Rechercher dans la communauté

Revitalisation Un nouveau visage pour la rue Jarry Est Le secteur Est de la rue Jarry connaîtra une profonde transformation au cours des prochaines années. Dans le but d’amorcer une véritable revitalisation de cette artère, le conseil d’arrondissement de Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension a octroyé, lors de sa séance du 1er juin dernier, un contrat de 108 253 $ à la firme AECOM pour l’élaboration d’une étude de planification détaillée. Le consultant travaillera d’ailleurs en étroite collaboration avec les professionnels de divers services à la Ville ainsi qu’avec les partenaires du milieu que sont les commerçants, les industriels et les organismes communautaires. Une stratégie de développement économique La première étape de cette démarche consistera à mener une étude sur la stratégie de développement économique du secteur. On dressera d’abord un portrait socioéconomique de la population résidant dans la zone de la rue Jarry Est, puis on dénombrera les entreprises actives dans le milieu. Il faudra aussi cerner les besoins des résidants ainsi que les opportunités d’affaires en vue. En plus de jauger le potentiel financier, la firme évaluera les fuites commerciales potentielles et établira des comparaisons avec des projets semblables afin d’établir une stratégie de développement pour l’artère. Urbanisme en tête On abordera ensuite les thèmes de l’urbanisme, du design urbain et de l’architecture. Les experts produiront des analyses qui permettront d’encadrer le redéveloppement immobilier. Réaménagement du domaine public Le troisième volet visera le réaménagement du domaine public où une recension des composantes actuelles devra être effectuée. On compte également proposer des scénarios de réorganisation respectant l’ensemble des objectifs sectoriels, les orientations des documents de planification et d’encadrement adoptés par la Ville. Une évaluation du coût de mise en oeuvre de ces plans d’action devra suivre ces propositions. La totalité des études devra être réalisée d’ici la fin décembre 2010. Au cours de la dernière étape, on produira un plan particulier d’urbanisme où seront intégrées les recommandations résultant des analyses et des discussions précédentes. « http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/page/arr_vill_fr/media/documents/tournesol_aout_10.pdf

(Courtesy of The Montreal Gazette) Great read. I was wondering what was going on. Time to bring the Capital of Canada back to Montreal and make the Capital of Quebec in Montreal! As Obama said "Yes, we can!"

Le maire Gérald Tremblay et la ministre de la Culture, Christine St-Pierre, ont inauguré lundi l’œuvre «Give Peace a chance» en l’honneur de la célèbre chanson de John Lennon écrite lors de son bed-in à Montréal avec Yoko Ono en 1969. Située à proximité de l'entrée Peel du parc du Mont-Royal, l’œuvre d’art public est la création de l'artiste Linda Covit et de l'architecte Marie-Claude Séguin et elle «évoque la diversité culturelle de Montréal et symbolise l'intégration de l'être à son milieu et au monde.» L'oeuvre est composée d'environ 180 dalles en pierre calcaire alignées côte à côte sur le sol plat et sur lesquelles est inscrite, en 40 langues, la phrase «Give Peace a Chance». Les deux politiciens étaient enchantés par l’œuvre d’art qui, selon eux, enrichit les espaces publics et permet le rayonnement de la culture des artiste d’ici. «Intégrer une œuvre d'art au paysage d'une ville, c'est en rehausser son cachet, mais c'est aussi améliorer la qualité de vie des citoyens qui, au quotidien, profitent d'un musée à ciel ouvert. [Elle] vient renforcer la valeur artistique et patrimoniale du mont Royal», a expliqué la ministre St-Pierre. Gérald Tremblay a quant à lui fait savoir que «l'inauguration de cette œuvre est également une belle illustration de l'enthousiasme de nos créateurs à mettre leur talent au profit de l'art public. Il s'agit d'un apport inestimable à la renommée de Montréal comme ville de créateurs et métropole culturelle.» Réaménagement Cela aura pris deux ans et 4 365 000 $ à l’entrée Peel pour faire peau neuve. La nouvelle entrée se distingue par une composition de marches et de pavés de granit recyclés et de murets de calcaire. Rappelons que la ville de Montréal a proclamé en 2004 la semaine du 26 mai au 2 juin «Une Chance à la Paix / Give Peace a Chance» en l'honneur de la visite de John Lennon et de Yoko Ono à pareilles dates en 1969. En chiffres Cette création a coûté 125 000 $ et elle s'ajoute à la collection d'art public de la Ville de Montréal. http://www.journalmetro.com/montreal/article/539252--l-uvre-give-peace-a-chance-inauguree-sur-le-mont-royal

MONTREAL – The central-city administration didn’t open the door any further Monday night to preserving the 57-hectare Meadowbrook green space. But Alan DeSousa, vice-chairman of the city executive committee, didn’t slam it shut, either – not with about 375 anti-development protesters who converged on city hall trying to save the West End site hanging onto his words. “We’re ready to see what we can do to support a local community consensus” on Meadowbrook’s future, he told Patrick Asch of the Les Amis de Meadowbrook citizens’ coalition, which wants the entire site preserved as a public park. A Miami Beach condo developer, Michael Bedzow of Pacific Group Canada, wants to build 1,500 housing units on the site, which has been a private golf course for about a century. Meadowbrook hosts a broad range of wildlife, including foxes, rabbits and birds. It straddles the Lachine borough and Côte St. Luc, and is located near rail yards. Asch and other questioners tried repeatedly to get Mayor Gérald Tremblay to commit to preservation. But the mayor left it to DeSousa to do all the talking on his behalf. The site is already partly zoned for development. Last night’s occasionally loud crowd demonstrates broad support for the site’s preservation, Asch said. The site is “irreplaceable and one of the few natural green spaces left in Montreal,” he added. “Residents across the island will not accept the destruction of Meadowbrook.” Tremblay’s continuing silence on the issue is “deafening – and very suspicious,” Asch said. The site’s preservation is part of a May 2009 report that is to be voted on Thursday by Montreal Island’s agglomeration council. DeSousa said that report doesn’t deal with golf courses. On April 15, Karel Mayrand, Quebec executive director of the David Suzuki Foundation, wrote to Tremblay asking him to act “to preserve all of Meadowbrook as a nature park.” The Pacific Group housing plan – which features Plateau Mont Royal density levels – would represent “destruction for short-term private gain,” Mayrand added. Projet Montréal has already endorsed Meadowbrook’s preservation in full as a public park, said party leader Richard Bergeron. janr@thegazette.canwest.com © Copyright © The Montreal Gazette Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/City+commit+Meadowbrook/2926786/story.html#ixzz0leaaJ97g

(Courtesy of The Montreal Gazette)

