OCPM urges Montreal to reassess controversial container yard expansion before approving

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 14, 2025 7:33 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Montreal's nationalist consultation committee is recommending the metropolis postpone approving exemptions for a arguable instrumentality gait task slated for the city's eastbound extremity and behaviour a implicit reassessment of the plan.

But the metropolis says that's easier said than done.

The Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) was tasked with examining Ray-Mont Logistics' program to crook 22,300 quadrate metres of unused onshore into a proscription hub wherever goods volition beryllium sent via obstruction and roadworthy to the adjacent Port of Montreal.

The institution anticipates 300,000 containers volition yet beryllium moving done the tract each year, resulting successful the transition of up to 1,000 trucks done the concern site, 24 hours a day.

But to bash that, immoderate zoning changes are required. Initially, the metropolis rejected the petition to marque those changes. The institution sued for $373 cardinal dollars, and yet settled retired of tribunal for $17 cardinal and the information that Montreal o.k. the zoning changes.

A nationalist consultation was called, starring to the OCPM's report, published Thursday, but that's not capable to stall the project, according to Sophie Mauzerolle, who is liable for proscription connected Montreal's enforcement committee.

She said the metropolis unsocial does not person the powerfulness to unilaterally suspend the out-of-court agreement. Suspension indispensable beryllium done successful collaboration with Ray-Mont, she said.

"Our extremity is to rapidly beryllium down with the institution and the assorted partners identified successful the recommendations to code them for the payment of the section residents," Mauzerolle said. 

"Our extremity is to adjacent this section for lasting bid and quiescent for the radical of Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve."

Group applauds OCPM's decision

A section group, calling itself Mobilisation 6600 Parc-Nature MHM, has been taking a basal against the project, organizing protests and voicing beardown absorption to the expansion.

The radical is accusing the institution of destroying 2 wooded areas and causing the neighbourhood to endure from regular noise. On its Facebook page, the assemblage radical celebrated the OCPM's recommendations, and praised its members for participating successful the consultation.

"We're rather satisfied astir the report," radical subordinate Cassandre Charbonneau-Jobin told CBC News. "It shows that our combat that has been going connected for nine years is wholly legitimate."

WATCH | Why Ray-Mont's task has deed roadblocks implicit the years: 

In 2022, Quebec's Environment Ministry, aft a impermanent stop-work order, gave the archetypal signifier of the task the greenish airy with immoderate conditions, similar limitations connected moving hours and fig of containers that tin determination done the tract annually. Ray-Mont sued and the ministry is present reviewing that request.

"The modification petition is being analyzed to guarantee that specified a alteration successful operating hours volition not effect successful sound emissions apt to harm quality life, health, well-being oregon comfort," said Environment Ministry spokesperson Robert Maranda successful an email.

Ray-Mont inactive needs regulatory exemptions approved

During the consultation, immoderate organizations highlighted the affirmative economical benefits of the project, but the immense bulk of participants, galore of whom were section residents, voiced absorption to a task they accidental volition interaction their prime of life, the merchandise says.

The OCPM concluded that a complete reassessment should beryllium conducted with cardinal players, including the Ministry of Transport and Canadian National Railway.

Taking this way is "the astir advantageous for the city, citizens and the developer. It truthful invites stakeholders to beryllium down again and resume discussions," the OCPM says.

The committee besides recommends processing a buffer portion to trim nuisances and subjecting the task to Quebec's biology appraisal process. It recommends clarifying the monitoring and power responsibilities arsenic good arsenic improving stakeholder and assemblage consultation. 

Mauzerolle said her medication has ever shared and loudly advocated for citizens' concerns astir the nuisances caused by the project.

In a quality release, Philippe Bourke, president of the OCPM, acknowledged that, from the outset, this has been a highly delicate case.

In a aboriginal interview, helium said the OCPM recovered a imaginable compromise betwixt metropolis and company. That compromise shows determination "might beryllium a spot betwixt the 2 sides wherever we could reopen the discussion," helium said.

Mario Paul-Hus, a Montreal lawyer who specializes successful municipal law, said the metropolis volition apt person to follow the zoning regularisation changes oregon hazard different lawsuit.

Ray-Mont released a connection arsenic well, saying it volition analyse the OCPM's study and recommendations.

Since coming to the tract successful 2016, Ray-Mont has been rehabilitating the heavy contaminated concern spot astatine its ain disbursal to bring its activities person to the Port of Montreal by establishing an intermodal logistics platform, the institution says.

"The level has present been successful cognition since November 2022 and volition yet alteration the institution to trim its greenhouse gases by 82 per cent," it says. 

Over the years, Ray-Mont says, the institution has participated successful initiatives aimed astatine amended integrating its task into the sector.