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Why Montreal Island Has No Right Turn On Red
Here's the history of how this happened... or didn't happen.
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No right turn on red on the Island of Montreal. It's a message everyone who's ever crossed into the metropolis knows. But why is this the case? It's a discussion that dates back a generation, so the reasoning behind it may have fallen out of collective memory.
The process of legalizing right turns on red in Quebec dates back to 2000, when public consultation on the subject began. The Ministry of Transports began right turn on red pilot projects across the province in 2001.
Despite a report on the results of the pilot projects recommending against legalization, Quebec officially adopted rights on red on April 13, 2003 — everywhere except Montreal, which was left to decide for itself whether to institute the measure.
The city put together a commission to study the possibility, but contributing groups rejected the measure, citing pedestrian and bike safety.
In its submission to the commission, the regional public health authority claimed rights on red would increase vehicular traffic in Montreal as well as the risk of pedestrian injury. It also said adverse effects on public safety "would be experienced primarily by residents of disadvantaged neighborhoods, children, the elderly and the disabled."
Public health encouraged the city council to maintain the ban and focus on improving road safety, not make it worse.
Cycling advocacy group Vélo Québec, meanwhile, argued that, not only would right turns on red endanger pedestrians and cyclists, but that they would also undermine the character and international standing of Montreal, which, the group said, has an urban culture that emphasizes pedestrian access.
"Montreal is a city known for its restaurants, its festivals, its friendliness and the safety of its streets (this is what makes the Jazz Festival such a success, especially for Americans who can't believe that they can walk safely downtown in a festive atmosphere)," Vélo Québec wrote.
"Unfortunately, this unique character that makes Montrealers appreciate their city and that we are so good at selling to foreign visitors is directly challenged by the possible authorization of the [right turn on red]."
The special commission submitted its final report to Montreal City Council on October 27, 2003, but the city, of course, never implemented the measure.
Montreal public health revisited the issue as part of public consultation on road safety in 2017, but reaffirmed its findings from 15 years earlier, stating that "it is unthinkable to support a measure that creates road insecurity and injuries."
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Montreal Police Are Investigating 2 Recent Shootings That Happened Within 8 Hours
One shooting happened near where Denis Coderre was campaigning on Wednesday.
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Gun violence in our city has been on the rise for the past few months now. Recently, Montreal police received 911 calls for two separate shootings in the city. The first happened during the afternoon around 3:50 p.m., where multiple civilians reported hearing gunshots fired at the corner of Émile-Journault and 9th Avenue in Saint-Michel.
SPVM spokesperson Caroline Chèvrefils told MTL Blog that when police arrived on the scene, they found a 23-year-old man who had been shot in the upper body. He was then transported to the hospital and we're told that his life is not in danger.
J'ÉTAIS LÀ, à moins de 50 mètres, #LIVE, en porte-à-porte avec @DenisCoderre quand c'est arrivé. Il y a une garde… https://t.co/ZKT4XOeHQl— Guillaume Lavoie (@Guillaume Lavoie)1631749656.0
City council candidate Guillaume Lavoie from Ensemble Montréal tweeted that he and Denis Coderre were campaigning door-to-door right next to where the shooting happened. There is a daycare nearby. Some citizens told us that it was the 3rd time in a short time," Lavoie wrote.
The second shooting happened just after 12 a.m. on Thursday, September 16, only eight hours after the other shooting, in an apartment on rue Despréaux, which left a 29-year-old man wounded in the upper body. He was brought to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
"There was an altercation that happened in the apartment between several people and that's when gunshots were fired," Chèvrefils explained. "One or several suspects fled the scene before the arrival of the police."
The investigations for both incidents are ongoing and no arrests have been made in connection to the two shootings as of yet.
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The Montreal Canadiens Have Unveiled A 'Consent Action Plan' To Address Sexual Cyberviolence
The plan comes after the Canadiens drafted Logan Mailloux.
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Groupe CH, the parent company of the Montreal Canadiens, just unveiled its new action plan to bring awareness and education to the community and its employees about sexual cyberviolence.
Titled the "Respect and Consent Action Plan," the plan will tackle "the internal environment of Groupe CH as well as the external and community environment."
In a press release, Montreal Canadiens owner, president, and CEO Geoff Molson said, "we want to ensure that our actions will be part of a concerted approach that will bring about positive changes within our company and in the hockey community."
All employees and hockey operations staff will benefit from training "on respect and consent and sexual cyberviolence in line with our policy of equity, diversity, and inclusion and with the values of our organization," the release said.
The company will also hire women in "key positions" within the hockey operations department.
As for its community initiatives, the Montreal Canadiens will collaborate with aid organizations and the Quebec hockey community at large to develop a "prevention program aimed at young hockey players, as well as the interveners who support them in their practice of the sport."
Financial support will also be given to registered organizations that are committed to preventing and raising awareness about sexual cyberviolence. Groupe CH has also given financial support to an organization that supports victims of sexual violence.
The release of the Respect and Consent Action Plan follows uproar surrounding the Canadiens' draft pick of defenceman Logan Mailloux, who admitted to distributing a pornographic photo of an 18-year-old woman without consent.
At the time of the draft pick, the team said it was "committed to raising awareness among [its] players about the repercussions of their actions on the lives of others."
If you require resources or assistance surrounding sexual assault in Quebec, the CAVAC helpline is available 24/7. Those who may need support can call 1-866-532-2822. Other crisis lines and 24/7 options can be found at The Lifeline Canada.
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