8 October 2015

 

NDG Hot Dog, restaurant closed during Covid

Montreal West train station 

On Westminster Avenue 

Montreal West train station on 27 September 2010

 

Stopping at Montreal West train station

Sometimes I'll go for a walk and, mid-way, I'll be at the Montreal West train station (it's only for commuters now and run by the City of Montreal) and I'll stop and sit on a bench by the tracks for a few minutes. The sound of trains on the tracks, the smell of creosote, a train passing in the distance, these are things most Canadians used to be nostalgic about; it's not that the railways are in decline, they're busier than ever, they're making more money now than ever, it's just that urbanized Canadians don't have much to do with the railways now that travel by train has declined and fewer people work for our railways. Many members of my family worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway, it was a kind of tradition. 

Out walking this January morning

 

Farewell, Village Shopping Plaza

The sky over the Village Shopping Plaza

The windows are boarded, the doors are locked, electrical wires are disconnected, the water has been turned off, the halls are empty, the stores are closed and littered with junk, the rooms and halls are in darkness, The Knights of Columbus moved years ago, stores have relocated, stores have closed permanently, no children at the daycare, no one buying bread and bagels at the bakery, no antiques being sold, concrete stairs are disintegrating, windows are closed, everything is silent, the parking lot has been sealed off with large concrete blocks, no one is here, no beer or food being consumed at the Robert Burns Pub, what's left to do? Tear it down, tear it down and build some condos say the developers. Tear it down and let us make money say the developers. It`s just an eyesore now, so tear it down! Soon, the Village Shopping Plaza will be demolished.  

BTW, this location would have been a good site for a commuter train station (talk has included a train station behind the Cote-St-Luc Shopping Centre). There is lots of room here for parking, it's close to the train tracks, and it's a very large piece of land with an adjacent piece of land for sale next to it. Just an idea...

 

Montreal West Train Station