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montreal rem

Montreal in August is a sea of orange cones, as construction season drags on. But behind the dust and detours lies a pot of cultural gold. You may not find a rainbow at the end of the roadworks, but you will find a full spectrum of Pride events.

There's also Orientalys, a melting pot of diverse flavours to tease your palate, and the Scottish Highland Games, with kilts and caber tosses. And let's not forget the epic Italian heritage celebration, taking you through the heart of the Mediterranean without leaving the city.

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The Réseau express métropolitain (REM) has officially taken off and a select number of Greater Montreal Area residents were able to get a first go at the REM's route between Montreal's Gare Centrale and Station Brossard in the South Shore. And you know what this means? New REM stations allow access to new eat and drink destinations.

As of July 31, 2023, the REM will be available to anyone and everyone and will service a total of five stations: Gare Centrale, Île-des-Soeurs, Panama, Du Quartier and Brossard. Considering you can now hop on and away to the South Shore far more effortlessly, folks have more opportunities to enjoy a handful of cafés near each REM station, new shopping spots and activities that you can now access using the new train.

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The world often seems slow to embrace change, but some moments arrive with a surge of speed. That's how it felt at the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) inaugural ceremony on July 28 when a Montreal REM train slid into view at Brossard station, forming the backdrop for federal and provincial leaders to herald the city's new era in public transportation.

The magnitude of the moment wasn't lost on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who declared, "This is the largest public transit project in Quebec in the last 50 years." Taking the stage, he underlined the importance of collective transport in reducing density and improving low-cost housing options.

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As the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) gears up for its grand launch, downtown Montreal is about to be catapulted into a retail orbit previously unreachable without a car. The new light rail system promises to whisk you from the city core and deposit you at the doorstep of the South Shore's most enticing boutiques — all in a matter of minutes.

From American Eagle's stylish comfort wear to PUMA's sport-lifestyle fusion, brands previously uncharted from downtown are now just a few train stops away. Here are some of the shopping landscapes that await you at the end of a quick REM ride:

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The Réseau express métropolitain (REM) isn't just warming up the tracks, but firing up the city’s excitement for a two-day extravaganza ahead of its commissioning. On July 29 and 30, you can expect a whirlwind tour of the city’s newest transit system for free, punctuated by complimentary ice cream and the pulse of live music downtown.

The REM will grant free access to the first five stations opening — Brossard, Du Quartier, Panama, Île-des-Sœurs, and Gare Centrale — all weekend from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Don’t worry about long waits, as frequent service will ensure there's a train every few minutes to whisk you off to the South Shore and back.

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The Réseau express métropolitain (REM) has arrived, your golden ticket to an interconnected city. With its grand opening, the REM marks a transformative moment for Montreal's public transportation system.

But how do ticket transfers work? Which stations will open their gates first? How does this modern marvel fit into our city’s ever-evolving urban narrative? The answers, like the trains, are about to roll in. Here's what you need to know:

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With Montreal's REM going live this very weekend, it's prudent to be aware of what's actually accessible via the city's newest mode of transportation. There's no shortage of reliable coffee shops along the South Shore stretch of the REM, from Gare Centrale all the way down to Du Quartier Station in Brossard.

The Gare Centrale options are of course not newly-accessible but of great importance to those in need of a coffee ahead of a ride to the South Shore (and of course for those South Shore residents setting foot in downtown Montreal for the first time — welcome to our city! Jokes.)

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When you think of Montreal’s South Shore, you probably think of traffic and travel time. But the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) is changing that and unlocking a part of the map that many can’t reach. There are five REM stations opening on July 31, but it’s the three in the middle that have the hottest new events, activities, and dinner spots to check out.

Île-des-Soeurs will become a quick six-minute ride from Gare-Centrale, where you can go biking or rent boats to explore beneath the Samuel-de-Champlain Bridge. There are also restaurants, stores, and Strøm Spa for those who want to shop or relax.

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Your commute is about to get a futuristic facelift with a dash of déjà vu. As the city revs up for the launch of the Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM), you have to cast a glance back at Expo 67 and the visionary Expo Express.

Sixty years ago, a driverless train was so far-fetched, human 'conductors' were hired to play pretend and keep passengers calm. Now, as the REM prepares to whisk people around with no driver in sight, the question begs: have Montrealers outgrown the self-driving jitters, or are we just circling back to the future?

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A new "pink" Montreal metro line was supposed to one day provide new rapid transit between Montréal-Nord, downtown and Lachine. More than six years after Mayor Valérie Plante and her party, Projet Montréal, began campaigning on the proposal to radically expand the metro network, Plante says the project is beginning to take shape — though it hardly resembles the original plan.

Here's the recent history of the proposal, how it has changed and where it could go from here.

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The opening of the first part of the new Montreal REM network has reportedly been postponed... again. While the company behind the project, CDPQ Infra, had planned for a spring 2023 launch of the branch between Brossard and Montreal's Gare Centrale, multiple outlets report it's now targeting a summer opening.

The initial schedule called for a 2022 launch.

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After months of anticipation, the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) light rail system is almost ready to connect Montreal's South Shore with major destinations across the city. The 67-kilometre automated network is one of the largest in the world. Its opening will mark a major upgrade for local transportation infrastructure.

The REM's launch was pushed back last December until this spring. With five stations between Brossard and downtown completed, the project is entering a testing phase to get it ready for riders.

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