Chinatown revitalization group says REM station would be another blow to historic district

A large vacant lot on the edge of Montreal's Chinatown has sat untouched for years, right next to the historic district's northern arch that welcomes visitors to a vibrant neighbourhood that's been eaten away by urban development over decades.

Now transit authorities plan to turn that lot into a train station as part of a $10-billion light-rail project to connect downtown Montreal to the city's east end — a plan that will include an elevated track along part of René-Lévesque Boulevard.

But a train station is not at all what a group trying to breathe new life into Chinatown would like to see in that empty lot. 

"It could be a community centre; it could be affordable housing for seniors; it could be related to the history of Chinatown," said Winston Chan, a member of the committee, called Inclusive Revitalization: Present and Future of Chinatown.

The second phase of the Réseau express métropolitain, known as the REM de l'Est, is being developed by CDPQ Infra, a subsidiary of Quebec's pension fund manager, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. 

Chan said his group sent a letter to CDPQ Infra last year, outlining its concerns about the project's impact on Chinatown — a district that has been hit particularly hard by the loss of tourism, empty office buildings and other effects of the pandemic over the last two years. 

Despite that, authorities went ahead with plans that include a station at the corner of St-Laurent and René-Lévesque boulevards.

They insist the elevated rail won't obscure the view of the arch, but Chan said the real issue is the loss of space dedicated to the historic district.

"Chinatown will be shrunk again despite the heritage protection from the City of Montreal and the Quebec government," said Chan, recalling projects such as the Ville-Marie tunnel, Complexe Desjardins and the Palais des congrès which saw entire neighbourhoods demolished and residents displaced with each new incursion.

He said Chinatown is already served by the Orange and Green Metro lines. The REM station isn't needed and doesn't fit.

Chan said he is also concerned real estate values will skyrocket, making the neighbourhood unaffordable for the 700 or so residents who call Chinatown home, many of them low-income seniors.

"Chinatown isn't a museum," Chan said. "There are actually people living there."

The plan for the REM de l'Est includes 23 stations along 32 kilometres of track, stretching from downtown to Pointe-aux-Trembles and Montréal-Nord through a mix of underground tunnels and elevated tracks. 

Christian Ducharme, a spokesperson for CDPQ Infra, said the plan is "exactly how we want it." When asked about the concerns raised by the Chinatown committee, he said this "project is about the whole Montreal. It's about everyone."