Latest news with #PhilippeSabourin
CTV News
08-07-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Part of westbound Notre-Dame Street to be closed indefinitely
Part of Notre-Dame Street is set to be closed for an indefinite period of time. (Ville de Montréal) Part of westbound Notre-Dame Street in Montreal's Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough is set to be closed for an indefinite period of time starting Tuesday morning. This comes after a 10-inch water main break that occurred near Alphonse-D.-Roy Street, according to city spokesperson Philippe Sabourin. 'The valves were closed yesterday [Monday], and repairs were scheduled for today [Tuesday] with one lane closed,' he explained. 'Since the closure is not watertight, [the borough] had no choice but to completely close the westbound lanes.' The closure is set to take place between Davidson and Alphonse-D.-Roy streets, with a detour via Sainte-Catherine Street. Montrealers are being asked to avoid the area.
CTV News
26-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
With moving day days away, Montreal calls on tenants without housing to seek help
As July 1 approaches, nearly 300 families have asked the City of Montreal for help finding housing. With moving day only five days away, the City of Montreal is urging tenants who have yet to find a suitable apartment to contact 311 for access to resources and assistance. According to city spokesperson Philippe Sabourin, around 270 families are currently being assisted by the city through the Office municipal d'habitation de Montréal's (OMHM). Sabourin added that the situation is comparable to last year, although the numbers are slightly higher, as the housing vacancy rate in Montreal remains low. 'There is a housing crisis. The city took steps to help residents by doubling the budget,' Sabourin said during a press conference on Thursday. According to data from the Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ), approximately 1,990 people across the province are currently receiving assistance from about 40 housing organizations. The spokesperson emphasized that the budget has increased from $1.5 million to $3.5 million over the last six years. 'What we are asking is for people who haven't found an apartment to contact us by calling 311. There is support for people in search for an apartment. There is temporary housing. We offer storage. We can assist people until their situation stabilizes,' he explained. Sabourin said he was confident that there are enough resources and funding to help all Montrealers in need. 'No one will be without a roof come July 1,' the spokesperson said. A recent Statistics Canada report shows that rent has increased by nearly 71 per cent since 2019, primarily affecting families and lower-income residents. The average asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment was $1,930 in the first quarter of 2025, up from $1,130 six years ago. 'Searching for an apartment is very difficult. The market is very tight. So If you can stay in your apartment you should stay,' Sabourin said. However, Catherine Lussie, a coordinator with the Montreal-based housing advocate group FRAPRU (Front d'action populaire en réaménagement urbain), said the situation had worsened. She said that, as of Thursday, 283 households were being supported by the OMHM. 'It's definitely more then last year. Last year at the same time there were 268 household in the same situation. So, we see a little increase even though the vacancy rate has actually increased,' Lussie said in an interview. Moreover, she said the Statistics Canada data comes as no surprise, given the lack of measures implemented since the start of the housing crisis in 2018. 'Nothing has been done to prevent rent increases that we are seeing right now,' she said. The coordinator said she is worried about the situation as July 1 approaches, adding that some tenants will have to make difficult choices, such as temporarily staying with family, sleeping in their cars, or renting an apartment they cannot afford. 'You'll see after that. They need support from food banks because they are at the limit of what they can pay, Lussie continued. 'Also, what we see more is how long it takes after July 1 to find housing. So the numbers keep increasing after July 1 of tenants needing those services. For some it might takes weeks or even months to find a place that they can call a home.' With files from Matt Grillo and The Canadian Press
CTV News
07-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Montrealers fed up as city rips up new asphalt for second round of construction
Residents say tearing up fresh asphalt for more construction shows poor planning, but the city says it's part of finishing the bike and bus lanes. Some Montrealers living near Henri-Bourassa Boulevard say they're frustrated after fresh asphalt laid down last summer was torn up for more roadwork this spring—construction they feel never seems to end. Christina Iacono, whose daughter's daycare is located right by the Henri-Bourassa Boulevard and Saint-Denis Street intersection, says she's fed up. 'Just trying to get to work… dropping off my daughter has become a nightmare,' Iacono said. 'I don't think digging up the street for a bike lane twice in one year is an efficient way to work.' The street is a major artery with businesses and homes nearby. Residents say it's a challenge to get around, but the City of Montreal says it's adding lanes for bikes and buses. 'It's going to be more secure for pedestrians, for cyclists, for people moving around with public transit as well,' said city spokesperson Philippe Sabourin. He explained that since work wasn't complete, the city put a thin layer of asphalt down to get through the winter. It's this temporary patch that was ripped up and will be replaced with a thicker, more permanent paving job. 'It's impossible to build with concrete and asphalt during the winter because it's too cold. Those material cannot be dried,' he added. And despite delays, the city will complete the project in a month. However, for Iacano, there are too many unanswered questions, so she has launched a petition calling for a moratorium on the construction. 'It's really anger and frustration at how tax dollars are being spent,' she said.
