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19 condominiums exclusifs dans l'ancienne bâtisse du Ouimetoscope au coin des rues Montcalm et Sainte-Catherine dans l'arrondissement Ville-Marie (Le Village). Streetview http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=montcalm+et+sainte-catherine&hl=en&ll=45.51835,-73.556283&spn=0,0.001725&sll=45.518349,-73.556282&sspn=0.006295,0.006295&layer=c&cbp=13,107.68,,0,-16.98&cbll=45.51842,-73.55622&z=19&panoid=zxNkf-BfvlGIZeA-izuHkQ LES PLANS DÉTAILLÉS ET TOUTE AUTRE INFORMATION SUR LE PROJET SERONT BIENTÔT DÉVOILÉS ICI. http://www.ouimetoscope.ca/prelancement/

Coin St-Denis et Elm Groupe Alta-Socam s’est associé une fois de plus avec la firme Grilli-Samuel afin de participer au développement d'un nouveau projet de condos à St-Lambert. Situé à la jonction des rues Elm et St-Denis, au coeur de St-Lambert, à quelques pas de la gare de train et du centre-ville, ce projet de 19 condominiums comprendra des unités d'environ 920 à 1285 pieds carrés. Nous sommes actuellement dans l'élaboration des plans des unités et du choix des éléments de finition. http://www.elm357.com/

Bonjour, Aujourd'hui j'ai fait un peu de photoshop sur le cas du silo no 5, voici le résultat Avant Après Crédit photo: http://lesbeautesdemontreal.wordpress.com Étapes de réalisation du projet: Démolition de tout les silos, sauf celui le plus récent Enlever tout les anciennes composantes qui servaient au silo Nouvelle utilisation : Observatoire Vue du toit: Crédit photo: http://www.havremontreal.qc.ca Je ne sais pas si ça serait mieux qu'il soit au béton ou peinturé d'un couleur... Je vais faire des plans du toit et du terrain. Le bas pourrait devenir la gare des trams !

encore un autre thread de vieilles photos, j'espère que ça vous dérange pas, c'est mon trip cette semaine. J'ai trouvé deux super bon site sur le sujet, qui montrent tout ce qui concerne l'expo 67 du début jusqu'à la fin, des photos de tous les pavillons, de tous les évènements, ce qui n'a jamais été construit, les célébrités qui ont visité, memorabilia, des plans, etc.... http://www.collectionscanada.ca/expo/0533020304_e.html et http://expo67.ncf.ca Automotive stadium Montréal en 1967 Île Notre-Dame Île St-Hélène Quelques moyens de transport pour se rendre (à part le métro et l'autobus) skyride expo express minirail expo hovercraft construction

Hambourg devrait inaugurer sa Philharmonie le 11 janvier 2017, avec un concert de l’Orchestre symphonique de la NDR sous la direction de Thomas Hengelbrock. L’annonce faite lundi 12 janvier par la mairie laisse entrevoir la fin d’un long tunnel. L’édifice aurait dû ouvrir ses portes en… 2010. Le coût du projet s’élèvera pour le contribuable à 789 millions d’euros, contre 77 millions prévus initialement. Des vagues « de glace » à 110 mètres de hauteur Érigé directement sur l’Elbe, l’édifice est une prouesse architecturale dessinée par le cabinet suisse *Her*zog & de Meuron. La structure de verre posée sur un ancien entrepôt en brique évoque des vagues de glace qui culminent à 110 mètres. La principale salle de concerts, nichée à près de 43 mètres au-dessus du sol, a l’ambition d’être l’une des meilleures au monde : son acoustique signée du Japonais Yasuhisa Toyota devrait enchanter jusqu’à 2 150 spectateurs. Le bâtiment abritera deux autres salles, un hôtel de 250 chambres, 45 appartements de luxe et une terrasse offrant une vue panoramique sur la ville de 1,7 million d’habitants. > Lire aussi : Philharmonie de Paris, une gestation tourmentée Dès le début du chantier, en avril 2007, les contentieux entre la Ville (qui gère le chantier via l’entreprise ReGe), le constructeur Hochtief et le cabinet d’architectes se multiplient. La construction prend du retard, les différentes parties se rejettent la faute, la facture s’alourdit, la justice est saisie. Les travaux sont même interrompus à l’automne 2011, à la demande du constructeur, qui assure que le toit de 2 000 tonnes risque de s’écrouler s’il est construit selon les plans. La mairie, passée à gauche début 2011, engage alors des pourparlers. Au printemps 2013, un nouvel accord garantit la livraison du bâtiment pour le 31 octobre 2016 et une ouverture en 2017. Les coûts sont réévalués à 865 millions d’euros, dont 789 millions d’argent public. Depuis, le chantier avance sans incident. Des travaux démarrés avant la finition des plans Qui porte la responsabilité de ce fiasco ? Un rapport de la commission d’enquête du Parlement de Hambourg (la ville a le statut d’État régional) fait apparaître un manque de planification – les travaux ont débuté avant que les plans du bâtiment ne soient achevés, ce qui a conduit au chaos sur le chantier –, des chefs de projet dépassés, des coûts sous-estimés, un maire qui ne s’intéresse pas aux détails… Architectes, industriels, politiques, tous sont mis en cause. > Lire aussi : Philharmonie : « le temps dira s’il s’agit d’un bâtiment du Grand Paris » Dans un pays où d’autres grands chantiers sont en souffrance – aucune date d’inauguration du nouvel aéroport de Berlin n’est encore déterminée –, beaucoup d’observateurs mettent en cause les partenariats public-privé. Critiquant notamment le fait qu’un responsable politique (souvent le maire) soit généralement à la tête du conseil de surveillance de la société chargée de la gestion d’un projet d’infrastructure, sans compétence dans le domaine du bâtiment. Camille Le Tallec, à Hambourg A Hambourg, la Philharmonie de l’Elbe, projet grandiose et malmene - La Croix

