Caisse de dépôt chooses to withdraw from REM de l’Est, answers Valérie Plante

They decide, they decidehe commented, after CDPQ president Charles Emond indicated that he was pleased with the project done by CDPQ Infra before it was rejected, ten days later.

What we did, the Prime Minister and I on Monday, was [de] save a very important project for the eastern world […]said Valérie Plante.

Premier François Legault and Mayor Plante announced on Monday that the management of the Eastern Metropolitan Express Network (REM) project will be reviewed and, in this context, the Caisse de dépôt has given way to project controls. Caisse chose not to prosecute, and I understand them, Mr. Legault said at the time. I agree with that and I look forward to that.

On Wednesday, while announcing the appointment of Martin Prud’homme as head of public security in the City, Mayor Plante was called to reconsider leaving Caisse. He explained this change in the project derived from serious concerns said citizens and transportation experts.

The aerial section in a concrete structure in the city center, among other aspects, has reaped a lot of criticism. This part of the project will be abandoned, in favor of better links to metro lines.

It is very important to hear these concerns, in order to give Montreal the best possible means of transportation for the East.said Valérie Plante.

” The moment when the Caisse de depot decided it was no longer interested, that was its choice. “

The opposition condemned Mr. Emond’s release

In the National Assembly, the Caisse de depot president’s exit against Mayor Plante provoked opposition disapproval. I invite him to swallow his pride and stop focusing on elected officials doing their job.launched the parliamentary leader of Québec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, at a press briefing.

For her, Valérie Plante has done its job and, in a democracy, it is up to the people and their elected representatives to decide which projects are right.

Public transport is a public servicecommemoration of Mr. Nadeau-Dubois.

The official opposition transport critic, Liberal André Fortin, said he understood Mr Emond’s frustration, but he added that time should not blame the mayor.

For his part, the leader of the Parti Québécois, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, proved that he was very, very much to blame the mayoress of Montreal. He criticized the Caisse de depot for not cooperating and for covertly working on the REM de l’Est file.

The extreme demand of the eastern end of the city

In February, organizations and residents of neighborhoods targeted by Eastern REM united their voices to demand that the project be stopped and the CPDQ Infra withdrawn.

Before the executive committee of the City of Montreal, on Wednesday morning, Valérie Plante reiterated the importance of increasing the offer of public transportation to the east of the city. No question about this project, which lacked socially acceptable in some respects, completely collapsed and people from the east were told: “Listen, sorry, but we’ll talk about it later.”

In particular, he said he got a promise from Quebec that an assessment would be done so that the REM de l’Est section, in Mercier-Est, would come together. in the most organic way.

In this sector, CDPQ Infra first planned to build an aerial structure on Sherbrooke Street (between Honoré-Beaugrand Street and Georges-V Avenue). Then, last January, it was announced that this section of more than 4.5 km would be transferred to the Souligny railway right-of-way.

Strengthen the green line

East of Montreal, two branches of the REM project will be retained, Valérie Plante explained to elected members of the executive committee. The northern branch, which goes to Montreal North and we have always wanted to visit in the Rivière-des-Prairies […]and the branch to the southeast, which goes to Pointe-de-l’Îlehe detailed.

These two branches will connect to the green meter line which should be improved and strengthened by adding more wagons and more frequencyinsisted the mayor of Montreal, saying he reminded François Legault.

That’s what we want, so that the world can get to town quicklyhe concludes.