Critics challenge Montreal's light rail project at public hearing

Hundreds gathered at a downtown hotel Monday nightfor the environmental hearings on Montreal's proposed light rail project.

The train service proposed by the Caisse de dpt et placement du Qubec would connect the airport and Deux-Montagnes to downtown Montreal and the South Shore.

The $5-billion project, being hailed as the biggest infrastructure project since the Metro was built, hinges on getting environmental approval.Proponents of the new light rail system say it's good for the environment and will speed up commuting times.

"We're talking about improving collective transport around Montreal, we're talking about bringing a solution that is more frequent, more fast," saidJean-VincentLacroix, a spokesman for theCaisse.

• Quebec to fast-track light rail project's environmental review
• Will the light rail really save time for South Shore commuters?

But it also has plenty of critics, who attended thefirst day of hearings by theBAPE, Quebec's bureau of public hearings on environmental matters, showed.

"My concern is that the project has been rushed through by the government," said Donald Hobus of the Sierra Club of Canada.

"They seem to be in too much of a hurry to get this thing started and finished, and there's no reason for that. They should be taking more time, investigating a little more carefully."

A project for real estate tycoons?

Some questioned whether the project is about transit or a business deal to help Quebec's pension fund make money from the rising land values.

"A lot of the train stations in the West Island are being built in places where there's no one living right now and the only way that they can make money on this investment is through massive real estate development," said Lachineresident Lisa Mintz.

The Caisse has revised some plans in response to environmental concerns, such as protecting more wetlands, but not not everyone is satisfied.

• Light rail plan tweaked to protect wetlands, close fewer roads

"If this was done anywhere else, it would be months of hearings, months of information being put forward on how much it's going to cost," said environmentalist Irwin Rapoport. "What are the alternatives? This is a fait accompli as far as the Quebec government is concerned."

The hearings continue through Wednesday. The commissioners will submit a report to the environment minister by the end of Decemberand it must be made public by the end of February.