http://condosthenri.com/ CONDOS ST-HENRI À deux pas du métro St-Henri / Two steps away from St-Henri metro BIENTÔT UN NOUVEAU PROJET À ST-HENRI DANS LE SUD-OUEST DE MONTRÉAL Anciennement un quartier industriel habité principalement par une population ouvrière, St-Henri s'est aujourd'hui transformé en un lieu effervescent qui attire des jeunes professionnels en grand nombre. Ce nouveau projet de condos est situé à distance de marche du centre-ville, du marché Atwater, du Canal de Lachine, du nouvel hôpital CUSM et de nombreux cafés, restaurants et boutiques branchés. Condos St-Henri, un projet signé Groupe Quorum, offre un style de vie qui convient tant aux amateurs de nature qu'aux urbains dans l'âme. CONDOS À VENDRE Condos de 1 à 3 chambres sur 1 ou 2 étages ou avec mezzanine. Abordables, sécuritaires et versatiles! Balcon ou terrasse pour chaque unité Grande terrasse commune sur le toit avec un chalet urbain Ascenseur Stationnement intérieur Inscrivez-vous à la liste VIP pour recevoir les plans, les prix, promotions VIP et une invitiation au lancement en 2015! LISTE VIP CONDOS À LOUER Réservez votre condo neuf tout meublé, semi-meublé ou non meublé et personnalisez votre logement en choisissant les matériaux de finition, des armoires à votre goût, de même que les recouvrements de planchers et les couleurs du décor, selon vos désirs! Des condos tout meublés seront disponibles. Inscrivez-vous à la liste VIP pour recevoir les plans, les prix, promotions VIP et une invitiation au lancement en 2015! LISTE VIP Pour plus d'informations, veuillez contacter Constructions Quorum: Constructions Quorum

(Courtesy of The Globe and Mail)

http://www.traveldailymedia.com/233409/air-china-to-receive-first-dreamliner-in-may%E2%80%8F/ Air China plans to send their 787-9 to Montreal. Hopefully with increased frequency

‘Major renovations’ planned for Guy-Concordia station Reported on December 13, 2011 With a well-publicized cockroach problem, extensive water damage and what look like stalactites dripping from the ceiling, Guy-Concordia, Montreal’s third busiest metro station, will receive some much-needed repairs next year. “This is a major renovation,” said Marianne Rouette, a spokeswoman for the Société de transport de Montréal. “Due to the station’s state of degradation, and on the recommendation of our inspectors, we chose to prioritize renovations at Guy-Concordia in 2012.” Calling the station “safe,” Rouette said that the repairs would be part of a recently approved $250 million program to repair stations “at the end of their useful lives.” Work is set to start in January, when the STM will double the number of turnstiles at the heavily used Guy Street exit. Used by the majority of the eight million riders who pass through the station annually, the new turnstiles will connect directly to two Concordia buildings. The station’s other exit will undergo yearlong repairs. As of March, access via St-Mathieu St. will be closed for six months as the exit’s doors, lighting, ventilation, and drainage systems are replaced. The STM’s neglect of Guy-Concordia stands in stark contrast with the area above the station, where gleaming new university buildings and an ever-expanding network of tunnels have put record demand on the metro. “The university doesn’t know much about what is going on with the metro station,” said Jean-Philippe Plourde. “We are always trying to find out more, but we haven’t had much shared with us.” Plourde, the co-coordinator at Allégo Concordia, a program established by the Quebec government to encourage sustainable transportation at the university, wasn’t aware of the pending plans to temporarily close the St-Mathieu Street exit. (Concordia University spokesperson Chris Mota said she was also unaware of the plans.) “Guy-Concordia doesn’t help with the whole image of going underground,” said Plourde. “It can be uncomfortably warm, unclean and people are often sleeping on benches. No one will stop using the metro because of water leakages, but it’s part of a larger problem.” According to Plourde, 14 per cent of Concordia’s 50,000 students and staff still drive to the university daily. “That’s a lot of people for a university with two campuses that are well connected by metro and multiple bus lines,” said Plourde, citing a university survey from 2008. His goal is to lower that number. As an example of the lack of coordination between the STM and Concordia, Plourde points to yellow tape that has stopped riders from using the station’s main Guy exit since October. The university has been renovating the pavilion built on top of the metro station but the exit is scheduled to reopen in January, the same time the transit authority plans to start its own renovations. “Concordia closed the exit for security reasons, because they were worried about all the foot traffic walking under construction,” said Plourde. “You would think that the STM would have used the opportunity to do some work, but they didn’t.” Plourde did not want to comment on the STM’s plans without more specific information, however he expressed concern about the lack of elevators in the renovations. Concordia University student and The Link columnist Riley Sparks (who's written about Guy-Concordia's cockroach problem) doesn’t have much faith in the proposed renos, which include a series of functional repairs to the station’s lighting and ventilation. The STM has been short on details about any aesthetic changes to fix the leaking walls and ceilings. “I’ll believe it when I see it,” said Sparks. “A bunch of metro stations have been under renovation for a while and based on the rate of repairs, I won’t hold my breath. “I don’t understand how the STM renovates stations. They shut down Villa-Maria all summer, it didn’t look great at the start of the summer and it didn’t look great at the end of the summer.” Under the STM’s current plan, access to the St-Mathieu St. exit will be closed from March 5 to August 26, 2012. http://montreal.openfile.ca/montreal/text/%E2%80%98major-renovations%E2%80%99-planned-guy-concordia-station

Après toute les changements du Griffintown ,,,,,il y as t'il des plans pour construire au dessus du EQ3*

Wednesday September 21, 2016 Mississauga condo developer forgets to put 120 bathrooms in brand new building Condo living is supposed to be simple. So you can imagine the shock of some Mississauga condo owners when they moved into their units and discovered that something simple was missing: None of the units in the 35 storey building had been equipped with a bathroom. In his interview with This is That, developer Jordan Petrescu, admitted a mistake had been made but surprisingly was not willing to take the blame. "There are no bathrooms in the units, but there were also no bathrooms on the plans or in our show suites," says Mr. Petrescu, "so technically, our customers bought these units knowing they were bathroomless." Click listen to hear how residents are now forced to use a porta-potty in the parking garage as a bathroom.