Bâtiment rébarbatif au premier coup d'oeil, Climatisation et chauffage urbains de Montréal (CCUM) cache pourtant dans ses entrailles un bijou d'architecture industrielle. Un véritable «Beaubourg intérieur», selon la firme Humà - design + architecture, chargée de lui refaire une beauté. La première phase est achevée: la mise en lumière de ses machineries, signée en collaboration avec Erick Villeneuve de Novalux. «On s'est concentré sur l'expression vers la ville de ce "Beaubourg intérieur" de la machinerie», explique Jean Beaudoin, qui travaille avec Stéphanie Cardinal chez Huma. Méconnu des Montréalais, CCUM fournit le chauffage à une vingtaine d'édifices du centre-ville, de la tour de la Bourse à la place Ville-Marie, en passant par l'École de technologie supérieure et l'hôtel Reine Elizabeth. Construite en 1947 dans ce qui n'était alors qu'un champ, cette centrale thermique est aujourd'hui enclavée entre l'autoroute Bonaventure et le viaduc du Canadien Pacifique. Mais demain, quand l'autoroute sera abaissée pour faire place au quartier Bonaventure (QB), elle trônera ni plus ni moins à l'entrée de la ville. «On ne peut pas rester de même, s'exclame en riant le directeur de l'établissement, Jean-Claude Michel. On va avoir l'air d'une usine d'Europe de l'Est restée debout après une explosion nucléaire!» D'autant plus que cet emblème du passé met le cap sur l'avenir en abandonnant le mazout au profit du gaz naturel, plus propre. On installe actuellement une nouvelle chaudière qui fonctionnera entièrement au gaz naturel. «Le mazout, on ne veut plus en utiliser, juste en cas d'avarie», précise M. Michel. Jusqu'ici, CCUM fonctionnait en mode biénergie pour profiter des variations de prix de chaque carburant. «Il faut valoriser la centrale comme icône urbaine en résonance avec le quartier en devenir, indique M. Beaudoin. Et [CCUM] est en train de se repositionner comme la façon économique de chauffer les quartiers, en ligne avec le développement durable.» Jardin des vapeurs En écho à son principal mode de chauffage (la vapeur à haute pression) et aux émanations de vapeur issues de la combustion du gaz naturel — «On est une usine à nuages», dit joliment le directeur —, un jardin des vapeurs accessible au public sera éventuellement aménagé au nord du bâtiment. Une passerelle mènera à une terrasse (l'ancien pont de livraison du charbon) ayant une vue imprenable sur le centre-ville. «On veut que le bâtiment évolue en fonction de ce que devient le quartier», prévient M. Beaudoin, dont les plans s'arrimeront à ceux du QB, en chantier dès l'an prochain. Le jardin se prolongera par une promenade sous arcades le long de la rue Nazareth, où pourrait être documentée l'histoire du lieu. La dernière phase consistera à insérer le haut du bâtiment dans un écrin de verre. «Ces panneaux seront développés selon des technologies nouvelles qui consolideront l'offre énergétique de CCUM», indique M. Beaudoin. Car les ambitions de CCUM ne sont pas qu'esthétiques. L'entreprise, qui appartient moitié à Gaz Métropolitain, moitié à Dalkia (filiale du géant français Veolia), entend à la fois se faire connaître auprès du public et se trouver de nouveaux clients dans le futur QB. «On voudrait utiliser nos surplus d'énergie — on a environ de 10 à 15 % de pertes — pour atteindre une efficacité de 100 %», précise M. Michel. CCUM est d'ailleurs sur le point de faire son entrée sur le marché des crédits carbone. http://www.ledevoir.com/culture/actualites-culturelles/286846/la-centrale-thermique-de-montreal-se-refait-une-beaute

Montreal is the top Canadian city in non-car commuting, with 29.5 per cent of people using public transit, walking or cycling to work, according to a Toronto Board of Trade report that compares global cities. Four other Canadian cities are not far behind, but the rankings were a little different when it came to commuting times, according the report, titled "Toronto as a Global City: Scorecard on Prosperity - 2010." The report, released Monday, compares a variety of urban issues among 21 cities in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. It looked at urban economic health, affordability, education, immigration and lifestyle and was created with research support from the Conference Board of Canada. Montreal ranks at the top among Canadian cities for non-car commuting, but was No. 11 overall. Hong Kong ranked first with 89 per cent of commuters not using cars to get to and from work. Paris was second at 73.7 per cent. In Toronto, 28.8 per cent of commuters take public transit, walk or cycle to work, the report said. In Vancouver, that rate is 25.3 per cent. In Halifax it's 24.1 per cent and in Calgary it's 23.2 per cent. With the exception of New York, seven American cities that were measured in the rankings placed in the bottom quarter for non-car commuting. Rates ranged between 21.6 per cent for San Francisco to just 4.6 per cent for Dallas. Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2010/03/30/consumer-commuting-times.html#ixzz0jhNPYITA

Trop d'employés incompétents, paresseux et superflus s'accrochent à leur sécurité d'emploi dans le secteur public, estime l'Action démocratique du Québec. Après avoir donné le ton la veille, le chef de l'ADQ Gérard Deltell est revenu à la charge, mardi, dénonçant la trop grande protection syndicale dont profitent, à son avis, les employés de l'État. Selon lui, les gestionnaires doivent bénéficier de plus de souplesse afin de pouvoir congédier les employés improductifs et éliminer les fonctions obsolètes. À l'entrée d'un caucus à l'Assemblée nationale, le député de Beauce-Nord, Janvier Grondin, a estimé de son côté que le Québec comptait beaucoup trop de fonctionnaires. Il est anormal, a-t-il dit, que la fonction publique québécoise soit 30% plus importante que celle de l'Ontario, une province pourtant beaucoup plus populeuse que le Québec. Vu l'état des finances publiques, il est impératif que le Québec remette en question les «vaches sacrées» du modèle québécois, comme celle de la sécurité d'emploi dans le secteur public, a pour sa part affirmé le député François Bonnardel. Les syndicats et leurs membres ne sont pas à l'abri des efforts que le Québec devra faire pour rétablir l'équilibre budgétaire, a-t-il fait valoir. En ce sens, les conventions collectives dans le secteur public ne doivent plus servir à maintenir en fonction des employés «paresseux» ou «assis sur leurs lauriers», a soutenu M. Bonnardel. ----------- Bravo de tenir ce discours, si seulement ils pouvaient le mettre en pratique, ca serait encore mieux :applause:

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/01/29/qc-charest-protests-india-asbestos.html#ixzz0e4r4XXPU

