Michael Fish's DOT

(English version below) L’Administration municipale de Montréal a annoncé qu’elle s’activera à hausser les limites de densité et de hauteur dans le zonage de nombreux quartiers du Centre-ville « pour encourager la venue de nouveaux projets de construction». Les contraintes de zonage existantes à Montréal sont déjà trop généreuses. De plus, depuis plusieurs années, de furtives hausses aux limites prescrites au Plan Directeur du Centre-ville (1990) signalent aux développeurs que leurs projets sont acceptables, peu importe leur densité et leur hauteur. Ainsi, trop peu de contraintes de zonage leur sont apparentes quand ils présentent un nouveau projet à l’Hôtel de Ville. Plus importants que toute généreuse modification de zonage sont les garantis, les partenariats, les subventions et tout autre avantage attribués par la Ville à des développeurs qui éprouvent des difficultés à l’obtenir des prêts hypothécaires leur permettant de réaliser leurs projets. De tels projets s’in...

(Je traduirai cet article aussitôt que possible. Je regrette le delai. ) This is an edited letter which I wrote to the Mayor of a city recently following public meetings where the fate of a listed building was discussed – a developer had asked for a permit to demolish. Several experts had been hired by the developer and the City to ‘advise’ on the condition of the building in question Dear Mayor, It seemed that you had read the report of listed buildings carefully and that you realize what few others understand about heritage properties. This is that the conservation and the preservation of all buildings on any list of important buildings have factual and directive values. Many actors in the general area of development, out of lack of knowledge or even from a will to frustrate the intent of conservation objectives, fail to act in consequence of this. Having read the document carefully, myself, only in the last few weeks, I did not realize that the report has the same legal effec...

Many, no, most of the country’s most reputable historians have underlined the importance to French and English-Canadian and North American, if not World History, of the life and works of the Man who built and occupied this house during all of his public life. Architectural writers have contributed many articles about those aspects of the building that also make it of prime importance in the History of the City. One makes mention only in passing, that all political shades of opinion in the Province and the Country and all but one of the City’s Newspapers has written strong editorials over the years to the effect that the building should be preserved and restored. Most importantly, several Federal authorities (for this is primarily going to be a Canadian Historic Site, whatever happens) have said that if the City purchases the house, they will do their duty, whatever that entails, from erecting a plaque to restoring and operating both it, a visitors' centre on or off the site and...

or how private corporate interests plan to profit unduly at the expense of all Montrealers, - from forty years of negligent city planning . (version française ci-après) The first thing to know - Teachers and Cadillac-Fairview, owners of the Windsor Station environs, are effectively the same company wearing different suits. Cadillac-Fairview operates (and may own) all the the city block where Windsor Station sits. Teachers certainly owns the several city blocks where the Old Queens Hotel once was located, immediately to the South of the Windsor Station block. But remember, Teachers and Cadillac-Fairview are the same company. The Big Rip-off and almost all of the profit from new development in all this area to Teachers (Cadillac-Fairview) will come when the Queen’s Hotel property will be built by Teachers and occupied by the public Transportation Authorities in Montreal, (AMT), for a huge sum. A six story high, full block structure will be built on an expanded Queen’s site t...

July 15, 2010 A Short Word on What Every Law Abiding Canadian should Add to the Saga of Omar Khadr and the Harperite Government Almost every editorial writer in every newspaper in the western world has urged the Canadian Government to follow the law of Canada and repatriate Khadr to this country. The Harperite Government together with two Presidents of the US, claim to be executing justice. Pontious Pilate said as much when he was asked to intervene in the case of history’s Great Martyr. Those who would claim a martyrdom for Omar Khadr and who hate everything for which the West claims to stand, for sure, will never accept that Omar Khadr threw that grenade (even if he did). But they will note the effort of Two World Powers to find guilty and punish this (extraordinary) young man. Obama and the US will escape blame even when Omar is condemned. Americans are a revengeful, bloody lot who celebrate their exceptionalism and their refusals from international Laws and Conventions. ...

Sauvons la Vieille Prison de Saint-Vincent-de-Paul The Gazette editorial of July 14th 2010 promoting the demolition of the Old St-Vincent de Paul Penitentiary, suggested by the M.P. for the district in which it is situated, with respect, is an example of faulty, one-dimensional thinking. Here is how that reasoning goes: "It's underused. Nobody is making money. It occupies prime real estate. A smart business person can produce housing easily here. Everyone will make money, especially patronage friends of the Government. We'll all be rich, and merry, and gay !" Isn't that the refrain ? Oh, I almost forgot - "Jobs ! Jobs ! Jobs !" and "New Taxes !" The Old St-Vincent de Paul Castle is a unique feature on the local landscape of Quebec. It was built high up so that it would be a highly visible symbol, reminding would-be criminals of the Power of the Government and the prison system of its day. As such it serves as a historic reminder of...

Sixty Years of Corporate Credulity and Greed Meeting Public Negligence . (version française ci-jointe) . Recent History - 1950 - 1990 In the nineteen sixties, the then one hundred year old Canadian Pacific Railway Company ceased passenger service in Canada. Faced with increasing travel by bus, plane and automobile, the company decided to redevelop many rail properties for new real estate uses. In Montreal, these included : the seven kilometre long rail line from Montreal West to Peel Street; the 175 thousand square meter marshalling yards at the Glen in Westmount, and a similar sized train turn-around yard in NDG. The crown jewel, however, among these opportunities for redevelopment, was the 37 thousand square meter site under Windsor Station and its enclosed track fan, six platforms with eleven train tracks and room for more. Built between 1880 and 1956, the station complex was a unique collection of buildings with national historical importance. The corporate giant which had b...