Turcot activist sees possibilities for change

by Kate McDonnell

The rebuilding of the Turcot interchange hasn’t been in the news much lately, but the people at Solidarité Saint-Henri have been watching the project closely and are planning a meeting of Mobilisation Turcot on November 16 to disseminate information that they feel hasn’t been well presented to the public.

“It’s a huge wall,” says Jacob Larsen, agent de mobilisation with the group. “It wasn’t included in the mock-ups, but it’s clear from the MTQ diagram that they’re planning a massive wall along the Ville-Marie that nobody knows about yet.”

But aren’t the project plans a fait accompli? Larsen doesn’t think so. “With a provincial election next year alongside a major inquiry into corruption and collusion, things are in flux. There’s every chance to make changes in this thing in favour of the community.” He emphasizes that his group is not saying the existing Turcot shouldn’t be fixed. “We know it has to be replaced,” he says. “But not with gratuitous extras, like moving the 20 against the Falaise, rebuilding the Ville-Marie, rebuilding the de la Verendrye interchange. The MTQ’s constantly expanding definition of the Turcot is something the public needs to know about.”

Larsen’s not giving up hope, though. “Right now we want to take the opportunity to show people what the MTQ intends to do, and invite them to express themselves.”

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