Gillette to phase Tiger Woods out of ads New York — Associated Press Published on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 11:57AM EST Last updated on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 4:05PM EST New York — Associated Press Published on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 11:57AM EST Last updated on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 4:05PM EST One of Tiger Woods’ major sponsors will phase the world’s most valuable athlete out of its advertisements while he takes time off to repair his personal life. Gillette’s announcement Saturday marks the first major sponsor of the superstar athlete and corporate pitchman to distance itself from Woods. “As Tiger takes a break from the public eye, we will support his desire for privacy by limiting his role in our marketing programs,” said Gillette, a division of Procter & Gamble. Other sponsors are mulling their options and trying to gauge the fallout from the man who has become the face of golf, as he drops off the circuit for an unspecified period. AT&T said it is evaluating its relationship with the golfer. Representatives from Accenture won’t say what its plans are regarding Woods, whom the consulting firm has used to personify its claimed attributes of integrity and high performance. “I think you will see the handful or so of companies that he has relationships with doing some real soul searching and making some probably, for them, difficult decisions in the next few days,” said Larry L. Smith, president of the Institute for Crisis Management, in Louisville, Ky. Late Friday, Woods announced an indefinite leave from golf and public life to try to rescue his marriage after a two weeks of intense coverage of his infidelity sullied his carefully cultivated good guy image. The decision and contrite tone of his statement was seen by marketing experts as a smart step to repairing his public image. His previous brief and vague statements on the matter were criticized as insufficient to quell the intense scrutiny and to lessen the damage from more than a handful of women who claim to have had affairs with him. “It’s just like your most beautiful fashion brand is being trashed,” said John Sweeney, director of sports communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “I don’t expect Tiger to be the gold standard anymore, but he’s not going out of business ... He’s too big and too talented to be fired, but he will have significant declines from what he was.” Woods, 33, spent 13 years burnishing a pristine personal brand. His good looks and multiracial heritage gave him broad appeal. His domination of the game and fist-pumping flair for the dramatic established his tournament appearances as must-see TV. His work ethic is admirable. Marketers were drawn to his image as a clean-cut family man who mourned the death of the father who taught him the game, doted on his mother and married a former Swedish model with whom he has two young children. Woods is the pitchman for brands ranging from AT&T to Accenture to Nike. His array of endorsements helped him become the first sports star to earn $1 billion. Michael Jordan, Woods’ closest contemporary, is a distant second. Jordan has accumulated about $800 million during an NBA career that spanned nearly 20 years, according to Forbes. Nike, which built its $650-million golf business around Woods, said late Friday it supports his decision. Gatorade, a unit of PepsiCo Inc., said previously it supports Woods and said Saturday it has no updated comment. Gillette’s decision includes phasing out Woods from its television and print advertising, and from public appearances and other efforts linking the two entities together, Gillette spokesman Damon Jones said. “This is supporting his desire to step out of the public eye and we’re going to support him by helping him to take a lower profile,” he said. Gillette, which operates from Boston while parent P&G is based in Cincinnati, has had a contract with Woods since 2007. Jones declined to provide further details, including length and value, of the contract. Woods hasn’t been seen in a prime-time television commercial since a Gillette spot on Nov. 29, according to research firm Nielsen Co. Jones said that was because golf is currently off-season, so the company is promoting new products like Gillette Fusion MVP with football and baseball stars instead, because those seasons are more current. As any ads featuring Woods expire, they will not be renewed. Jones said that did not mean the company was severing its ties with Woods. There had been no upcoming scheduled public appearances for Woods, he said. He declined to comment on when the company would resume including Woods in its marketing, and would not say whether that would be linked with the timing of Woods comeback, when and if he decides to resume playing golf.

The jury members are: - Melvin Charney, architect; - Odile Decq, architect and Director of the École Spéciale d'Architecture, Paris; - Jacques Des Rochers, Curator of Canadian Art, Montréal Museum of Fine Arts; - Michel Dionne, architect, Cooper, Robertson & Partners, New York; - Raphaël Fischler, urban planner and professor at the School of Urban Planning, McGill University; - Mario Masson, landscape architect and Division Manager, Service du développement culturel, de la qualité du milieu de vie et de la diversité ethnoculturelle, Ville de Montréal; - Alessandra Ponte, associate professor, School of Architecture, Université de Montréal; - Philippe Poullaouec-Gonidec, landscape architect and holder of the UNESCO Chair in Landscape and Environmental Design at Université de Montréal. Instructions for prospective entrants (Courtesy of CNW Telbec)

It is very unfortunate that events that happen in less than a minute can have such a profoundly negative impact on peoples' lives. In this case, I most definitely believe that Michael Bryant is innocent of what is essentially a manslaughter charge. This is one of the rare times I side with a Liberal. By the sounds of things Darcy Allan Sheppard was drunk and riding his bicycle down a major throughfare (Bloor Street). Drinking and riding a bicycle can be just as dangerous as drinking and driving a car. There needs to be laws put in place to regulate cycling just like driving. If it had been the other way around, and Bryant had been drinking and driving, got into an altercation with a cyclist before crashing and killing himself, it would have been completely his fault. But since Sheppard was a cyclist, he couldn't possibly be in the wrong.

A 45 - acre comprehensive, master planned office campus on Nuns' Island. This multi-phased office complex is geared to those tenants looking for the quality environment offered in suburban locations but with the benefits of a site located just five minutes from Montreal's central business district. Availabilities range from 50,000 sq.ft. to 500,000 sq.ft. in various configurations, all of which will be LEED certified. With the arrival of Bell Canada on Nuns' Island, public transportation has improved with investments in infrastructure being made by various governmental authorities; the neighborhood is poised for even more development. Companies such a Yellow Pages, Multi-prêt, Bombardier Recreational Products and the Bank of Canada continue to enjoy the exceptional office environment that Nuns' Island has to offer with its abundant retail offerings, bike paths, nature walks and lush landscaped public areas.

Montreal to triple some parking fines Last Updated: Monday, August 17, 2009 | 2:39 PM ET CBC News The price of parking illegally in Montreal could triple by the fall. The city says it's seeing more and more problems with people parking illegally, and plans to boost ticket prices starting in October. Executive committee member Sammy Forcillo says current fines simply aren't big enough to stop people from parking where they shouldn't. He says with some parking lots charging $18 to park, some drivers are choosing to take a chance on getting a $30 parking ticket. The city says it's most concerned with people parking in places that are completely illegal, such as near an intersection where a parked car might block visibility. In those cases, the city plans to hand out $100 tickets come Oct. 1. "If there's a car in front or if a person wants to stop there it's a matter of public safety, and for the handicapped I think it's common sense also. Handicapped people need to be respected in our society so that's the main idea," said Claude Dauphin, the executive committee member responsible for public security. The fine for cars parked at expired meters or in a designated handicap parking spot will also rise, to $60. Forcillo says this simply brings Montreal in line with many neighbouring cities. It's estimated the increase in fines will net the city an additional $13 or $14 million, but Forcillo denies this is a cash grab. He says it's simply about getting people to respect the rules. City council is expected to vote on the issue next week.