Ahead: A brighter horizon for Cabot Square Plans due; Downtown area in search of an identity Source: The Gazette Cty councillor Karim Boulos is standing in the Canadian Centre for Architecture, airing his optimism over a scale model of what is known as "the Cabot Square area" - a part of the Peter McGill district he represents. But the Cabot Square area is also a stretch of Ste. Catherine St. that makes many Montrealers wince. The thoroughfare between Lambert Closse and Chomedey Sts. has been this city's version of a picture of Dorian Gray, a pastiche of boarded-up storefronts, crumbling facades and grafitti that seems to have spread while other neighbourhoods renewed themselves. However, by this time next Monday, Boulos and the rest of the city will get a bigger glimpse of what might happen to the piece of downtown that's been in search of an identity for nearly a generation. That's when three teams of architects and urban planners will submit their versions of what should be done to revive the Cabot Square area. Boulos, Ville Marie borough mayor Benoit Labonté and members of an alliance of neighbourhood businesses and residents met the press yesterday to detail the attempts to revitalize the neighbourhood. The planning teams were formed after a collection of 25 business, property owners and residents' associations started the Table de concertation du centre-ville ouest. "The properties may be empty but the owners are still paying taxes," Boulos said. "They haven't left, they're waiting to see what's going to happen." The plans submitted by the teams will be judged by a jury that includes architect and Harvard professor Joan Busquest, Dinu Bumbaru of Heritage Montreal and founding director Phyllis Lambert of the Canadian Centre for Architecture. The successful submission will form the basis for an urban plan that will produced by the borough and submitted to public consultations. Boulos suggests that if everything goes well, changes in the district might begin "by this fall." And for Lambert, whose architectural centre sprawls across the neighbourhood's southern edge, change is what's needed for a district that spent decades losing more than it's gained. "Over the last years, this area has deteriorated miserably," she said. "There used to be the Forum and all those stores where the Faubourg (Ste. Catherine) is. ... But it just goes down the drain further and further. "Then there's the block ... just to the east of the Forum with the (Seville) theatre on it, which has been boarded up for years. "And this just destroys the whole area. People have no respect (for the neighbourhood), and why would you? People just walk down the street and it's so miserable." Lambert's nephew, Stephen Bronfman, is chairman of Claridge Inc., an investment company that owns the Seville Theatre block. Asked in October about the condition of the block, Lambert told The Gazette: "It is coming along. Slowly, but we are working closely with the city and other landlords in the area. It takes time to do properly." Labonté says a development project for the Seville block is under study by the borough's urban committee. Boulos has said in earlier interviews that a private investor plans to turn the block into student residences. "What I can tell you about this project," Labonté said, "is that that there will be lots of room for students - especially for Concordia University - and the design of the building will be quite impressive. ... I'm pretty confident this project at the Seville Theatre will start the renewal of this leg of Ste. Catherine St." A decision by the borough on which development plan will be used is expected in May. But final approval will rest with the city's executive committee. In the meantime, Montrealers and the people who own the storefronts that make them wince wait to see what's going to happen.

Je me demande si ce projet va aller de l'avant. La Maison est sur les plans...de l’architecte Claude Cormier. http://www.claudecormier.com/projet/parc-et-espace-hydro-quebec/

http://journalmetro.com/actualites/montreal/943856/energie-est-des-prises-deau-potable-menacees/ 06/04/2016 Mise à jour : 6 avril 2016 | 16:41 Énergie Est: les prises d’eau potable menacées Par Mathias Marchal Métro Métro Les prises d’eau de près de 3,2 millions de Québécois sont concernées par le projet de pipeline Énergie Est, selon un rapport de groupes écologistes publié mercredi et intitutlé Énergie Est : une menace à l’eau potable. Pour arriver à ce chiffre, les environnementalistes ont analysé les 4600km du tracé envisagé par l’entreprise TransCanada, les quelques 3000 plans d’eau traversés et les municipalités qui pourraient être touchées en cas de fuite majeure dans un cour d’eau. Sachant que lors de la fuite de la rivière Kalamazoo, en juillet 2010, la rivière a été polluée sur près de 60km, le rapport conclut que l’eau potable de 5 millions de Canadiens (dont 3,2 millions de Québécois) est à risque. «À Kalamazoo, six ans plus tard, on trouve encore du pétrole lourd qui a coulé dans le fond de la rivière. Si ce scénario se répétait dans la région de Montréal, les prises d’eau potable qui sont dans les rivières et le fleuve pourraient être inutilisables pendant des mois, voire des années», lance Patrick Bonin de Greenpeace Canada qui a participé à l’élaboration du rapport. «Les conséquences économiques et écologiques associées à une dégradation de la qualité de l’eau dans cette région ne s’arrêteraient pas là. Les activités de plaisance et le trafic commercial sur le Saint-Laurent pourraient être touchés, voire interrompus. Les entreprises agricoles et les industries qui dépendent de l’eau provenant d’une de ces rivières pourraient aussi en souffrir», mentionne le rapport. De son côté TransCanada indique avoir investi un milliard de dollars l’an dernier dans la sécurité et l’entretien de ses équipements. «Énergie Est sera équipé des technologies les plus avancées en terme de détection, combinées avec d’autres mesures de sécurité incluant la surveillance aérienne et terrestre», indique Tim Duboyce, un des porte-paroles de l’entreprise albertaine. «Là où un pipeline passe par un cours d’eau ou un autre lieu sensible, nous utilisons un tuyau fabriqué d’une paroi plus épaisse que d’habitude. Pour traverser les cours d’eau principaux, nous favorisons l’application de forages directionnels horizontaux, ce qui permet d’installer le pipeline loin en-dessous des lits des rivières», ajoute-t-il. 1G$ En cas de déversement, la responsabilité de remboursement de TransCanada peut aller jusqu’à 1 milliard de dollars Le document des groupes environnementaux mentionne aussi qu’en décembre 2015, l’Académie nationale des sciences des États-Unis a fait paraître une étude qui montre à quel point le bitume dilué coulait rapidement au fond de l’eau, une fois séparé du diluant censé faciliter son écoulement dans le pipeline. «Pendant des années, les pétrolières ont nié que le bitume dilué coule et leurs plans d’urgence ne prévoient pas de mesures particulières à prendre avec ce type de produit pétrolier. Donc, non seulement le bitume dilué est presque impossible à nettoyer parce qu’il coule, mais les plans d’urgence sont inefficaces car ils ne prévoient pas de formation, de personnel et d’équipements adéquats pour le type d’intervention qui serait requise », ajoute M. Bonin. Lors des consultations, TransCanada n’a pas précisé quelles quantités de bitume dilué pourraient transiter dans le pipeline capable de transporter jusqu’à 1,1 millions de barils par jour. Mais pour Greenpeace, il est acquis que ce type de pétrole circulerait en large quantité étant donné que l’Alberta n’a pas une capacité de raffinage suffisante pour traiter de telles quantités. Actuellement, du bitume dilué circule très certainement dans la ligne 9B d’Enbridge vers Montréal, selon M. Bonin, qui pense que les plans d’urgence devraient être ajustés en conséquence. Pour la Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, ce rapport coïncide avec des constats qu’ils ont déjà fait, à savoir que «la menace à l’eau potable est effectivement un problème majeur du projet».

On a déjà parlé de ce projet en 2009, mais je crois que ce projet mérite son propre fil! Dans un document de 2013 : Est-ce qu'il y a de l'activité sur le terrain?

