Projet Montréal leader Richard Bergeron and the party's candidate for mayor of Verdun borough Yannick Brosseau this morning presented their plan to open a sandy beach in Verdun along the St. Lawrence River.
Bergeron said that if elected, he would pull up the asphalt and concrete of the old marina in Verdun and put in a sandy beach so residents can easily go for a dip in the river.
"People already swim where there are docks but that is not enough and it is not ideal for families. With the support of Verdun residents, we promise to make a real beach where children can play in the sand and go for a swim in the summertime."
Bergeron said the project would be a good way to revitalise the neighbourhood, especially between the de l'Eglise metro station and the Verdun Auditorium.
Bergeron said a Projet Montréal administration would also build a service bridge linking Ile des Soeurs to the rest of the Verdun Borough. That bridge, which would be closed to cars, would offer easy access for Ile des Soeurs residents to the new beach by bike or on foot, plus a reserved lane for buses and emergency vehicles.
Project Montréal is a new party so Bergeron is unlikely to be elected mayor in the Nov. 1st election (although his party's popularity has been shooting up of late due to allegations of corruption against members of the two leading parties). But Projet Montréal is expected to win a number of seats on city council and several borough councils. If so, let's hope they keep pushing for more beaches. We live on an island, after all, and the water is plenty clean enough for swimming!
...........HF&RV.........
16 comments:
Although I like the photo ,..I think Projet Montreal should do a little research on wave patterns in Oceans or Lakes.........they are not like this photo......lol However I like the idea of Verdun becomming a destination vacation...........hahahahah Hey Ken, & DannyB,.we are all staying at your places.......lol Cheers , HF&RV
Verdun Beach : Richard Bergeron would like to see parasols along the St-Lawrence
Friday October 23, 2009
Montreal, Friday, October 23rd, 2009 – Richard Bergeron, Projet Montréal party leader and Montreal mayoral candidate, as well as Yannick Brosseau, Verdun mayoral candidate for Projet Montréal, revealed their plans this morning to create a beach along the St-Lawrence River.
Gathered around the back of the Verdun Auditorium, within a stone’s throw of the river bank, Mr. Bergeron and Mr. Brosseau confirmed, accompanied by a photo presentation, their intention of transforming the asphalt and concrete relics of the old Verdun marina into a sandy beach, where citizens can swim all summer long. According to Mr. Bergeron, the site will be restored while minimising any environmental impact. “The St-Lawrence River is a rich resource that belongs to us all, and it’s out of the question that we put its existing ecosystem in peril,” he reassured.
“The water quality was good all summer,” furthered Mr. Brosseau. “In fact, where docks have been installed, people already swim in the river. But it’s not enough, and it’s not ideal for families. With the support of Verdun residents, we are committed to creating a real beach where children will be able to play in the sand and swim during the summer season.”
Mr. Bergeron added that undertaking this project is a wonderful opportunity for revitalising the neighbourhood, particularly between the Église metro station and the Verdun Auditorium. They plan on refurbishing this area by taking into account the needs of pedestrians. “Beachgoers will be able to get there with ease using public transport, and especially, in complete safety.”
Mr. Bergeron and Mr. Brosseau also intend to take advantage of the planned public works along the bank by building a bridge that will connect Nun’s Island with the rest of the borough. The bridge will allow the people of Nun’s Island to easily access the new beach by foot or by bike, and will provide a reserved lane for buses and emergency vehicles.
The image presented during the press conference is available for download in high resolution here: http://www.projetmontreal.org/files/documents/plage_verdun.jpg
btw: Click on the photo in the topic/thread opening & it's wild looking at a beach with the familiar Verdun Church Av skyline.,............cool ....HF&RV
Thats nothing new. There used to be a swimming areas in Verdun at different periods at the beginning of the 1900s at the foot of Church, in the 20s and the 30s as depicted in the following photos and as posted in my Album no. 5. Sounds like a good idea but precautions would have to be taken as there is a deep channel not far from shore. I know, one of my friends almost drowned in the 40s.