L'illusion tranquille: l'efficience des PPP Christian Bordeleau, Doctorant à la School of Public Policy and Administration de Carleton University à Ottawa. L'auteur a reçu la bourse d'excellence du Fonds commémoratif Louise-Montpetit-Morrisseau en administration publique et la bourse de doctorat du Fonds québécois de recherche sur la société et la culture. Le Devoir Édition du lundi 10 août 2009 Mots clés : Turcot, Gestion, PPP, Construction, Gouvernement, Québec (province) Après plus d'un an de contestations et d'avis défavorables en ce qui a trait à la formule des PPP dans divers projets, la ministre des Transports, Julie Boulet, a finalement répudié publiquement -- le 24 juillet dernier -- l'application de la formule PPP à l'échangeur Turcot «étant donné que c'est un dossier très complexe, avec beaucoup de partenaires». Les intérêts corporatifs ayant perdu cette bataille d'influence, la présidente de la Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec, Françoise Bertrand, probablement dans l'espoir d'éviter la contagion, signe un billet intitulé «Des PPP qui fonctionnent bien!» (sic) (Le Devoir, 28 juillet 2009). Mis à part l'enthousiasme débordant de Mme Bertrand pour les intérêts privés qu'elle représente, il y a lieu de se demander quelles sont les prémisses du modèle des PPP qu'elle chérit tant. En effet, il est inquiétant de voir sans cesse des assertions grossières quant à l'efficience des PPP sans aucune remise en question -- et ce, dans plusieurs médias nationaux -- et il est temps de se questionner, pour peu que cela soit possible ici, sur la validité empirique de cette rhétorique économique. Nouvelles doxa en matière de réalisation d'infrastructures publiques La première prémisse des PPP postule que l'utilisation du libre marché permet l'obtention d'une réalisation de projet plus efficiente. Premièrement, le marché n'a aucune efficience sui generis, et la crise économique que nous traversons en est la preuve tangible. Sa supériorité est illusoire, car sa seule force réside dans l'abstraction des externalités (ex.: la pollution ou les maux sociaux). Sur une échelle absolue et durable, le marché est sous-efficient sans une régulation forte et structurante, ce qui permet la modulation de cette déficience reconnue. Seuls quelques dogmatiques personnages en sont encore à proposer l'efficience des mécanismes du libre marché à «l'état naturel» (c.-à-d. le «laisser-faire») comme solution aux problèmes sociaux, et les États qui se drapaient jadis dans l'arrogance de ce paradigme font aujourd'hui amende honorable. La recherche de pointe en science politique a bien démontré que sans coordination (c.-à-d. régulation) le résultat des agrégations individuelles est sous-optimal pour le groupe (c.-à-d. les citoyens). Alors que 47 millions d'Américains sont sans assurance maladie dans un système entièrement contrôlé par le libre marché, Joseph Stiglitz, Prix Nobel d'économie et ex-vice-président de la Banque mondiale, affirmait le 9 janvier dernier que l'on ne pouvait plus se fier au marché, que cette idéologie était -- comme bien d'autres -- révolue. Le président Obama tente d'ailleurs de sortir le pays de cette douve. Que l'on se le tienne pour dit, le marché sur lequel «s'assoient les PPP» n'a pas «d'efficience transcendantale». Pas de gaspillage, vraiment? La deuxième prémisse postule que le marché fait toujours une allocation optimale des ressources en raison de la concurrence. Ainsi, le «client» (c.-à-d., dans le cas des PPP, le gouvernement) en «a toujours plus pour son argent». Le schème privé serait donc supérieur au schème de réalisation public, car il n'y aurait pas de «gaspillage». Si cela était vraiment le cas, on peut se demander où réside l'efficience promise par le marché dans les 18,3 milliards qu'il s'est «alloués» -- à même les fonds de secours gouvernementaux -- en primes de performance, d'excellence et en options prestigieuses -- permettant aux spéculateurs de Wall Street d'attendre la fin de la crise financière dans des résidences champêtres à «skier et bien manger»! Ces événements tangibles devraient rappeler à la population la déficience des mécanismes du marché même dans l'allocation de ses propres ressources. Pour preuve s'il en faut une, l'échec spectaculaire du métro londonien géré en PPP a été qualifié de «sous-performance pathétique» par le Comité des transports de la Chambre des communes en 2008. Après la réalisation de seulement 40 % du projet, le public doit éponger la dette de deux milliards laissée par Metronet à la suite de l'allocation de «contrats surpayés à ses propres actionnaires» (House of Commons, 16 janvier 2008). Pour en finir avec un mythe Il faut comprendre que la prétendue «compétitivité» des mécanismes du privé sur le secteur public ne s'exerce que par le rejet des externalités sur autrui; une problématique très bien connue dans les études sur l'environnement et en matière de solidarité sociale. Comprise de cette façon, la compétitivité peut donc se mesurer par le rejet maximum des externalités -- lorsque l'on compare avec un concurrent qui n'est pas en mesure d'externaliser (ou disposé à le faire) tout autant -- dans une sorte de course au nivellement vers le bas. C'est sur cet axe que la prétendue compétitivité du privé joue contre le gouvernement, car ce dernier ne peut pas suivre le marché dans l'externalisation extrême. Pour illustrer simplement, les évasions à répétition de prisonniers des pénitenciers britanniques gérés en PPP ne sont pas des externalités qui ont été considérées acceptables par la collectivité et cette dernière n'était pas prête à prendre ce risque pour économiser sur le salaire de quelques gardiens. Alors que le partenaire privé cherche à «couper au maximum» pour augmenter son rendement, dans une société démocratique, on se rend rapidement compte de la limite du dogme de l'efficience en matière de gouvernance. Lorsque l'on s'attarde à la concurrence réelle, on peut constater qu'elle est quasi inexistante dans le contexte de mégaprojets, et ce, particulièrement au Québec. Avec la monopolisation croissante de nombre de secteurs économiques, l'argument d'une concurrence accrue à long terme est imaginaire, surtout que l'on assiste actuellement à des «mariages» d'entreprises dans des «consortiums». Qui plus est, au Québec, dans un contexte où les firmes de génie se comptent sur les doigts de la main et où tout le monde se connaît, le taux horaire, des uns comme des autres, n'est pas un secret de Polichinelle, et ce, particulièrement lorsque tout le monde suit les mêmes devis gouvernementaux. En fait, cette concurrence -- telle qu'elle est conceptualisée dans la rhétorique du marché -- est plutôt une version «édulcorée» et «faiblichonne». Dans ce contexte, les firmes recherchent constamment une «rotation» dans l'allocation des contrats à l'aide de nombreux lobbyistes, de contributions électorales et de «bons amis»; les problèmes éthiques ne sont jamais loin derrière. C'est pour cela que le président de SNC-Lavalin, Jacques Lamarre, multipliait «les coups de fil», allant jusqu'à effectuer son propre lobbying, pour que ce soit «son tour» avec le PPP Turcot (La Presse, 22 octobre 2008); il devra maintenant se trouver un nouveau projet! Gros biscuit pour un risque aussi réduit Contrairement à ce que certains tentent de laisser croire aux citoyens, les «consortiums» ne sont pas des regroupements spontanés de passionnés du «service à la clientèle» (c.-à-d. les citoyens dans le jargon réducteur des PPP); ce sont des holdings financiers, recherchant une rente étatique sécurisée, en finançant des projets publics garantis sur des décennies. Ces «bassins de liquidités» sont à la recherche constante de projets rentiers rapportant des intérêts à deux chiffres -- sans les risques assortis habituellement à cette gamme de taux; c'est dans ce contexte que le concept des PPP est très alléchant et que le public doit être extrêmement vigilant, de surcroît, lorsqu'un gouvernement complaisant siège. À l'inverse de ce qui est propagé par certains, le risque n'est pas «assumé» par le consortium, mais il est simplement évalué et inclus dans la facture totale; l'économie est donc factice «bon temps» et les Britanniques, parmi tant d'autres, ont appris à la dure ce que signifie «mauvais temps»: une prise de risque totale de l'État. Ce dernier ne peut pas laisser en friche un métro, un hôpital, une prison ou un pont que le «partenaire» a abandonné en cours de réalisation de projet. Encore heureux que la crise financière soit survenue avant que l'entente du PPP Turcot n'ait été signée! Mme Bertrand ne s'inspire pas de l'état de la recherche empirique dans son apologie sur les PPP, mais semble plutôt éprise, comme bien d'autres, d'une version libérale d'Alice au pays des merveilles! http://www.ledevoir.com/2009/08/10/262213.html