Un petit quiz proposé par The Guardian ... j'en ai eu 10/13 http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/sep/30/identify-world-cities-street-plans-quiz

Merci à flight_from_kamakura

Air Canada Adds New Seasonal Caribbean Routes from late-Dec 2015. Air Canada in winter 2015/16 season plans to introduce 3 new seasonal operation to the Caribbean, including 2 from Ottawa, 1 from Montreal. Planned new service as follow. eff 21DEC15 Montreal – La Romana 1 weekly AC1580 YUL1010 – 1538LRM 319 1 AC1581 LRM1640 – 2018YUL 319 1 http://airlineroute.net/2015/05/27/ac-yowyul-w15/

http://business.financialpost.com/2011/10/14/rbc-trades-bay-street-for-bay-view/ They are going to have a nice new place.

Foster’s Apple Headquarters Exceeds Budget by $2 Billion © Foster + Partners, ARUP, Kier + Wright, Apple The estimated cost of Apple’s Cupertino City headquarters has escalated from an already hefty price of $3 billion to $5 billion (more than $1,500 per square foot), reportedly pushing back the original completion date to 2016. According to Bloomberg, Apple is working with lead architect Foster & Partners to shave $1 billion from the “ballooning budget”. Most of the cost is seemly due to Steve Job’s “sky-high requirements for fit and finish”, as the tech legend called for the 2.8 million square foot, circular monolith to be clad 40-foot panes of German concave glass, along with its four-story office spaces be lined with museum-quality terrazzo floors and capped with polished concrete ceilings. Although lambasted for his ambitious plans and “doughnut-shaped” design, Steve Jobs wanted to create a masterpiece that looked as good as it functioned, just like his products. During a 2011 presentation to the Cupertino City Council, Jobs stated, “This is not the cheapest way to build something… there is not a straight piece of glass in this building.” He continued, “We have a shot… at building the best office building in the world. I really do think that architecture students will come here to see it.” © Foster + Partners, ARUP, Kier + Wright, Apple The spaceship-like headquarters, as Jobs would describe, is intended to accommodate more than 12,000 employees. It will be one of six visible structures planned for the 176 acre parcel - including the headquarters, a lobby to a 1000-seat underground auditorium, a four-story parking garage near Interstate 280, a corporate fitness center, a research facility and central plant - all of which will be accessed by a network of underground roads and parking lots, hidden by 6,000 trees. In addition, Jobs envisioned the campus to achieve “net-zero energy” by offsetting energy use with 700,000 square feet of rooftop solar panels (enough to generate 8 megawatts of power), along with additional contracts for solar and wind power, climate responsive window dressings, and more (additional project information, including plans and images, can be found here). © Foster + Partners, ARUP, Kier + Wright, Apple Despite the cost, Bloomberg states, “There’s no indication that Apple is getting cold feet.” Site excavation is planned to commence in June. In related news, Facebook’s quarter-mile-long West Campus by Frank Gehry was just awarded approval from city council. All the details here. Reference: Bloomberg

http://www.playthecity.nl/ Play the City Play the City uses gaming to engage multiple stakeholders in resolving complex urban challenges. Changing the way we engage stakeholders, Play the City designs physical games as a method for collaborative decision making and conflict resolution. We tailor our games according to the questions of our clients. These can relate to large urban projects, refugee camps, violence prevention and other multi-stakeholder challenges societies face. We use gaming as a problem-solving method bringing top down decision makers together with bottom up stakeholders. In the accessible environment of games, freed from the jargons, various ideas, plans and projects meet, conflict and collaborate towards negotiated outcomes. We believe gaming is the real alternative to standard formats of public consultation in the 21st century. Our method has been acknowledged internationally and has been implemented for large-scale projects in Amsterdam, Istanbul, Brussels and Cape Town. You can gain more insight by clicking our projects page. sent via Tapatalk

