your candid interview with Peter McQueen done on Sept 2, 2021, before the November election. Among other things, you discussed the Terrebonne Bike Path Fiasco. It was quite revealing. Peter McQueen said that he recognized the problem of creating this bike path, keeping in mind that people need their parking, and that he was sympathetic to them because he also owns a car and has no driveway.
During the 2020 Bike Path he was one of the first to say "take it down". And when it reached near St. Monica's school and Church , he referred to it as a very bad idea. Why is he so silent now? He said that he wasn't quite sure how this could be done. Peter Chaired a Working Committee of citizens created to study this issue from all angles for 8 months, but a consensus could not be reached. There was some indication that if Terrebonne could be one way and still maintain parking, a bike path might work. They agreed that a traffic study should done by the City to see if this plan was even feasible, given the objections from the 4 EMSB schools, St. Monica's Church , the Seniors Residence, (Habitation Terrebonne) and citizens who live on Terrebonne. The group agreed to meet afterwards when the Study was completed. In your interview, Peter did say he was 100% sure that Terrebonne was the best street , as he has been pushing this idea for many years. However Peter lives in St. Raymond's district and does not have first hand experience about living anywhere near Terrebonne.
After the 2021 Election, when Mayor Katahwa was suddenly parachuted in by Valerie Plante, she took over this Project. The Commitee was disbanded because it was a "new administration", but still a Report was produced by the Committee. Instead of waiting for the City, the Mayor had the study done by the Borough and used an architectural firm EXP, for the Study at $150,000, because it could be done faster. The goal of this Study was to put a bike path on Terrebonne and 3 plans were drawn up and the Ciuncil chose plan C, with a loss of 300 parking spots on a densely populated street . Add to that 750 students attend school on Terrebonne and ofcourse there is no public transportation on the street, so people rely on their cars. The question was not, should a bike path be put in? The EXP Study did not include the impact on people. No stakeholders were interviewed. The question of safety problems was handled by a section on "Risks", which included dangerous intersections, and possible problems of children getting on and off buses, and crossing a bike lane, and
also drop off areas needed to be preserved for the Senior residence and the schools for parents bringing their kids to school.
St. Monica's Church, with no parking lot, was not a concern in this Study, although there will be no more parking in front. Despite our efforts to be heard, this plan is being implemented, without further consideration of the citizens views. What is disturbing for residents is that when questions about this Bike Path are posed to the CDN-NDG Council Meetings, they are never answered specifically. Our petition with 1,500 verified signatures was ignored by the Council. There is always a "prepared answer" which shows no understanding about how complicated and disruptive life will be on Terrebonne when these 300 parking places are removed and the direction of the street will be changed to one-way in opposite directions.
I have written many letters and have had no replies most of the time. Letters of Objection were written by the Board of Governors of all 4 Schools, and one from Joe Ortona , Xhair if the EMSB, steadfastly opposing this total disruption in the lives of students, parents and teachers. The bus drivers for the disabled students at the Mackay Centre /Philip E. Layton School are very upset with the change of diection of Terrebonne, eliminating their route coming from the west on Terrebonne. Parents will lose the safe drop -off area, essentially because there will be no parking in front of these 2 schools.So when you say that the Installation of this unwanted bike path is insignificant, I just wanted you to know why it is very important to so many people.There are no parking lots for teachers at St. Monica's and Willingdon schools. They need 25-30 places, which will not exist in September because the North side of Terrebonne will have no parking or stopping. I don't expect you to change your mind, but I think it should make you wonder when elected officials can do what they want with our tax money and make unilateral decisions with no accountability to the needs of the greater Community they are supposed to be serving. Watch the last recording of the CDN-NDG meeting and see how our citizens concerns are handled. Seeing is believing.
Kathy McNally
Member of the Terrebonne Neighborhood Assoc since Dec. 2023.
Thank you for the thoughtful comment and detailed explanation.
In truth I empathize with the complaints brought up by those against the bike path. There is a very fair statement to be made that a lot of homeowners purchased a home, based on this street parking, that arelosing something that was a key deciding factor in where thye live.
