Courtesy of urbanphoto.comThis is almost old news, but it's on the frunt burner of a public consultation meeting tonight. The Friendship Cove wouldn't be the only loss to the neighborhood if Devimco is allowed to go ahead with its plans to see the area practically razed of its nearly 200 year-old residential and industrial infrastructure. The issue at hand is not only the patrimonial loss of the area, but the utter lack of public consultation. So be heard tonight by following this link.

Devimco are the developpers responsible for the sprawling eyesore dix30, in Brossard (that's the Mississauga of the South Shore...) at the junction of the number 10 and 30 autoroutes, where I grew up drinking at campfires in the field where gingerbread-style housing and outlet malls now flourish. The Griffintown project's total floor space of its planned stores, offices, theatre, two hotels and nearly 4,000 housing units is 3 1/2 times as great as that of Place Ville Marie office tower. Nine buildings are to have about 17 floors. One is to have 22.

Part of the project would also be the development of a tram line between the airport, dontown, and Berri-UQAM, with of course a stop at the New Griffintown. An interesting tidbit is that Laurent Beaudoin, CEO of Bombardier (as in the company most likely to build the tram line), and his family are major shareholders in Devimco.

The Attack of the B.C. Lioness

When you're just a kid in geography class, you're always led to believe that Canada is a massive expanse of land with a few sparkling cities strung across the provinces. More or less evenly spaced, you picture them like little diamonds glowing in the darkness of whatever's in between, probably nothing. Halifax. Fredericton. Montreal. Ottawa. Toronto. Winnipeg. Regina. Calgary. Vancouver. To each little province, its own cluster of bright lights and bustling activity.