http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/15-wishes-for-montreal-in-2015 15 wishes for Montreal in 2015<article itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/NewsArticle" id="post-430336" class="post-430336 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-local-news tag-education tag-homelessness tag-montreal tag-politics tag-social-issues l-article" style="margin: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1;"><header class="entry-header" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"> KATHERINE WILTON, MONTREAL GAZETTE More from Katherine Wilton, Montreal Gazette Published on: <time itemprop="datePublished" class="entry-date published pubdate" datetime="2015-01-03T16:23:47+00:00" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">January 3, 2015</time>Last Updated: <time itemprop="dateModified" class="updated" datetime="2015-01-03T16:23:49+00:00" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">January 3, 2015 4:23 PM EST</time> </header><figure class="align-none wp-caption post-img" id="post-439490media-439490" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="http://wpmedia.montrealgazette.com/2014/12/montreal-que-november-25-2014-the-skyline-in-montreal.jpg?w=1000" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); float: none;"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" itemprop="description" style="margin: -1px 0px 0px; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> The skyline in Montreal at dusk Tuesday November 25, 2014. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette</figcaption></figure>SHAREADJUSTCOMMENTPRINT As Montrealers rang in the New Year this time last year, a gloomy cloud hung over our city. In the midst of an unforgiving winter, our social peace was being threatened by a divisive debate over the Parti Québécois’s proposed charter of secular values, which would have restricted public employees from wearing or displaying conspicuous religious symbols. With a spring election on the horizon, the fear of another referendum hung like a dead weight from many of our shoulders. Poor job prospects and political uncertainty persuaded some of our fellow citizens to leave for greener pastures in Ontario and Western Canada. No matter where we turned, it was hard to escape the bad news. The Charbonneau Commission continued to uncover tales of corruption, our road network remained in abysmal shape and commuters fretted about the safety of the Champlain Bridge. But one year later, the mood seems lighter. “Montreal is back,” insisted Denis Coderre, the city’s populist mayor who has been trying to set a new tone. Coderre is already at work planning the city’s 375th birthday celebrations in 2017. He says the festivities and related development projects will have lasting benefits for residents, such as a pedestrian link from the mountain to the river. But many wonder whether Coderre has a vision and long-term plan for a city that is still facing employment and demographic challenges. So what’s in store for Montreal in 2015? The city will get several new hospitals when the McGill University Health Centre opens this spring, and the city’s skyline is filled with cranes — but surely more needs to done to enhance our quality of life. We asked 15 Montrealers who are well-connected to their city for their suggestions on how to make the city a more enjoyable place to live in 2015. Here are their ideas, in their own words. Raphaël Fischler, director of McGill University’s School of Urban Planning <figure id="attachment_439425" class="wp-caption post-img aligncenter" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="photo url" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text wp-caption" style="margin: -1px 0px 2em; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> Raphael Fischler is director of the School of Urban Planning at McGill University. Courtesy of McGill University. Picasa</figcaption></figure>The new year must see progress in ongoing efforts: reducing the high-school dropout rate, helping the homeless find permanent housing, repairing old infrastructure, greening the city. It must also see two goals reach the top of the political agenda: making public spaces, facilities and buildings universally accessible; and anticipating the transformation of older suburbs. Montreal is a difficult place for people with limited mobility, be they children in prams, adults in wheelchairs or elderly people using walkers. The winter is an ordeal for them, but even the summer is difficult because of inadequate infrastructure in streets and buildings and in the transit system. Universal accessibility must become a priority. As central neighbourhoods continue to gentrify, low-income households, including immigrants, are moving away from the centre, in particular to suburbs built in the 1950s to 1970s. The residents of such suburbs will need better access to public transit and services than is currently the case there. It is imperative that we start planning to meet the challenge of suburban poverty. Yves Laroche, owner Yves Laroche Galerie d’Art <figure id="attachment_439485" class="wp-caption post-img aligncenter" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="photo url" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text wp-caption" style="margin: -1px 0px 2em; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> Yves Laroche in his art gallery on St. Laurent Blvd. in Montreal. Vincenzo D'Alto / Montreal Gazette</figcaption></figure>I wish that Montreal could get its good mood, its collective happiness, back. I hope the people who are negotiating the public-sector contracts for the city of Montreal and the unions all put a little water in their wine and come to some agreement. This city has been in such a grumpy frame of mind lately. You can see it in the faces of the policemen and the firemen and the city workers. Visitors to the city tell me that they feel it, too. It is weighing on all of us. But what I wish for most of all is for the young, emerging artists who make this city what it is be left alone to create their own personal imprints without being boxed in by teachers or dealers or art-buyers who tell them what will sell, what’s in vogue, what colours are best. I wish we would begin to see outsider art from the worlds of tattooing and graffiti and comics with fresh new eyes. Matthew Pearce, chief executive officer of the Old Brewery Mission <figure id="attachment_439429" class="wp-caption post-img aligncenter" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="photo url" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text wp-caption" style="margin: -1px 0px 2em; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> Matthew Pearce, CEO of the Old Brewery Mission. Marie-France Coallier / Montreal Gazette</figcaption></figure>In 2015, I want Montrealers to join the Old Brewery Mission in imagining a city where every citizen has a place to call home and no large numbers of people are resorting to shelters and soup kitchens for their survival — month after month, year after year. Further, I want us all to resolve to own the social phenomenon of homelessness and each contribute in our own way to significantly reduce the amount of men and women who find themselves on the street. The city and the province have recently issued their respective action plans on homelessness and so, for 2015, I want to see … action. Specifically, solutions to homelessness exist when we act collectively to create diverse affordable housing options with the appropriate counselling supports, adapted health care services and preventive measures to ensure people remain housed. See the end of homelessness as we know it today. It will work. Coralie Deny is the director general of the Conseil régional de l’environnement de Montréal <figure id="attachment_439431" class="wp-caption post-img aligncenter" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="photo url" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text wp-caption" style="margin: -1px 0px 2em; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> Coralie Deny, director general of the Conseil régional de l’environnement de Montréal, behind a staircase that was built from wood recovered from Georgian Bay in Lake Huron. Dave Sidaway / Montreal Gazette</figcaption></figure>In 2015, there will be a lot of talk about planning and development in the Montreal region. We hope that it will be done with sustainable development in mind and that the changes will improve the quality of life. Some of the important issues will be the adoption of Montreal Island land-use development plan, urban plans for each city on the island, a parking policy, an updated transportation plan and the plan for repaving Ste-Catherine St. W. These plans will provide us with guidelines on how Montreal will be shaped. The plans must be precise and visionary and take into account principles that will be followed in all parts of the island. There must be improvements in public transport service and more bike paths. We need to promote Montreal as a walkable city, develop our streams and improve access to the river. We should also establish a network of connected green spaces, revitalize neighbourhoods and spruce up their commercial streets. If we work together, 2015 can be a pivotal year for Montreal. Heather O’Neill, author <figure id="attachment_439439" class="wp-caption post-img aligncenter" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="photo url" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text wp-caption" style="margin: -1px 0px 2em; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> Author Heather O’Neill lives in Montreal and writes about the city. She is photographed with her dog Muppet at home on April 25, 2014, at her desk where she spends most of her time writing. Marie-France Coallier / Montreal Gazette</figcaption></figure>There’s an unhealthy fixation on young people in our society now. We try to micromanage every minute of their day and spend absurd resources on them. And I think they should be just left in peace to lie around in the libraries and daydream and doodle strange sea creatures in the margins of their notebooks and to engage in philosophical discussions with their pet mice. On the other hand, I think that we as a city should take better care of our elderly citizens. Transportation is really difficult for many of them. There are so many elderly who are abandoned and alone and neglected, prisoners in their own homes. There is no place for them in society and they are treated as though they are burdens. I just think they need to be valued and respected more. We’ve become a little callous in our attitudes toward the elderly. Everyone needs to accept that this is a part of life and one of our basic obligations. Better aid needs to be given to home care for seniors and those family members, often only one person, who have to shoulder all the responsibility of taking care of them. Eric Dupuis, chef-owner Dominion Square Tavern and Balsam Inn <figure id="attachment_439441" class="wp-caption post-img aligncenter" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="photo url" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text wp-caption" style="margin: -1px 0px 2em; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> Eric Dupuis, chef and co-owner of the Balsam Inn poses for a photograph at the newly opened restaurant in Montreal, Wednesday, December 17, 2014. Graham Hughes / Montreal Gazette</figcaption></figure>We should exploit our European side more, with its lifestyle and traditions. That way we would make our city more vivante and exciting for residents and tourists. Let’s create more vibrant neighbourhoods by letting them develop their own personalities instead of passing so many laws and rules meant to over-protect our society. And as individuals we should stop being insular and share more time with our neighbours. Montreal should have terraces everywhere, even in winter. We should have more small markets where producers come to sell their goods. These are both ways of encouraging outdoor living in winter. We should let parents bring their kids into bars (not night clubs) when they go out for a drink with their friends. We should have l’apéro every evening of the week, not just on Thursdays. Bring back that old European spirit we had back in the day! Kim Arrey, nutritionist <figure id="attachment_439442" class="wp-caption post-img aligncenter" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="photo url" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text wp-caption" style="margin: -1px 0px 2em; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> Kim Arrey, a dietician/nutritionist prepares a yogurt and apple snack in her home in Montreal, Wednesday December 17, 2014. Vincenzo D'Alto / Montreal Gazette</figcaption></figure>This will be the year that we show the world that Montreal really is different from other cities in North America and that we take very seriously the challenge of providing nutritious, healthy, delicious food to all our citizens at an affordable price. We will start with our hospitals and long-term-care institutions, ensuring that the meals served to patients will play a key role in establishing better health. Budgets will be adjusted so that food is considered medicine, and an integral part of the care plan of each patient. Rooftop gardens at the superhospitals will provide the kitchens with fresh, nutritious, tasty produce. Grocery stores on site will help our patients purchase affordable, nutritious food, as prescribed by our dietitians and doctors. Insurance companies will reimburse clients for the visits that they make to the dietitian, and the government will give us a tax credit for purchasing health-promoting food. The goal would be not just to prevent nutrition deficiencies but to promote good health through good nutrition. Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, president and CEO of VIA Rail Canada <figure id="attachment_439453" class="wp-caption post-img aligncenter" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="photo url" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text wp-caption" style="margin: -1px 0px 2em; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> President and CEO of Via Rail, Yves Desjardins-Siciliano in the Montreal offices, on Thursday, December 18, 2014. Dave Sidaway / Montreal Gazette</figcaption></figure>My wish for 2015 is to see more Montrealers travelling by train to Québec City, Ottawa or Toronto, and any points in between or beyond. Every time Montrealers choose the comfort and safety of the train, where they can put their time to good use — they are helping to reduce their environmental footprint, reinforce the importance of their national public transportation service and support the growth of Canada’s economy in the 21st century. Montrealers, like all Canadians whether they live in large metropolitan areas or in smaller communities in between, have in VIA Rail a reliable rail system that allows them to get wherever they need to be without the use of their cars. At VIA Rail, we believe that inter-modality is everyone’s business and, in cooperation with our public transportation partners, we offer an alternative that helps unclog our highways and makes getting in and out of our cities easier and more enjoyable. Robert Green, a history teacher at Westmount High School <figure id="attachment_439450" class="wp-caption post-img aligncenter" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="photo url" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text wp-caption" style="margin: -1px 0px 2em; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> Westmount High School history teacher Robert Green. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette</figcaption></figure>In 2015, I would like to see an end to politicians attempting to accomplish their goals at the expense of vulnerable public-school students. Last year, it was teachers and students from various religious minorities being stigmatized by the Parti-Québécois government’s proposed charter of values; this year, it’s (Quebec Premier Philippe) Couillard attempting to balance the budget by asking vulnerable students to pay for all the tax cuts the previous Liberal government had doled out to the rich. Montreal’s public schools have a high numbers of students with special needs and students from low-income families. These are inevitably the students most affected when budgets for education and other social services are cut. When Mr. Couillard was running for election, he stated that he saw education as an investment in Quebec’s future. It would be nice if in 2015 he showed this was more than empty rhetoric by doing two things: 1) reversing the cuts to public education; 2) dealing fairly with the province’s teachers in upcoming contract negotiations. Craig Sauvé, Projet Montréal city councillor for Saint-Henri — Petite-Bourgogne — Pointe-Saint-Charles district <figure id="attachment_439457" class="wp-caption post-img aligncenter" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="photo url" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text wp-caption" style="margin: -1px 0px 2em; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> Craig Sauvé, Projet Montreal city councillor, at city hall. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette</figcaption></figure>For 2015, I hope that improving the quality of life for citizens is truly a high priority for all levels of government. I hope that Quebec seriously re-thinks its transportation strategy: the government should reconsider its plans for the $600-million Highway 19 project and instead reinvest the money in important public transit projects such as the LRT (light-rail train) on the Champlain Bridge, a West Island mobility plan and the extension of the métro’s Blue Line. At the city level, I hope that Mayor (Denis) Coderre shows some leadership on transport. In 2014, the STM has had to cut bus departures because of budget cuts; they are now in catch-up mode. Our neighbourhoods need more bus and métro service, not less. We also need more investment in bike paths to promote healthy, active transport. Affordability and economic fairness are on the minds of all Montrealers, our governments need to implant measures that will make it easier for families to make ends meet: keep housing affordable, stop hiking STM fares and hydro rates, protect affordable, quality daycare and education. I also hope that all levels of government invest in greener neighbourhoods, green energy initiatives and protecting our valuable green spaces, such as Meadowbrook Park. I hope that 2015 is a year of peace, joy, understanding and working together. John Archer, wealth adviser for RBC Dominion Securities <figure id="attachment_439465" class="wp-caption post-img aligncenter" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="photo url" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text wp-caption" style="margin: -1px 0px 2em; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> Financial adviser John Archer in Montreal. Allen McInnis / Montreal Gazette</figcaption></figure>From a financial adviser’s point of view, the state of an individual city does not really impact financial markets or investment portfolios (unless, of course, you own Montreal’s municipal bonds in your investment portfolio or within your mutual fund or pension plan). However, the city does affect the adviser’s quality of life and that of his or her family. From a quality of life point of view, I have three items on my Montreal wish list: Firstly, I would like to see a drastic improvement of our homelessness issue. Just once I would like to walk freely from Atwater Ave. to Peel St. without being accosted for money every block or so. Secondly, I would like to see an improvement in programs and employment opportunities to help our youth thrive economically in the city. If our children cannot see a future here, and they continue to abandon us, then that will be our greatest loss. Thirdly, I would like to see a coordination of road construction along with our traffic flow and control. There is nothing more frustrating than driving on one of our many streets under construction than waiting for an intolerably long light and seeing that there is absolutely no work nor reason for the closed lane to be blocked off with orange construction cones. Surely our traffic flow can be better managed under these situations. Maria Liliana Madriz, co-owner of Cachitos, a Venezuelan restaurant on Ste. Catherine St. <figure id="attachment_439471" class="wp-caption post-img aligncenter" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="photo url" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text wp-caption" style="margin: -1px 0px 2em; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> María Liliana Madriz in Montreal on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013. Dave Sidaway / Montreal Gazette</figcaption></figure>I wish for the sharks not to bite so much. When you start a small business with all your savings (and countless working hours), you expect a fair amount of permits, taxes, and expenses to bite at your hard-earned income. My wish concerns the hidden taxes that keep biting at you every day: like the 30 free parking spaces that were removed in my area, only to become viciously hounded metered spots, leading clients to pay $52 for the few extra minutes they take to say goodbye. Or the added 25 cents per litre we’re charged for gas in Quebec, affecting our shopping, commute and errands. Or the hikes in rent due to raised school and property taxes. Or the felony of having an English sign that, God forbid, is close in size to the French one, even though the most profitable season is summer, which brings English speaking tourists. To name a few. And then, at the end of the day, while drinking a scotch to forget all of the above, you realize that the scotch also cost you more than it ought to, and that there’s nothing you can do about it, except to drink it slowly and hope that the bites won’t bleed you out. Geoff Molson: Owner, president and CEO of the Club de hockey Canadien, Bell Centre and Evenko <figure id="attachment_439476" class="wp-caption post-img aligncenter" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="photo url" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text wp-caption" style="margin: -1px 0px 2em; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> Montreal Canadiens owner Geoff Molson speaks at the funeral for former Montreal Canadiens captain Jean Beliveau at Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in Montreal, Wednesday, Dec.10, 2014. Paul Chiasson / THE CANADIAN PRESS</figcaption></figure>I think this city thrives when the Montreal Canadiens go a long way in the playoffs. I hope we can bring that to the city. And I hope that businesses start to thrive in Montreal and this becomes a destination for businesses to invest in. I can feel it coming. There’s a new wave of optimism in the city. It’s refreshing because it wasn’t always that way in the past decade or so. Just look around the city and see all the (construction) cranes. That’s one reason to be optimistic. But also look at the world economy. Compared to what’s happened in the rest of the world, Montreal and Canada survived quite well in difficult times since 2008. From where I sit, I need to equip Marc (Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin) with a winning organization for the fans to enjoy. From a business perspective, to do my part, I just need to keep investing in our city and bringing new festivals, a winning hockey team and more business, like the condominiums around our (Bell Centre) building. I hope others do that, as well. Debbie Friedman, trauma director for the Montreal Children’s Hospital <figure id="attachment_439478" class="wp-caption post-img aligncenter" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="photo url" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text wp-caption" style="margin: -1px 0px 2em; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> Debbie Friedman is trauma director of the Montreal Children’s Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics at the McGill school of medicine. </figcaption></figure>I consider it a true privilege to work in the field of health care. Collaborating with many committed individuals who have dedicated their lives to helping others is rewarding and meaningful. Diminished budgets, cuts in salaries, corruption scandals and new laws often detract from what health care should be about namely: the patients and their families. Working in the field of trauma you are reminded all too often about how precious life is and how essential it is to be able to offer timely, expert care. This year, a new chapter begins in the history of the Montreal Children’s Hospital, and the McGill University Health Centre at the Glen site. As trauma director, I am committed to seeing our Pediatric and Adolescent Trauma Centre flourish in its new home. I am confident that despite the challenges we face in health care today, the people I work alongside will be focused on what we do best: providing the highest level of specialized care to our patients and their families. As well as training a new generation of health care professionals, conducting research, and working closely with the public, the media and governing bodies to develop and implement effective injury prevention strategies. As for Montreal, I would hope that a city that has so much potential would get back to the business of thriving and embrace its unique heritage, thereby encouraging our youth to build their lives here in Montreal. Life is precious and those of us working in the area of trauma see the tragic reality of injuries all too often. Danny Maciocia, head coach of the Université de Montréal Carabins football team <figure id="attachment_439494" class="wp-caption post-img aligncenter" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemid="photo url" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: Helvetica, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: center; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text wp-caption" style="margin: -1px 0px 2em; padding: 10px; border: 0px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline; zoom: 1; text-align: right; background: rgb(12, 12, 12);"> Universite de Montréal head football coach Danny Maciocia. Pierre Obendrauf / Montreal Gazette</figcaption></figure>People giving back … as far as professional athletes or even university football players (and others from) athletics. Just trying to give back to the community … getting involved, trying to make an impact, trying to make a difference, trying to influence people’s lives on a positive note. Because at the end of the day, I’m sure they look at several of these individuals as role models. So, just give back, make an impact and, like I said, try to make a difference and bring some core values in their message in 2015. </article>