CBC, VIA Rail considered for auction block: Documents BY ANDREW MAYEDA, CANWEST NEWS SERVICE JUNE 1, 2009 6:49 PM OTTAWA — The federal Department of Finance has flagged several prominent Crown corporations as "not self-sustaining," including the CBC, VIA Rail and the National Arts Centre, and has identified them as entities that could be sold as part of the government's asset review, newly released documents show. In its fiscal update last November, the government announced that it would launch a review of its Crown assets, including so-called enterprise Crown corporations, real estate and "other holdings." Finance Department documents, obtained by Canwest News Service under the Access to Information Act, reveal that the review will focus on enterprise Crown corporations, which are not financially dependent on parliamentary subsidies. Such corporations include the Royal Canadian Mint and Ridley Terminals, which is a coal-shipping terminal in Prince Rupert, B.C. But the documents also reveal that the government will consider privatizing Crown corporations that require public subsidies to stay afloat. "The reviews will also examine other holdings in which the government competes directly with private enterprises, earn income from property or performs a commercial activity," states a Finance briefing note dated Dec. 2, 2008. "It includes Crown corporations that are not self-sustaining even though they are of a commercial nature." In the briefing note, the Finance Department identifies nine Crown corporations that fall in that category, including Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., the CBC and VIA Rail. The government announced last week that it will split AECL in two and seek private-sector investors for the Crown corporation's CANDU nuclear-reactor business. The Crown asset review comes as the government struggles to contain the country's deficit, now expected to top $50 billion this year. The Jan. 27 budget assumes that the government will be able to raise as much as $4 billion through asset sales by the end of March 2010. The budget identified four federal departments whose Crown assets are being reviewed first: Finance, Indian and Northern Affairs, Natural Resources, and Transport and Infrastructure. VIA Rail is overseen by the Transport Department, while the CBC and the National Arts Centre fall under the portfolio of the Canadian Heritage department. The Finance Department documents confirm that all government assets will eventually be reviewed. Privatizations tend to work well when Crown corporations enter a reasonably competitive market with a good chance of turning a profit, said Aidan Vining, a professor of business and government relations at Simon Fraser University. Unlike successfully privatized firms such as Canadian National Railway, it's not clear that CBC and VIA Rail could operate as profitable ventures while maintaining the public mandates they provided as Crown corporations, he noted. "They're not the classic privatization candidates, where you sell and walk away," said Vining, an expert in Crown corporation privatizations. "Unless, of course, you're prepared to fully withdraw from the public purpose (of the Crown corporation)." Certainly, the sale of a flagship Crown asset such as the CBC would be politically controversial. After the CBC announced this spring that it would lay off hundreds of employees, opposition critics accused the government of turning a cold shoulder to the public broadcaster's struggles. Under the Financial Administration Act, Parliament would have to approve the privatization of any Crown corporation. "It's hard to believe that some of these sales would go forward in a minority Parliament," said Vining. The Finance Department has also begun to examine the government's vast real-estate portfolio, which includes 31 million hectares of land, and more than 46,000 buildings totalling 103 million square metres — more than double the office space available in the Greater Toronto Area, according to the Finance documents. The government's holdings are worth at least $17 billion, Finance officials estimate. A briefing note labelled "secret" said that the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs acquired $7 million in surplus properties between 1998 and 2006 for potential use in land-claims deals. Over the same period, the properties cost $2 million to maintain. Divesting such properties could not only generate revenue for the government, but also cut "ongoing operations and maintenance costs," states the briefing note. A Finance Department spokeswoman said the asset review won't necessarily lead to sales in all cases. "Reviews will assess whether value could be created through changes to the assets' structure and ownership, and report on a wide set of options including the status quo, amendments to current mandates or governance," department spokeswoman Stephanie Rubec said in an e-mail. "In some cases, it may be concluded that selling an asset to a private sector entity may generate more economic activity and deliver greater value to taxpayers." Crown corporations identified by the government as "not self-sustaining": (Company name, commercial revenues, parliamentary subsidy, expenses) Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., $614.2 million, $285.3 million, $1.3 billion CBC, $565.5 million, $1.1 billion, $1.7 billion Cape Breton Development Corp., $5.1 million, $60 million, $94.1 million Federal Bridge Corp. Ltd., $14.6 million, $31.0 million, $42.9 million National Arts Centre Corp., $26.0 million, $40.6 million, $65.7 million Old Port of Montreal Corp., $16.7 million, $15.1 million, $32.0 million Parc Downsview Park Inc., not available, not available, not available VIA Rail Canada Inc., $293.9 million, $266.2 million, $505.5 million Source: Department of Finance, Public Accounts of Canada Note: Financial results are for 2007-08 http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Rail+considered+auction+block+Documents/1652330/story.html

Un nouveau festival pour Juste pour rire Le Groupe Juste pour rire lancera un nouveau festival cet été. L'événement, qui se déroulera du 10 au 26 juillet, sera axé sur l'humour, la musique, la danse, le cirque et le théâtre. Le nom du festival, qui sera distinct du Festival Juste pour rire, devrait être annoncé le 9 juin prochain, tout comme l'ensemble de la programmation. Ce nouvel événement ciblera un public de 15 à 35 ans et proposera des spectacles dans des petites salles.

Think big, Tremblay urges Montrealers People are too ready to slam projects: mayor By JAMES MENNIE, The GazetteMay 23, 2009 Citing a high-profile scheme for a $1-billion downtown casino and entertainment complex that spectacularly crashed and burned after it couldn't shake off public criticism, Mayor Gérald Tremblay has challenged the city's business community and Montrealers in general to support projects that can offer the city "unlimited returns." "You remember the Cirque du Soleil project?" Tremblay asked an audience of about 400 businesspeople who yesterday attended an overview meeting organized by Montreal's Board of Trade of the city's major development projects. "How many of you, individually or collectively, have said: 'I should have written something (in support); I should have taken a stand'? "If that had happened, perhaps we would have ended up with a different project that would have brought people together and created wealth. "The problem is that we only, or almost only, hear from people who are against something; we rarely hear from those in favour." Tremblay's remarks, coming in the middle of a five-hour presentation extolling the virtues of such projects as the Quartier des Spectacles, the 2-22 project slated for St. Laurent Blvd. and the development of the Université de Montréal's science centres, were a stark reminder of how major projects can collapse because of an apparent lack of public support. The Cirque du Soleil entertainment and casino complex had been the object of public criticism and government study ever since the idea was broached in 2004. When a provincially commissioned report found in 2006 that even more study was needed, both the Cirque and Loto-Québec pulled out of the scheme. A year later, Tremblay found himself in the usual position of asking Montrealers to put aside their "negative attitudes" as he announced the $1-billion Griffintown development project, the single biggest private investment in the city's history. But that project, too, was beset by criticism and has since been put on hold because of the economic downturn. Saying he's "fed up of hearing that we're doing nothing in Montreal," Tremblay yesterday told his audience there are still plenty of other projects out there. "Go visit the city of Montreal's website, you'll see 130 projects with a total value of $60 billion. They told me not to talk about them because it's too ambitious. "But too many people continue to look at the $60 billion as an expenditure rather than an investment with unlimited returns." Speaking to reporters afterward, Tremblay said he challenged his audience because "it's easy to work behind closed doors, but it's something else to say, loud and clear, that you're proud of Montreal, that there are good projects out there for the city and that we want to be a part of it. "It's important that citizens have their say, but once they've done so, a decision must be made, and when that time comes, it's nice to hear occasionally from the private sector." jmennie@ thegazette.canwest.com © Copyright © The Montreal Gazette