I understand the inconvenience it will put on the various institutions.
The mayor of Montreal doesn't care about those complaints however, so I certainly hope to see you all voting in the next election.
My position, like many in NDG, is the apathetic one. This reality is uncomfortable for those that it affects directly but given this is a city issue, we need to consider the whole borough, beyond the direct residents impacted.
None of you have made me care enough to want to stop this bike path. The reality is, as a lobby group, that's your only job. Make us care.
There appears to be a clear process for a petition. It requires 15000 signatures in 3 months. It appears the change.org petition isn't considered valid. So are we to really trust a group that couldn't be bothered to do due diligence? Y'all really got to think through that flex because the more it comes up, the less good it makes you look.
Personally, I'm impressed by the efforts you've all put forward.
That being said, one dude alone is going to ensure you do not achieve your goals. It'd be pretty wise to get him to shut up and have your more eloquently spoken people champion the cause. Given there's a growing list of people who are proud to have blocked him, it's a pretty bad look for everyone involved.
Either way, given how democracy works, 1500 signatures just doesn't really prove there is the support required. You need 10X the support and so far you're losing steam because of said figurehead.
Unless something drastic changes, I stand by what I said in my article.
Now to be clear, I'm not against the bike path. I'm not for the bike path. I don't care in the least what happens either way.
To be clear, your representative publicly announced my critical thinkings skills are bad. He's called me crazy and a few other names. I felt my reputation was at stake and I needed to prove to the neighbourhood I do in fact have good critical thinking skills.
If that dude was not the catalyst to form the group, he has at least co-opted it for his own purposes. I'm not sure if they have someone else who is interested in being a spokesperson. Which I suppose comes back around to the level of engagement.
There have been two change.org petitions bike path running since 2020, one for, and one against. The tally is 2299 for and 1669 against.
The group that calls itself the Terrebonne Neighbourhood Association—but excludes many people who live on Terrebonne—has a petition with even fewer signatures at a mere 1292.
I had my own rant back in 2020, when I was very annoyed about the flip flopping councillors. My opinion then was that everyone was happy to see Sue fall on her face, and nobody was about to stand on principle to prevent it. There were no adults in the room.
This time, by comparison, it really looks like a nothingburger for most people.
I've seen old insurance documents that show at least 1,200 off-street parking spots in the area bounded by Somerled & Monkland and Grand & Girouard. I've used three of them at various times to store my vehicle.
Many of these spaces have been converted for other uses. It seems pretty clear, when you look at it, that people themselves have already eliminated 300 parking spots along this corridor, because the space was more valuable as a bedroom or workshop than as parking. With the new bike path, perhaps that economic calculation will need to be revisited.
For me, the math is simple. Parking space is a limited and shrinking resource, and most people in NDG do not own a car. But I own a car and also park on the street. I have no viable off-street option for daily use. So I want street parking to continue, and I'd prefer that Terrebonne *NOT* become permit only because we have two cars.
The only way that works is if fewer people feel like they need a car. The only solution to traffic (and parking) congestion is to create viable alternatives to driving.
That is why I support a REV network.
I wish people could look beyond their own immediate convenience and realize that without viable alternatives to driving, population growth will doom us to both gridlock and no parking. I don't know anyone who wants that, yet some people still fight against creating options.
I wonder if St. Monica's Church has ever tried to access the parking at the Mackay Centre that is right beside them. I know churches in Toronto that shared parking, and they were quite adamant that people park properly and legally because residents were quite happy to block them from the street entirely due to bad behaviour (in Toronto, not Montreal).
Glad to see someone without obvious skin in the game speaking plainly.
Just out here being basic with it :)
Well-written and tellin' like it is. Great article, Holden!
Thank youuuuuu
To Holden,
I thought you did a good job with
your candid interview with Peter McQueen done on Sept 2, 2021, before the November election. Among other things, you discussed the Terrebonne Bike Path Fiasco. It was quite revealing. Peter McQueen said that he recognized the problem of creating this bike path, keeping in mind that people need their parking, and that he was sympathetic to them because he also owns a car and has no driveway.