Quartier Sainte-Marie CA11 240691 Adopter une résolution autorisant la transformation et l'occupation d'un bâtiment conventuel à des fins commerciale et résidentielle, sur le lot 1 424 427 situé sur la rue Fullum, entre la rue Sainte-Catherine et le boulevard de Maisonneuve Est, en vertu du Règlement sur les projets particuliers de construction, de modification ou d'occupation d'un immeuble - 1er projet de résolutionIl est proposé par Sammy Forcillo appuyé par Richard Deschamps D'adopter le premier projet de résolution à l'effet : D'accorder, pour le lot 1 424 427 (Maison des Soeurs de la Providence), situé dans la partie ouest de l'îlot bordé par les rues Fullum et Sainte-Catherine Est et le boulevard de Maisonneuve Est, l'autorisation d'occuper à des fins résidentielles et commerciales et de transformer l'ancien couvent et ses dépendances, et ce, en dérogation aux articles 94, 134, 182, 609 et 610 du Règlement d'urbanisme de l'arrondissement Ville-Marie (01-282), conformément aux plans des pages 9 à 40 du document de présentation pour le projet particulier, le tout préparé par Éric Leblanc architecte et estampillés parl’arrondissement de Ville-Marie le 19 septembre 2011; D'assortir cette autorisation des conditions suivantes : a) de soumettre dès la première demande de permis un plan d'ensemble d'aménagement paysager assorti d'une garantie financière basée sur une estimation effectuée par un professionnel afin d'en assurer la réalisation; c) de respecter une implantation au sol, un alignement sur rue, une hauteur maximale et des retraits d'alignement conformément aux plans mentionnés précédemment; d) les usages projetés dans le bâtiment devront respecter la répartition des usages indiqués aux plans cités au point 1; e) de soumettre les demandes de permis de transformation de ce projet à la procédure du titre VIII du Règlement d'urbanisme de l'arrondissement Ville-Marie (01-282). En plus des critères prévus au titre VIII du règlement, les critères additionnels suivants s'appliquent : i) le traitement architectural de la construction doit favoriser l'unité et l'homogénéité de l'ensemble, notamment en ce qui a trait aux matériaux de parement et aux ouvertures; ii) la couleur et la texture du revêtement de la façade doivent être compatibles avec celle des édifices significatifs du secteur; iii) les constructions hors toit et les équipements mécaniques hors toit doivent être traités de manière à assurer leur intégration architecturale (matériaux et volumétrie); iv) toutes les façades visibles de la voie publique doivent être traitées avec le même soin que les façades principales notamment quant aux choix des matériaux et aux ouvertures; v) les matériaux utilisés doivent être durables et conformes aux échantillons déposés; vi) l'aménagement paysager des espaces libres et des aires de détentes extérieurs doit privilégier les éléments végétaux; De fixer un délai de 60 mois pour la réalisation des travaux visés par la présente autorisation, à défaut de quoi, elle sera nulle et sans effet. Adoptée à l'unanimité.

