Between the three REM stations and the real estate projects they attract, Brossard is a huge construction site. As the City anticipates that the population will pass the 100,000 mark within five years, the next mayor will have a lot to do to ensure that the changes meet the needs of citizens. First text in a series of three on the issues surrounding the REM in the suburbs of Montreal.
The Angel bakery is surrounded by orange cones and cranes. It is at the heart of the brand new Solar district, located near the future Quartier station, where shops, office buildings and condo towers are beginning to mix, some of which will reach 26 floors.
Five or six years ago, this whole area was just one big field, points out Michel Gervais, one of the four mayoral candidates in the November 7 elections. “I agree with this style of project, because people will be going for a walk, and local shops will be at street level. We abandon vehicles and there is less ecological degradation ”, rejoices the one who finishes a mandate as municipal councilor of sector B.
Mr. Gervais, who operates under the Coalition Brossard banner, also expects the owner of the Dix30 shopping center, located a stone’s throw from the other side of Autoroute 10, to propose projects in the near future. similar on his land. According to the City, there are about ten real estate projects underway in Brossard.
Panama station concerns
Another huge building site is located around the future Panama station, at the intersection of highway 10 and boulevard Taschereau. The area was recently the subject of public consultations on the “future city center” that will be developed there.
The current mayor, Doreen Assaad, wants to continue consulting citizens before deciding on directions, but she believes that construction at height will be inevitable. “One of the things that came out of the consultation was that people don’t want to be blamed for driving. But when they get there, they want to walk and cycle instead, ”said the one who is seeking a second term with the Brossard Ensemble party.
In one of the surrounding residential neighborhoods, Quartier T, however, some residents have much more immediate concerns in relation to the REM. Michel Pellerin, who lives on Tisserand Street, is one of those worried about the proposal to transform part of the Place Portobello parking lot into a bus landing. In this context, a bus could spend every three to five minutes on its residential street, according to a city mobility study dating from May 2020.
“It would be in front of our house, a few meters from our room,” said the one who fears the noise thus generated. “It will make our house lose value. Other residents say they are afraid for the safety of their children because of the large number of buses and people.
Some also fear that their streets will be swamped by motorists from neighboring municipalities in search of parking to get to the train. In this same 2020 document, the City also mentions the low capacity of the Panama parking lot and the risk of congestion around the station.
Mayor Assaad says she is working on solutions and organizing public transportation with the appropriate organizations, such as the Regional Metropolitan Transport Authority. Banning on-street parking is also an option. “I’m worried about day 1 ‘of the REM’, she admits all the same. This day must take place in the summer of 2022.
Citizens feel neglected
Three of the mayoral candidates say they are aware of the need to plan new schools, protect green spaces, provide greater access to medical services and ensure that the water management infrastructure is sufficient.
However, in the oldest district of the city, district A, some citizens feel neglected in favor of major projects. “The City is not looking after us. We’re not the Dix30 here. We are the poor district of Brossard ”, reports a resident of the district, Raymond Boisjoli. He deplores the lack of maintenance of the parks and the lack of lighting at night.
“I have a little light when I walk with my dog because otherwise you can’t see anything in the street,” criticized another resident, Meriam Djellouli. The City also received 74 complaints in 2021 for lighting problems in this sector.
The contrast is striking between the modern districts and the sector A. Several streets do not have sidewalks, but are bordered by ditches. Tiny old houses rub shoulders with large newly built properties. “It does not fit well into the decor”, laments Mme Djellouli.
Because this part of the city, quite close to the Panama station, is not immune to real estate development. Many owners have received offers to buy from developers, who are razing old buildings to build new ones. In 2020, the City had to impose a moratorium on densification in district A to protect its sanitary sewer network.
Mayoral candidate Hanadi Saad, of the Brossard Uni party, believes that we must go back to basics and listen to residents more. “Brossard emphasizes large projects. But what about the needs of the people who are already there? Wonders the one who is the founder of the organization Justice Femme.
In particular, she would like to help existing local businesses, many of which are experiencing difficulties during the pandemic, take care of the state of the roads and create an application that would connect the whole community, making it possible in particular to transmit important information to residents and to contact elected officials directly.
It was not possible to reach the fourth candidate for mayor of Brossard, Manon Girard. However, she recently posted on her Facebook page that she wanted to withdraw from the race.
The last REM station, the Brossard terminus, is no exception. The Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM) intends to create there, in collaboration with the City, a metropolitan agricultural park.
“The objective is to re-cultivate land adjacent to the station,” explains Stéphane Pineault, executive coordinator at the CMM. However, the targeted lands are the property of developers who are still hoping for a zoning change allowing them to erect constructions there, he indicates.
Mr. Pineault asks the Government of Quebec to send a clear message to the effect that the vocation of these lands will remain agricultural, question that the vegetables of Brossard grow at least as large as the condos.
Details were added on candidate Hanadi Saad’s ambitions for Brossard.