Guy
Ahh yes we know about the old swimming holes, but Verdun has never had a proper sandy beach.
The suggestion was 'if elected' tearing up the asphalt near Verdun's mini-marina and replacing with a nice proper sandy beach that families could enjoy . I do think it would require some sort of baricades & certainly lifeguards on duty,in case someone got caught in the current,the StLawrance runs quickly ,but it would be relatively easy to fill in a sort of breakwater & create a calmer area.
The thought is still nice to ponder,but reality almost certainly it will not happen.....
afterall it's a politicians 'promise' ,...and that & a bus ticket will get you on a bus.........lol
----------Have Fun & Remember Verdun.............life's a beach,ain't it...
Don't forget the Natatorium. What other municipality has such an excellant swimming pool with a fantastic scenic view of the river, none.
Guy
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b38tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FJkFAAAAIBAJ&dq=verdun%20natatorium&pg=4249%2C2615395
It certainly was a busy place,for swim events etc etc ,& just plain fun for kids & adults alike.
.................................................................HF&RV.........
Maybe one day it will happen. As it is there are a lot of people who swim along the waterfront at various locations, but no problems, so far. Hell, I even went in for a dip myself in 09 and unbelievably was the first time I had ever actually been in the Saint Lawrence, though many close calls, especially on the ice lol. The Nat still gets packed in summer.
Ken McLaughlin
Sounds like a good idea, but I still cannot get my head around swimming in the St Lawrence around Montreal. Pollution, (real or perceived), would keep me out of the water. Who knows what would go floating by from upsteam.
Hi Les, I would be interested in how you can access these records. I would love to peruse old copies of the gazette (and Montreal Star for that matter). Is there a microfich site that I can go to and retreive, and view online?
Tks
Hi Keith ,I'm always trying to find ways into those type of archives (microfish etc ) I have not found one online yet,but to be honest I haven't tried that avenue for a few years. I will check into it again & see if I can find out something.
The BNQ is another source of interesting information,however in their 'upgrading' the site a few years ago,they now offer less (in the way of photos) than they used to.
here try this link & you will be able to navigate through tons of stuff.....
http://www.banq.qc.ca/accueil/ I suggest searching in French,as I have found that sometimes the same material doesn't show up using English......but you will figure that out.
I have been waiting for library's to offer the microfish search for years,they do offer it in your local library's (usually local papers only) but they might have other cities too. Check your local library to see what they offer.
As for the Gazette Headlines & access to old Montreal Gazettes ,I will get that address for you & post it shortly (later today perhaps ,as I'm just popping in here to check our site)
Thanks for the input,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,HF&RV
ps: I think I agree ,I seem to recall a lot of 'floating material' in the old drink,...especially those long 'balloons' ......hahahahaha Cheers !!
Here also is the link to the Canada Library & Archives..it's a little tedious at times,but you can find a lot of different info here too:
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/newspapers-at-lac/035005-1000-e.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------HF&RV-------
As for the access to the Montreal Gazette newspapers here is a link that will take you directly to them, then select what you like,which decade etc etc
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC
Good Luck with all your search's everyone,....................................HF&RV
and here is a story from the GAzette in 1938ish ? about the water quality of the river:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0700AAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZKgFAAAAIBAJ&dq=verdun%20swimming&pg=6759%2C3509790
........................HF&RV..................
So the worked on 19 projects ,including a 'floating dock' near the Natatorium. Well I'm glad they chose to go with a 'floating dock',cause any other non floating kind would be just waterlogged debris wouldn't it ?...................lol
Montreal and its boroughs have worked on 19 new projects, ranging from a lookout over the river by an old windmill in Pointe aux Trembles to a floating dock on the waterfront near the Natatorium swimming complex in Verdun.
...................................HF&RV.................
A couple more old Natatorium shots......
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