Architect Koolhaas sees economic woes blunting excess SEOUL (Reuters Life!) – Architect Rem Koolhaas, renowned for his striking designs and musings on cities, believes the global economic downturn will lead to less ostentatious, more "socially responsible" buildings that better serve the public. The Dutch architect, whose firm designed the gravity-defying CCTV Headquarters in Beijing, Casa de Musica in Portugal and the Seattle Central Library, said more emphasis will now be placed on the efficient use of space during these lean times. "The last 10 years have been noteworthy for the excess in the private sector," Koolhaas told Reuters at the opening of a sleek temporary exhibit hall he and his Office for Metropolitan Architecture designed for fashion house Prada in Seoul. "What we are going to see is a return to the public sector. This is a healthy thing," he said on Wednesday. The Prada Transformer structure, located next to an ancient palace in central Seoul, will open on Saturday with a fashion display. The tetrahedron-shaped steel building, covered in a translucent white skin, is designed to be lifted by cranes and rotated so that it can best use each of its differently designed sides to show movies, host fashion shows or hold art exhibits. Koolhaas said the building provides a bit of lightness -- constructed at a reasonable costs -- that is needed during an economic downturn. Prada would not provide the amount it paid to construct the building. (Editing by Miral Fahmy)

Ontario in decline: From Canada's economic engine to clunker Can Dalton McGuinty see the light and reverse the decay with his forthcoming budget? By Paul Vieira, Financial Post March 23, 2009 A month before Dalton McGuinty, the Liberal Ontario Premier, hit the election trail in the fall of 2007 to seek a second mandate, an ominous warning sign of the province's crumbling economic stature emerged that should have provided fodder for the campaign. An analysis from leading Bay Street economist Dale Orr said Ontarians' standard of living had plummeted -- from a peak of 15% above the Canadian average in the mid-1980s to just more than 5%. Accompanying the analysis was a warning of further erosion by 2010. Alas, the eye-opening report hardly generated buzz during the election campaign. Instead, most of the talk was about a Conservative proposal to provide government funding for faith-based schooling. Ontarians didn't warm to the idea and re-elected Mr. McGuinty's Liberals with another majority. Reflecting today on that report, Mr. Orr said his nightmare scenario for Ontario has unfolded as envisaged. If anything, the situation in the province may be worse. As the McGuinty government prepares to table its sixth provincial budget on Thursday, it does so knowing the province that was once the country's economic engine is now the clunker of the confederation. While former have-nots such as Saskatchewan post surpluses this fiscal year, Ontario is bleeding red ink--a cumulative two-year deficit of $18-billion. Ontario's dramatic decline comes as no accident. It was decades in the making, based on a combination of mismanaged public finances and the ascent of emerging economies at the expense of high-cost manufacturing. Upon taking office in 2003, Mr. McGuinty moved to pour tens of billions of dollars into improving government services -- health care, education and social programs targeting the downtrodden -- while neglecting the changing economic landscape. To help finance this agenda, he raised corporate taxes and slapped a health-care levy on households. These moves, analysts say, helped cement Ontario as one of the least attractive places for companies to invest. Analysts wonder whether the economic crisis is finally going to force Mr. McGuinty and Dwight Duncan, his Minister of Finance, to make tough choices on spending and undertake the kind of tax reform -- as displayed this week by New Brunswick-- that will help the province attract investment to offset heavy job losses in Ontario. Derek Burleton, senior economist at Toronto-Dominion Bank, said Thursday's budget presents a possible turning point for the province. "There is no doubt we are undergoing a period of transformation as some of the industries that have driven healthy gains in living standards are on the decline," said Mr. Burleton, who co-authored a report with TD chief economist Don Drummond last fall that called on the province to embrace a "sweeping" new economic vision. "Given the sizeable deficit the province faces, that will put increasing pressure on the government to prioritize." One of those priorities is for Mr. McGuinty to cease his preferred manner of dealing with difficulties in the industrial heartland -- funneling tens of millions of dollars to the manufacturing sector, particularly automotive, through targeted tax relief or direct subsidies. "What the province should have been doing over the years was to make the province more flexible in attracting new businesses and not diverting resources into declining sectors," said Finn Poschmann, vice-president of research at the C. D. Howe Institute, a Toronto-based think-tank that has been critical of Ontario's tax breaks for struggling sectors such as autos and forest products. "Do you want to steer resources to the sectors where the outlook is positive and growing? Or do you want to divert resources from these stars, which are more likely to generate the long-term employment and wage growth that Ontario is accustomed to?" The manufacturing sector, and its high-paying jobs, used to be the province's crown jewel. But as a component of Ontario's GDP, it has dropped from a peak of 23% in 2000 to roughly 18% on factors such as a richer Canadian dollar, higher energy costs and offshore competition. It is expected to fall further once the dust settles from this crisis. The province was largely able to mask the decline in manufacturing through a combination of a booming housing market, a surge in public sector hiring and a robust financial services sector. The financial crisis, however, has exposed those flaws. For the period starting in 2003, only Quebec and Nova Scotia have produced weaker growth than Ontario. Forecasts suggest Ontario was the only province whose economy shrank last year, and economists say it will record either the worst, or second-worst performance, among provinces this year. Scotia Capital, for instance, has Ontario's economy contracting 2.9% in 2009, and posting meagre growth of 1.4% in 2010, below the expected national average. Of the roughly 295,000 jobs lost in Canada since October, nearly half have come from the province. The result? Unemployment in Ontario, at 8.7%, is now higher than it is the United States (8.1%) and above Quebec's 7.9% jobless rate-- the first time that has happened in three decades. The news is not expected to get any better any time soon. "We believe that the unemployment rate in Canada's largest province should hit 10% by 2010, even if the automobile sector's restructuring plan works," said Sebastian Lavoie, an economist at Laurentian Bank Securities. Further, Mr. Lavoie said wage growth in the province is destined to take a hit. In the past, companies were forced to offer comparable wages and benefits based on what the Canadian Auto Workers would negotiate with the Detroit car makers. But Mr. Lavoie said that will no longer be the case, with CAW accepting salary freezes and making concessions on perks such as cost-of-living-allowance. The financial crisis has just exacerbated a growing trend, said Mary Webb, senior economist at Scotia Capital. Ontario's receipts from foreign-bound exports last year represent an 11.7% drop from a peak of $185.1-billion recorded in 2000. For the same time period, Quebec's receipts fell by just 2.9%. For