During the 2020 Bike Path he was one of the first to say "take it down". And when it reached near St. Monica's school and Church , he referred to it as a very bad idea. Why is he so silent now? He said that he wasn't quite sure how this could be done. Peter Chaired a Working Committee of citizens created to study this issue from all angles for 8 months, but a consensus could not be reached. There was some indication that if Terrebonne could be one way and still maintain parking, a bike path might work. They agreed that a traffic study should done by the City to see if this plan was even feasible, given the objections from the 4 EMSB schools, St. Monica's Church , the Seniors Residence, (Habitation Terrebonne) and citizens who live on Terrebonne. The group agreed to meet afterwards when the Study was completed. In your interview, Peter did say he was 100% sure that Terrebonne was the best street , as he has been pushing this idea for many years. However Peter lives in St. Raymond's district and does not have first hand experience about living anywhere near Terrebonne.
After the 2021 Election, when Mayor Katahwa was suddenly parachuted in by Valerie Plante, she took over this Project. The Commitee was disbanded because it was a "new administration", but still a Report was produced by the Committee. Instead of waiting for the City, the Mayor had the study done by the Borough and used an architectural firm EXP, for the Study at $150,000, because it could be done faster. The goal of this Study was to put a bike path on Terrebonne and 3 plans were drawn up and the Ciuncil chose plan C, with a loss of 300 parking spots on a densely populated street . Add to that 750 students attend school on Terrebonne and ofcourse there is no public transportation on the street, so people rely on their cars. The question was not, should a bike path be put in? The EXP Study did not include the impact on people. No stakeholders were interviewed. The question of safety problems was handled by a section on "Risks", which included dangerous intersections, and possible problems of children getting on and off buses, and crossing a bike lane, and
also drop off areas needed to be preserved for the Senior residence and the schools for parents bringing their kids to school.
St. Monica's Church, with no parking lot, was not a concern in this Study, although there will be no more parking in front. Despite our efforts to be heard, this plan is being implemented, without further consideration of the citizens views. What is disturbing for residents is that when questions about this Bike Path are posed to the CDN-NDG Council Meetings, they are never answered specifically. Our petition with 1,500 verified signatures was ignored by the Council. There is always a "prepared answer" which shows no understanding about how complicated and disruptive life will be on Terrebonne when these 300 parking places are removed and the direction of the street will be changed to one-way in opposite directions.
I have written many letters and have had no replies most of the time. Letters of Objection were written by the Board of Governors of all 4 Schools, and one from Joe Ortona , Xhair if the EMSB, steadfastly opposing this total disruption in the lives of students, parents and teachers. The bus drivers for the disabled students at the Mackay Centre /Philip E. Layton School are very upset with the change of diection of Terrebonne, eliminating their route coming from the west on Terrebonne. Parents will lose the safe drop -off area, essentially because there will be no parking in front of these 2 schools.So when you say that the Installation of this unwanted bike path is insignificant, I just wanted you to know why it is very important to so many people.There are no parking lots for teachers at St. Monica's and Willingdon schools. They need 25-30 places, which will not exist in September because the North side of Terrebonne will have no parking or stopping. I don't expect you to change your mind, but I think it should make you wonder when elected officials can do what they want with our tax money and make unilateral decisions with no accountability to the needs of the greater Community they are supposed to be serving. Watch the last recording of the CDN-NDG meeting and see how our citizens concerns are handled. Seeing is believing.
Kathy McNally
Member of the Terrebonne Neighborhood Assoc since Dec. 2023.
Hi Kathy,
Thank you for the thoughtful comment and detailed explanation.
In truth I empathize with the complaints brought up by those against the bike path. There is a very fair statement to be made that a lot of homeowners purchased a home, based on this street parking, that arelosing something that was a key deciding factor in where thye live.
I understand the inconvenience it will put on the various institutions.
