Montrealers protest Ray-Mont Logistiques container site project

A protest against adding a container site, called the Ray-Mont Logistiques project, was held this afternoon in Place Simon-Lavois in the district of Hochelaga Maisonneuve by the organization group called Mobilisation 6600.

The project is part of the CAQ’s “Avantage St-Laurent” economic vision but it involves machinery operation 24/7 so it can handle 100 cars a day, 1,000 trucks passing and 10,000 containers stored on-site.

“We cannot accept that our neighbourhood is going to be transformed or destroyed or disturbed by an enterprise that represents 10,000 containers, that’s going to put concrete all over the place, 1,000 trucks — that’s way too much for this neighbourhood,” said Cassandre Charbonneau-Jobin, spokesperson for Mobilisation 6600.

“This past week, I’ve presented a petition to the National Assembly asking that the minister of environment calls on his own accord an environment inquiry on the project l’Assomption Sud where Ray-Mont Logistique wants to do a big model platform,” said Alexandre Leduc, district deputy of Hochelaga Maisonneuve.

Leduc has also filed an examination to the petition that he hopes will add pressure so the people in the community can get some answers and proper information about the project itself.

The St.Lawrence river will also be threatened by this project, as there will be an increase in the transportation of goods on the river.

“There’s big risks, there’s environmental risks about this project, a lot of people are angry about it because it’s very close to homes, it’s very close to a relatively calm neighbourhood,” said Leduc.

Over 300 people first gathered at the protest and were joined by hundreds more throughout the march, to raise their voices, demand a solution, and stop the project held by Ray-Mont Logistiques.

“Our mission is to put pressure on all levels of government — we’re talking about the city, the provincial government and the federal government — to work together to come up with the solution so that Ray-Mont Logistiques does not come to our neighbourhood,” said Charbonneau-Jobin.