Montreal family spared from expropriation as STM shelves ventilation project

The STM has shelved a planned ventilation station project, lifting the threat of expropriation for a Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie family but leaving uncertainty.

A Montreal family that feared losing their home to expropriation breathed a cautious sigh after the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) suspended plans to build a new metro ventilation station. But even with the project on hold, there’s lingering anxiety.

“We were told we had six months to leave. I tried looking and there’s no way we could find something like this,” said Trini Ly, whose parents bought the family’s duplex in Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie in 1983. “We didn’t know where we would go. We knew it was impossible.”

Ly, who lives in the merged duplex with his sister and aging parents, both now in their 70s, said the past year and a half has been filled with stress and uncertainty.

“My parents have been very depressed ever since we received the notice. There’s been so much stress for all of us, all for nothing,” he said. “They just want to grow old here and spend the rest of their days in our house — this is family, it’s everything.”

STM cites lack of funding

On Wednesday night, the STM’s board confirmed it was withdrawing from the expropriation process for the Ly family home on Bellechasse Street and suspending the ventilation station project “for several years.”

In a statement to CTV News, STM spokesperson Amélie Régis said the delay stemmed from “the absence of financing from the Quebec government.” She added: “This postponement will also allow us to take a step back and learn from the concerns expressed by citizens.”

The STM said it had the funds to purchase the property but lacked resources to complete the larger project. The family will receive compensation for expenses and hardship suffered, though the amount was not disclosed.

The agency declined a request for an interview.

Government blames STM

Quebec’s transport minister pointed the finger back at the transit agency.

“If the STM prefers to deflect the debate by blaming others instead of taking responsibility for its decisions, that’s its choice,” said Jonathan Guay, spokesperson for Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault.

Guay stressed that no government has invested as much in public transit, pointing to a $14.5 billion commitment in the province’s latest infrastructure plan. He said it was up to the STM to manage and prioritize projects within its existing annual budget.

Calls for transparency

Residents who rallied around the Ly family said the STM must learn from the ordeal.

Tristan Desjardins-Drouin, a neighbour who helped organize opposition, said the agency had received a report from the Independent Commission after last fall’s public consultations — but has yet to release it.

“We were a lot of people that provided our input for this public consultation and said how they felt about this project,” he said. “The STM has this report, but it doesn’t want to publish it for the public. People need to know what’s in it. Everyone should know what the recommendations are so that, after that, we can do better — the STM can do better.”

CTV News asked the STM to comment on the report, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Concerns over expropriation law

For neighbour Karen Templeton, who has lived across the street from the Ly family for more than 25 years, the saga highlighted larger problems with Quebec’s expropriation law and its recent changes.

“It streamlines the expropriation process, which makes it very difficult to contest it,” she said.

She pointed out that the law removed the “value to the owner” concept, replacing it with “market value.”

“So, it’s much cheaper now for them to expropriate and as we saw in this case,” said Templeton. “In [the STM’s] version of market value, this family was never going to be able to relocate in this neighborhood with the amount of money that they were offering.”

A community strengthened

Through all the hardship, Templeton said the fight left something positive behind. “In some ways, it’s been a very community-building kind of exercise,” she said.

Kate Wyatt, who has lived in the neighbourhood for 20 years, agreed. “We built this network and that gives us more hope moving forward — like how we might have more of a say in the future, including with this project,” she said.

She emphasized that residents were vocal in their disapproval of the project and pushed for “real consultation.”

Wyatt also noted the scale of what was planned. “It’s a very intense and large project that would take place really close to people in a densely packed, family-oriented neighbourhood,” she said.

For now, the Ly family can remain in their home. However, with the STM maintaining the project as a priority for the future, the relief could prove temporary.

“None of it makes sense, because there are so many other locations the STM could choose,” Ly said. “My family and I, we suffered for a year and a half. I don’t think it’s okay and I don’t wish that on anyone.”