the rest of Canada, excluding Ontario and Quebec, receipts have surged a whopping 72%. Compounding Ontario's problem is the emergence of big deficit, fuelled in part by shrinking tax revenue and years of escalated program spending. Under Mr. McGuinty, program spending now stands at $23-billion per year more than when he took office in October, 2003, an increase of 36%. In fiscal year, 2007-08, program spending climbed more than 10% to $87.6-billion, compared with a 5.4% increase in tax revenue. Observers note Mr. McGuinty's ascent to power in 2003 can be attributed to a desire for change among Ontarians after years of the hard-nosed, right-leaning Conservative regime that earned scorned for cutting government services. Mr. McGuinty's two terms have been dominated by a push to restore spending on public goods such as education, health care, infrastructure and social services. Analysts say Mr. McGuinty was on the right track to bolster some key building blocks, such as post-secondary education. To help pay for this, Mr. McGuinty raised the corporate tax -- to 14% from 12% --in his first budget. "The balance of [McGuinty's] approach was not quite right," said Jack Mintz, public policy professor at the University of Calgary and renowned tax expert. "The problem was trying to [reinvest in public services] while at the same time trying to maintain a vibrant industrial sector." Mr. Mintz and other analysts say Ontario's tax regime, as currently structured, is suffocating the province's ability to attract investment and rebuild the economy. Last year, Jim Flaherty, the federal Finance Minister, suggested the tax system was making Ontario the "last place" businesses wanted to invest. Mr. Flaherty took lots of heat for that remark, but he was on to something. Mr. Mintz's research indicates the province's marginal effective tax rate on capital, which encompasses all levies slapped on investment in the province, stands at 35%, six points higher than the Canadian average, 29%. Further, the Ontario rate ranks as the ninth-highest in the world, tied with Japan. Despite moves to eliminate capital tax in 2010, and other business tax reductions from the federal government, Ontario's marginal rate is expected to drop only three points to 32% by 2012 -- still higher than all provinces and exceeding the national average. "Ontario will not be successful in retaining existing businesses and attracting new ones if its taxation system is not on sound competitive footing with other provinces and countries," said the TD report by Messrs. Burleton and Drummond. There are signs that Mr. McGuinty is acknowledging the need to change. Despite previous opposition, he said in January the province would take a "long, hard look" at harmonizing its provincial sales tax with the GST. As currently structured, Ontario's sales tax derives almost half of its revenue from taxing business inputs such as productivity-enhancingequipment. Harmonizing with the GST would shift the tax burden to households, but economists argue it would boost business investment and make Ontario more attractive. In a C. D. Howe research paper he released yesterday, Mr. Poschmann said putting an end to the "archaic" sales tax and harmonizing with the GST would move Ontario from a high-tax jurisdiction to a medium-tax jurisdiction by 2012, with the marginal rate on investment falling just over 10 percentage points. A signal toward sales tax harmonization could be contained in Thursday's budget, although observers are hedging their bets given the potential voter backlash. Any further moves on taxation, whether business or personal, may have to wait given the province's monster deficit and an unwillingness to give up further revenue to fund public service initiatives. "Ontario is going to be deeply challenged," Mr. Mintz said, "because it is going to be very hard for the government to do anything when you are so fiscally restrained-- unless it wants to make the deficit even bigger now." Glen Hodgson, senior vice-president and chief economist at the Conference Board of Canada, said the needed tax reductions would not see the light of day until Ontario decides what to do about health-care spending, which is growing at an annual clip of 8% to 10% and is the single biggest expense item in the budget. "This is a catalytic moment for the province," Mr. Hodgson said. "The light bulb has gone on, but it is not burning brightly yet. A lot of people would like to return to the Old World. But I think the Old World is gone -and that's the dilemma Ontario faces." --------- MANITOBA, N.B. SET EXAMPLE: As Ontario attempts to pull itself out of its economic quagmire, it can look to the provinces of Manitoba and New Brunswick for leadership. While the recession is expected to hit every province, Manitoba comes out near the top in most forecasts as one of the country's better performers in 2009. In its outlook, the Conference Board of Canada projects slight growth in the province of 1%, powered by infrastructure projects and tax cuts. Jack Mintz, public policy professor at the University of Calgary, said Manitoba was, along with Ontario, considered a high-tax jurisdiction for business investment. But the government has moved and Manitoba's marginal effective tax rate on investment dropped from 37% in 2007 to 33.8% last year. It is now scheduled to fall to 26.7% by 2012. "It is on the high side, but it will be closer to the national average" in 2012,Mr. Mintz said. "From the point of view of people who need to make investment decisions now, they know these changes are in place over the next several years. So Manitoba looks more appealing." Manitoba also benefits from having one of the most diversified economies in Canada. Roughly 30% of its economy is agriculture, which is more resilient to economic downturns. Further, Manitoba has a diversified manufacturing base with aerospace and buses playing key roles - and, unlike autos, demand for those products continues to be fairly solid. It also has abundant, cheap hydroelectricity. In contrast, questions abound over the reliability of Ontario's power grid, especially in light of the 2003 blackout that blanketed the province and much of the U.S. northeast. Meanwhile, analysts have applauded New Brunswick for taking aggressive steps on taxation this week in an effort to make the province more attractive for both investors and workers. The main change is the replacement of the existing four-bracket personal income tax structure to a simpler two-bracket structure by 2012. The lowest rate will be 9% for workers earning less than $37,893. Beyond that threshold, a flat tax of 12% will be applied. Perhaps more stunning, however, is that New Brunswick plans to lower its general corporate tax rate from 13% to 12%, effective this year, and all the way down to 8% by 2012 - the lowest in the country. "The New Brunswick government appears to be relatively more proactive compared to other jurisdictions, taking bolder steps to improve its economic and fiscal roadmap," said Carlos Leitao, chief economist at Laurentian Bank Securities, in his analysis of the province's budget. Source: Paul Vieira, Financial Post pvieira@nationalpost.com ONE-TIME POWERHOUSE CAN'T KEEP UP WITH REST OF THE COUNTRY: Ont. Export Receipt Drop 11.7% Que. Export Receipt Drop 2.9% Receipt Rise Rest Of Canada 72% Ontario GDP Decline, 2009 2.9% RANKS OF WORKERS IN CANADA'S LARGEST PROVINCE TAKE IT ON THE CHIN: Ontario Unemployment 8.7% U.S. Unemployment 8.1% Quebec Unemployment 7.8% Ontario Unemployment, 2010 10% © Copyright © National Post

Les retraités des secteurs publics et parapublics québécois veulent faire toute la lumière sur les pertes de plus de 21milliards de dollars enregistrées en 2008 par leurs régimes de retraite. Pour en lire plus...