Un petit oiseau nous a transmis les plans détaillés et finaux du tronçon de l'autoroute 15 entre Turcot et le nouveau pont Champlain. Comme toujours, nous vous encourageons à envoyer vos scoops ici: scoop @ mtlurb.com :shhh: P.S.: Toutes les images font 2000 pixels de large, n'hésitez pas à les ouvrir dans un autre onglet pour voir tous les détails.

via LaPresse Plans de garantie: Québec va discipliner les entrepreneurs Publié le 05 décembre 2013 à 11h04 | Mis à jour à 11h04 ISABELLE DUCAS La Presse Après plusieurs années de discussions et de délais, Québec va de l'avant pour retirer aux associations d'entrepreneurs la gestion des plans de garantie pour les maisons neuves, pour mettre fin aux conflits d'intérêts dans l'indemnisation des propriétaires aux prises avec des défauts de construction. À partir d'octobre 2014, les plans de garantie relève d'un organisme à but non lucratif indépendant, ce qui devrait assurer une meilleure qualité de la construction résidentielle, des sommes plus élevées pour indemniser les acheteurs et plus d'informations sur les entrepreneurs à problèmes. Les trois plans de garantie existants sont actuellement administrés par des associations d'entrepreneurs, l'Association de la construction du Québec (ACQ) et l'Association provinciale des constructeurs d'habitations du Québec (APCHQ). Les regroupements de consommateurs estimaient que le système actuel protégeait mal les acheteurs de maisons neuves en cas de problèmes, puisque les administrateurs des plans de garantie devaient sévir contre leurs propres membres. «De nombreux consommateurs avaient l'impression que les administrateurs des plans de garantie étaient à la fois juges et parties. La structure permettra d'éliminer les conflits d'intérêts», souligne la ministre du Travail, Agnès Maltais, qui dit avoir entendu «des histoires d'horreur» en pilotant les travaux qui ont mené aux changements annoncés hier. Les acheteurs de nouvelles maisons ou de condos dans des édifices de quatre étages et moins devront payer plus cher pour la couverture offerte par le plan de garantie. Pour une maison, la prime passe de 850$ à 1050$, et pour un condo, elle passe de 1250$ à 1550$. Ces sommes pourraient être plus élevées pour les entrepreneurs dont la feuille de route est entachée de nombreuses réclamations ou de manquements à leurs obligations. À cette facture, il faut ajouter une somme de 300$ comme contribution à un fonds de réserve destiné aux indemnisations en cas de sinistre majeur, mis en place l'année dernière à la suite des problèmes de pyrrhotite dans la région de Trois-Rivières, qui touchent environ 4000 propriétés. La ministre Maltais estime que cette augmentation ne devrait pas indisposer les consommateurs, qui seront assurés à l'avenir d'une meilleure protection de leur maison, «le plus important achat de leur vie», souligne-t-elle. «On a surtout augmenté le montant des cautions exigées des entrepreneurs, pour s'assurer que ce sont des entreprises aux reins solides, sérieuses et qui ne vont pas disparaître dans la nature.» Des sanctions sont aussi prévues pour les constructeurs qui ne respectent pas leurs obligations dans le cadre des plans de garanties. Satisfaction chez les consommateurs Les changements sont très bien accueillis par deux groupes qui talonnaient depuis longtemps le gouvernement à ce sujet, l'Association des consommateurs pour la qualité dans la construction (ACQC) et le Regroupement des gestionnaires et copropriétaires du Québec (RGCQ). Il faut dire que le gouvernement libéral avait d'abord déposé un projet de loi pour permettre de tels changements, en 2011. Mais les changements réglementaires n'avaient pas pu être mis en vigueur avant les élections. Le gouvernement du Parti québécois a poussé les modifications un peu plus loin que l'administration précédente. «Nous sommes ravis de voir que les plans de garantie ne seront plus entre les mains des entrepreneurs, a réagi l'avocat Yves Joli-Coeur, porte-parole du RGCQ. L'introduction d'une politique d'inspection, entre autres, montre qu'on veut s'assurer que les maisons seront mieux construites. Les entrepreneurs auront un meilleur incitatif à surveiller la qualité pour éviter les réclamations à leur endroit.» Une somme est prévue pour financer des services d'accompagnement des propriétaires aux prises avec des problèmes, souligne Jean Dion, porte-parole de l'ACQC. «Comme les consommateurs auront des sièges au conseil d'administration, on pourra mieux suivre les procédures de réclamations», note-t-il. La Coalition Proprio-Béton, qui représente les propriétaires aux prises avec des problèmes de pyrrhotite, a qualifié les changements de «grande victoire». «Des associations d'entrepreneurs avaient un monopole qui leur permettait d'engranger des millions de dollars, alors que des propriétaires ne réussissent pas à se faire indemniser quand des problèmes importants surviennent», a dénoncé Yvon Boivin, président de la coalition. À la suite des problèmes de fondations en Mauricie, le plan de Garantie des bâtiments résidentiels neufs de l'APCHQ a été mis en tutelle l'été dernier, parce que son fonds de réserve ne suffisait plus à répondre aux réclamations. L'APCHQ, la plus importante association d'entrepreneurs, qui gère aussi la garantie Abritat, n'a pas souhaité réagir aux changements annoncés hier. ------------------- QUELQUES CHIFFRES Coût des primes pour les plans de garantie : > Maison unifamiliale : Augmente de 850$ à 1050$ > Condo dans un édifice de moins de quatre étages : Augmente de 1250 à 1550$ Indexé annuellement Montant de la couverture en cas de défaut de construction: > Maison unifamiliale : Augmente de 130 000$ à 200 000$ > Édifice à condos de moins de quatre étages : Augmente de 2,6 millions à 3 millions Cautions à verser par les entrepreneurs : Augmentent de 35 000$ à 70 000$ ou 100 000$, selon la catégorie d'entrepreneurs Au conseil d'administration du nouvel organisme à but non lucratif : 13 membres, dont : > 3 représentants des consommateurs > 3 représentants des entrepreneurs > 2 professionnels du secteur du bâtiment > 1 professionnel du secteur du droit > 3 représentants du milieu gouvernemental