Hope, but no cheques in meeting with Plante
But Plante leaves meeting without cash or firm commitment on cannabis taxes
Mayor Valérie Plante is hoping for provincial cash for the Pink Line and pot-legalization expenses.
But after her first meeting with Premier Philippe Couillard at Montreal City Hall on Thursday, she came away with hope but no cheques.
The two held a news conference after their meeting.
Here’s what they had to say:
PUBLIC TRANSIT
Couillard said Quebec and Montreal are working together on transit, pointing to last week’s joint announcement about the purchase of 300 buses for the Société de transport de Montréal by 2020.
He said the long-discussed extension of the métro Blue Line to Anjou “is going to happen. We are really in the final stages of getting to an announcement.”
And Couillard said he hopes work will start by the summer on the Réseau électrique métropolitain, or REM, which will connect downtown Montreal with the South Shore, Deux-Montagnes, the West Island and Trudeau airport.
But he was less specific when it came to helping fund Plante’s pet project — a métro Pink Line, with 29 stations stretching between Montreal North and Lachine.
“I’m very happy that this idea came up during the (Montreal election) campaign,” Couillard said, adding he understands the logic of a new line to relieve pressure on the Orange Line.
“Of course we will be there, but first work has to be done regionally,” he added.
He said the idea must first be presented to the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain, which oversees transit planning.
Plante said she understands the Blue Line and REM will come first. “The needs are big,” she said. “I’m going to continue to think big” on transit.
CANNABIS
Montreal says pot legalization is expected to cost the city between $4.7 million and $9.3 million per year in new costs related to policing and public education.
Couillard said he’s open to sharing money collected in pot taxes with municipalities, but no deal has been reached yet.
“Of course we want to have an agreement with Montreal on sharing money to better manage this transition,” Couillard said.
Plante said she came away from the meeting “very confident and we think it’s clear enough that we’ll have the sums necessary” to deal with the legalization.
AMAZON
Couillard and Plante said they were dismayed that online retailing giant Amazon did not put Montreal on the short list of cities it’s considering for a new $5-billion, 50,000-employee second headquarters.
Toronto made the short list. “I’m disappointed, very disappointed,” Couillard said, noting Montreal’s many merits, including its status as an artificial intelligence hub and its universities, tech sector and quality of life.
“We thought we had a good shot to at least be on the short list.”
Plante said the work Montreal International did on a proposal to woo Amazon will be used to attract other companies.
“I’m disappointed, but I’m an optimistic type of person,” Plante said. “We’re in a very good position in attracting companies, and we have been doing so … I’m not so worried.”
FLOODING
A city of Montreal report, obtained by the Montreal Gazette last week, indicates the city was ill-prepared for major flooding last spring, in part because of outdated flood maps.
Municipal Affairs Minister Martin Coiteux, who attended the Couillard-Plante meeting, told reporters the province is “working together with our municipal partners to improve our capacity to respond” to future flooding.
He said the “question of better maps of areas at risk of flooding” is a priority.
“We have to update them, and we’re working toward being able to present an action plan by the end of February,” Coiteux said.
CODERRE RUMOUR
The premier was asked about a rumour former mayor Denis Coderre may run for Couillard’s Liberals in the October provincial election.
“I haven’t spoken to Mr. Coderre recently. I last spoke to him after the election to thank him for his public service,” Couillard said.
He dismissed as “hypothetical” a followup question about whether he wants Coderre on his team.