between the company Ray-Mont-Logistiques and the citizens of Hochelaga, who oppose the arrival of a goods transhipment terminal in their sector, the City of Montreal should buy the land from the business, according to the opposition at City Hall.
Posted at 4:34 p.m.
At the next Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough council, this Monday, Tétreaultville district councilor Julien Hénault-Ratelle will table a motion asking the City to enter into negotiations with Ray-Mont-Logistiques on this subject.
The idea is not new: it was mentioned by Denis Coderre, candidate for mayor of the party Together Montreal, in the election campaign last fall.
If Julien Hénault-Ratelle brings this option back on the table, it is because he believes that it is the solution to the impasse in which the parties find themselves.
Two weeks ago, Ray-Mont-Logistiques began work on the land intended to accommodate the container terminal.
But according to the municipal councilor, this does not prevent the City from buying it out.
“The works carried out by the company are still minor, so now is the time to move forward, because the more time goes by, the more the opportunity to buy back the land closes,” he says.
When this solution was mentioned during the election campaign, Mayor Valérie Plante’s party, Projet Montréal, harshly criticized it, saying that the purchase cost could reach several hundred million.
Ray-Mont-Logistiques paid around 20 million for the land in 2016, and invested between 30 and 40 million to decontaminate it, recalls Julien Hénault-Ratelle.
You should also know that the company is suing the City for 373 million, to compensate for losses due to delays in obtaining municipal permits.
“It is clear that the bill is still likely to be substantial,” admits the municipal councilor. “In our motion, we are asking for the opening of negotiations for the purchase of the land, but we are also asking that the City begin to negotiate with the governments of Quebec and Canada to reach an agreement for a financial package for the three partners. together. »
Invited to react to this proposal, the office of the mayor reiterated its opposition. “The acquisition of this land does not respect the ability to pay of the City and Montrealers, it is completely unrealistic,” said its press officer, Marikym Gaudreault, in a written statement. “But it’s not over, we’re working hard to protect green spaces in the area and reduce nuisance as much as possible. »
As for Ray-Mont Logistiques, the company let it be known, by e-mail, that it would not make a decision, for the moment, “considering that no motion has been presented or adopted by the elected officials of the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve”.