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Tour de l'Île: Montrealers asked to clear streets for major cycling event
Cyclists set out on the Tour de l'ile, in Montreal, Sunday, June 5, 2022. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP) Montreal's biggest yearly cycling events, the Tour la Nuit and Tour de l'Île, are only days away, and the city is asking residents to plan their commutes in advance. Both events will take place east of Pie-IX Boulevard. Friday's Tour la Nuit will cause road closures between 7 p.m. and midnight. City spokesperson Philippe Sabourin said those living along the race's path will have to move their cars by 1 p.m. or they may be towed. The city created a map highlighting the areas that will need to be cleared. No parking signs are already in place. 'For shoppers, if you have the habit to go with your car to do groceries Friday night, please do it before 7:30 p.m., otherwise it could turn into a nightmare. So, you don't want that. Plan your move,' Sabourin said. Those along the Tour de l'Île path will have to move their cars by the end of Saturday night to make sure the street is clear for Sunday's activities. Road closures are expected between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Though businesses and residents have already been made aware of the road closures, the city is urging people to use the Waze app or Avis et Alerte to plan their weekend commuting. Sabourin said those who plan to use their cars over the weekend should move them out of the highlighted area in advance. The downtown area and the west side of the city should not be affected, Sabourin said. 'It's been months of planning, nothing is left to chance,' he said. Vélo Québec president Jean-François Rheault said those who live in the eastern part of the city should use Highway 40 to get around. STM shuttles will also be in place, as many bus routes will be detoured. This year marks the event's 40th anniversary, and cyclists can still sign up to participate. The Tour de l'Île is one of the city's biggest international summer events. This year's theme is the '80s, with participants encouraged to play music and wear clothing to match the era. 'We're proud of this event,' said Sabourin. 'We want this to be a festive, fun and pleasant event for everyone.' Rheault says people have told him they feel more inspired to ride their bikes after participating in the Tour de l'Île, which he finds encouraging. '[Cycling] is a simple solution to complex problems – it's good for mobility, for the environment and for health. It's also good for the economy,' he said. Millions are expected to participate in the two events.
Montreal Gazette
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Montreal Gazette
Don't be fooled by skinnier cones, Montreal will be orange again this summer
By There will be fewer orange cones on the roads than usual this summer, but there will be just as many construction sites. The city of Montreal and Transport Quebec held their annual briefing on summer roadwork Wednesday, and despite record investments in roads, sewers and bridges in the last few years, the pace of construction season has remained unchanged. 'We have reduced by half the number of cones that we put on roads where the speed limit is 40 kilometres per hour,' said Philippe Sabourin, city of Montreal spokesperson. 'That's major.' Sabourin was referring to the city's updated Charter of Roadwork, which lists norms and best practices the city expects construction companies to follow. He added the city is also insisting that companies use more 'svelte' cones in certain cases so that the cones themselves take up less room. About 1,000 streets will have closures over the course of the summer within the local network, and there will be another 44 construction sites on highways. Within the city, the major roadwork will be on: St-Jacques St. between de la Cathédrale St. and Lucien L'Allier St. The city is also wrapping up construction on Ste-Catherine St. W., between Peel and Mansfield Sts., which will be closed until the fall, while the north-south streets of Peel and Metcalfe will remain open. There will be major work done on the Ville-Marie Expressway, which will require night and weekend closures. St-Urbain St. will be closed from Viger St. to St-Antoine St. Roads and sewers around the CHUM superhospital will be replaced, requiring some streets to be closed or at least narrowed. Further afield, there will be 15 weekend blitzes on the Mercier Bridge, which will force the closing of all but one lane of traffic in each direction. Getting to Trudeau airport will be tricky as well, as there are already three construction sites on the Côte-de-Liesse Expressway. The eastbound Metropolitan Expressway is also due to be closed this long weekend, weather permitting, and on another weekend in June so crews car repave that stretch of roadway. Transport Québec determined that the quality of asphalt did not meet the standards stated in the contract, so the work will have to be redone, spokesperson Sarah Bensadoun said. While the city and province are urging people to take transit to get around, that will be difficult for a large number of commuters because the REM — the newest light-rail network linking Brossard to the downtown core — will be completely shut down for a period of six weeks. The shutdown is needed so workers can run tests throughout the network before opening up the Anse-a-l'Orme and Deux-Montagnes branches, expected for October of this year. Spokesperson Francis Labbé said the tests are going well so far, and the REM trains have begun running at their top speed of about 100 km/h through the Mount Royal Tunnel. However, Labbé said the timeline on the commissioning of the next two branches of the network will depend on how well the tests go during the network's closure in July.
