The consultation process in the Ray-Mont Logistiques file, bringing together the company, citizens of Mercier – Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and municipal representatives, did not fulfill its mandate to present consensual solutions, according to the report made public Tuesday.
Both the City of Montreal and the company relied on this thematic working group (GTT) to find mitigation measures regarding the establishment of a container transshipment platform near the Viauville district. This project raises the opposition of many citizens, who fear the disappearance of green spaces and the nuisances linked to its activities 24 hours a day, the presence of 10,000 containers on the site and the thousand truck passes per day.
However, after four workshops held in August and September, three of the six citizen representatives withdrew their support for the results of the consultation. In this context, “it is no longer legitimate to qualify the statements proposed at the end of this review of work as“ recommendations acceptable to all parties ”, even if that was the mandate of the thematic working group, indicates the report. . In the absence of consensus, these statements are rather presented as “courses of action” ”.
The proposals are grouped around four poles: carrying out independent impact studies, collaborating with CN in order to create a buffer zone between railway activities and homes, continuing consultation through a monitoring committee and implement mitigation measures that will be proposed by Ray-Mont.
Ray-Mont Logistiques welcomed the entire report. The company undertook by email to establish “cohabitation measures, in particular the establishment of a green screen wall”. “Our teams are currently analyzing the best way to integrate the proposed courses of action into the project, this work will be done before starting work related to operations,” said the company in a press release.
It should be remembered that Ray-Mont had undertaken not to undertake major work on his land before the conclusion of the TWG discussions. The company, however, proceeded with paving this summer, to the displeasure of surrounding residents who denounced the nuisance.
A hasty step
Anaïs Houde, the first participant to leave the TWG, is anything but reassured by this report and by the discussions which led to its preparation. The one who is also a member of the citizen group Mobilization 6600 Parc-Nature MHM considers that the meetings took place in a hurry, during the summer, when many relevant stakeholders were on vacation. It also denounces the absence of data on current nuisances and of experts who can comment on the relevance of the various mitigation measures.
According to Mme Houde, the courses of action adopted are vague and incomplete. She also fears that, without constraint for Ray-Mont, the entrepreneur will go ahead with the measures he prefers rather than those desired by the citizens. The borough of Mercier – Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, for its part, said “it understands the reservations expressed by several citizens”. “It was urgent to sit down in order to establish together the conditions for the best possible integration of such a project in the sector,” however, said planning consultant Maude Brasseur.
The outgoing borough mayor and candidate for mayor of Mercier – Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Pierre Lessard-Blais, for his part considered it important that citizens continue to get involved “for the future”.