Dépassements de coûts Au-delà des chiffres avec Léo-Paul Lauzon 19 février 2009 05:15 En 2006, privilégiant les PPP afin de ratatiner l’État, la ministre libérale Monique Jérôme-Forget promettait la fin des dépassements de coûts. En PPP, tout est secret. Aucune transparence! Prenons la nouvelle salle, totalement superflue, de l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, réalisée en PPP. En 2006, on prévoyait des coûts de 105 M$… rendus à 266 M$ en 2007. Comme les coûts augmentent encore, la dame vient de décider que «le budget de construction de la salle de l’OSM n’a plus de plafond». Voilà! Fini les dépassements de coûts! Fallait y penser! Si la santé est la priorité des Québécois, pour Jean Charest, la salle de l’OSM est «une priorité pour nous», qu’il a souvent dit. La Presse du 13 décembre 2008 titrait : «Alston-Bombardier : Le prix des nouvelles voitures du métro explose». Une petite augmentation imprévue de 400 M$ du fournisseur. Faut pas s’énerver. Puis : «100 M$ de plus pour l’autoroute 30», à payer aux entrepreneurs privés, et 27 M$ additionnels versés aux consultants, selon Le Devoir. Une autoroute qui n’aura de privé que le nom. Pour rire de nous, l’Agence des PPP a dit : «Ce n’est pas une augmentation, c’est une mise à jour de l’estimation initiale.» On te croit, menteur. Enfin, on apprend que Maple Leaf, responsable de la listériose qui a tué 20 personnes et qui a coûté des millions en fonds publics, veut redorer son «image». On repart à neuf comme si de rien n’était. Idem pour les milliards engloutis par nos banques dans les hypothèques pourries et renflouées pour 120 G$ par l’État sans aucune condition. Par contre, pour les impairs commis dans le public, on est intraitable. Le patronat et ses majorettes exigent alors la privatisation. Pensons aux cas de l’Îlot voyageur de l’UQAM, dont la firme privée Busac est aussi responsable, et de la Gaspésia, où la firme privée Tembec est également impliquée; là, les affairistes et les éditorialistes se sont déchaînés contre l’incompétence du public. Aucun blâme toutefois à Busac et à Tembec. Tolérance zéro pour le public et indulgence infinie pour le privé. Et Stephen Harper qui dit : «8 G$ ou 18 G$, peu importe ce que ça coûtera pour mener à terme la guerre canadienne en Afghanistan». Pas de problème, on n’aura qu’à couper 10 G$ dans les services publics. C’est tellement simple! Si la priorité des Cana*diens est aussi la santé, pour Harper, c’est la guerre…

Le groupe public chinois Chinalco investit 19,5 milliards dans la multinationale anglo-australienne Rio Tinto. Pour en lire plus...

Une centaine d'arbres abattus, deux bâtiments démolis, une chapelle en danger et des vues sur la montagne masquées. Voilà les grandes lignes du projet de transformation extrême de l'ancien collège Marianopolis, situé en plein écoterritoire du mont Royal, sur lequel les élus de la garde rapprochée du maire Tremblay devront se prononcer aujourd'hui. Dans un avis carrément «défavorable», dont La Presse a obtenu copie, et qui sera rendu public aujourd'hui, le Conseil du patrimoine de Montréal recommande que le projet de complexe résidentiel, avec clinique médicale, soit modifié de fond en comble. L'instance consultative estime que le promoteur, Développement Cato inc., devrait par ailleurs refaire ses devoirs pour préserver le site de 16 âcres tout en garantissant un accès au public malgré la nouvelle vocation privée. Depuis que l'ancienne propriété des prêtres de Saint-Sulpice a été mise en vente, en mars 2008, l'organisme de défense du mont Royal, Les Amis de la montagne, a demandé à plusieurs reprises de voir les plans détaillés du futur acquéreur. Mais en vain. Ce n'est qu'aujourd'hui, alors que le projet sera fort probablement soumis à des audiences de l'Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM), un organisme de la Ville sans pouvoir décisionnel, qu'on apprend l'ampleur des travaux et l'impact sur la montagne. Un complexe de 325 logements Dans l'ensemble, il est projeté de recycler l'ancien séminaire de philosophie du chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges en un complexe de 325 logements comprenant des maisons superposées, des unifamiliales isolées et des multiplex. Outre les deux nouveaux immeubles d'une hauteur variant de 3 à 9 étages, le promoteur entend aménager une clinique médicale, possiblement à vocation privée, d'une superficie de 2000 m2, soit l'équivalent de la superficie du tablier du viaduc Rockland. Il est aussi question de creuser une piscine et d'aménager 671 unités de stationnement souterrain. Afin d'analyser le projet et de tirer des conclusions, le Conseil du patrimoine (CPM) s'est basé sur la version finale du plan directeur de développement du promoteur Cato, datée du 7 janvier. À la lumière des maquettes, le CPM en vient à la conclusion que le site aurait dû demeurer à vocation institutionnelle ou publique, et croit qu'il serait temps d'explorer les moyens pour «transférer les droits de développement du promoteur Cato sur un autre site.» Mais comme le site a déjà été vendu pour la somme de 45 millions et que la Ville n'a pas le pouvoir de dire non, le Conseil du patrimoine va de l'avant avec ses recommandations. Au chapitre des arbres, on apprend que l'abattage d'une rangée d'arbres matures doit servir à installer des maisons unifamiliales à l'ouest du site, donc en direction du sommet Westmount. À cet égard, le CPM déplore qu'aucune information n'a été fournie sur les mesures de plantation et les espèces retenues. Tous les travaux de déblai et de remblai projetés font par ailleurs penser qu'on est encore une fois «en train de grignoter les flancs du mont Royal.» Éléphant dans un jeu de quilles Dans un endroit où la circulation est particulièrement délicate, avec des impératifs de développement durable, les ambitions d'ouvrir une clinique médicale et d'aménager 671 unités de stationnement sont aussi vertement critiquées par le CPM. «La capacité d'accueil du site est limitée, note le Conseil. Et compte tenu de la proximité de l'Hôpital général de Montréal et des difficultés probables d'accès à partir de Côte-des-Neiges, il est difficile d'assurer un équilibre.» En ce qui concerne la démolition du centre sportif et de la maison des employés, l'instance patrimoniale estime enfin que la nouvelle construction de neuf étages, plus haute que l'ancienne, cachera la vue sur l'ancien séminaire à partir de l'avenue Cedar. En conséquence, le Conseil craint qu'on répète l'erreur du projet de la Ferme sous les noyers, tout près du séminaire, qui a eu pour effet de rendre invisible la maison rénovée. Informée par La Presse des conclusions du Conseil du patrimoine, la directrice générale des Amis de la montagne, Sylvie Guilbault, partage entièrement l'avis du Conseil, particulièrement au sujet de l'importance d'étudier les façons de transférer au public ou à l'institutionnel les droits de construction. «Ce projet, dans un endroit particulièrement achalandé, avec en plus l'agrandissement prévu de l'Hôpital général de Montréal, constituera un bon test pour les gouvernements. Si on prend juste le nombre de stationnements que le groupe veut construire, c'est effarant», ajoute Mme Guilbault.

The Montreal Technoparc Montreal, Quebec The master plan for the Montreal Technoparc has been designed with respect of the individual needs of each research entreprise and a provision for interrelations and conviviality between the different companies who will reside there. This concept has been expressed by placing the buildings along a central mall, facing the public space with private areas behind each building. This design includes the development of guidelines for buildings, circulation corridors as well as landscape elements. The central public space for this "high tech" campus includes a fountain integrating a unique water feature with a flame, inspired from past history of the site.