The mayor of Montreal doesn't care about those complaints however, so I certainly hope to see you all voting in the next election.
My position, like many in NDG, is the apathetic one. This reality is uncomfortable for those that it affects directly but given this is a city issue, we need to consider the whole borough, beyond the direct residents impacted.
None of you have made me care enough to want to stop this bike path. The reality is, as a lobby group, that's your only job. Make us care.
There appears to be a clear process for a petition. It requires 15000 signatures in 3 months. It appears the change.org petition isn't considered valid. So are we to really trust a group that couldn't be bothered to do due diligence? Y'all really got to think through that flex because the more it comes up, the less good it makes you look.
Personally, I'm impressed by the efforts you've all put forward.
That being said, one dude alone is going to ensure you do not achieve your goals. It'd be pretty wise to get him to shut up and have your more eloquently spoken people champion the cause. Given there's a growing list of people who are proud to have blocked him, it's a pretty bad look for everyone involved.
Either way, given how democracy works, 1500 signatures just doesn't really prove there is the support required. You need 10X the support and so far you're losing steam because of said figurehead.
Unless something drastic changes, I stand by what I said in my article.
Now to be clear, I'm not against the bike path. I'm not for the bike path. I don't care in the least what happens either way.
To be clear, your representative publicly announced my critical thinkings skills are bad. He's called me crazy and a few other names. I felt my reputation was at stake and I needed to prove to the neighbourhood I do in fact have good critical thinking skills.
Turns out, the hood is agreeing with me so far.
Holden Roy
NDG resident since longer than Dec. 2023.
If that dude was not the catalyst to form the group, he has at least co-opted it for his own purposes. I'm not sure if they have someone else who is interested in being a spokesperson. Which I suppose comes back around to the level of engagement.
There have been two change.org petitions bike path running since 2020, one for, and one against. The tally is 2299 for and 1669 against.
The group that calls itself the Terrebonne Neighbourhood Association—but excludes many people who live on Terrebonne—has a petition with even fewer signatures at a mere 1292.
I had my own rant back in 2020, when I was very annoyed about the flip flopping councillors. My opinion then was that everyone was happy to see Sue fall on her face, and nobody was about to stand on principle to prevent it. There were no adults in the room.
This time, by comparison, it really looks like a nothingburger for most people.
I've seen old insurance documents that show at least 1,200 off-street parking spots in the area bounded by Somerled & Monkland and Grand & Girouard. I've used three of them at various times to store my vehicle.
Many of these spaces have been converted for other uses. It seems pretty clear, when you look at it, that people themselves have already eliminated 300 parking spots along this corridor, because the space was more valuable as a bedroom or workshop than as parking. With the new bike path, perhaps that economic calculation will need to be revisited.
For me, the math is simple. Parking space is a limited and shrinking resource, and most people in NDG do not own a car. But I own a car and also park on the street. I have no viable off-street option for daily use. So I want street parking to continue, and I'd prefer that Terrebonne *NOT* become permit only because we have two cars.
The only way that works is if fewer people feel like they need a car. The only solution to traffic (and parking) congestion is to create viable alternatives to driving.
That is why I support a REV network.
I wish people could look beyond their own immediate convenience and realize that without viable alternatives to driving, population growth will doom us to both gridlock and no parking. I don't know anyone who wants that, yet some people still fight against creating options.
I wonder if St. Monica's Church has ever tried to access the parking at the Mackay Centre that is right beside them. I know churches in Toronto that shared parking, and they were quite adamant that people park properly and legally because residents were quite happy to block them from the street entirely due to bad behaviour (in Toronto, not Montreal).
For:
https://www.change.org/p/conseil-arrondissement-cdn-ndg-compromis-piste-cyclable-de-terrebonne
Against:
https://www.change.org/p/city-councillors-of-ndg-we-need-parking-where-we-live-3f4c2db8-3bec-4ba6-8d7e-a222e7f8b330
New against:
https://www.change.org/p/petition-against-contre-piste-cyclable-terrebonne-2-0-bike-path-ndg