Ahuntsic-Cartierville residents want a riverside walkway. They say now’s the best time to build one

The sunlight reflecting on the waves of the Rivière des Prairies in Anjou-Cartierville. A few people are enjoying the views, including Jocelyne Duff, who wishes citizens had more access to the river. The solution? A continuous walking path along the shore. There is many elderly residences around it, as we can see now, actually, that wants to have more access. It's good for mental health. We have a very nice river. The project has been up in the air for almost a decade. Some citizens want a continuous walking path that would go from the Louis-Hébert Park and connect to the existing path at the Simon-Sicard Dam. And I've often thought it would be wonderful to have a path all along the water, all the way. The promenade would be built alongside this retaining wall made of rocks that belongs to Hydro-Québec. But the wall is deteriorating and Hydro is planning major repairs that have already started and should end in 2030. For Duff, it's time to seize the occasion, especially since a recent report from the province's Environmental Review Board came back in favour of the project. The cost is evaluated at $86 million. We should take, in my opinion, advantage of that occasion that will never come back. The borough mayor is in favour of the project as long as it can be done without expropriation on the shore. For us, that's not an option. But if Hydro reconsider how the work is done, or if there could be a path where we could walk, then of course we're going to be open to see how we can make it work. Théroux Séguin says a meeting is planned with Hydro-Québec to see the project's feasibility. The utility is still analyzing the Environmental Review Board's report. Hydro-Québec also says its main responsibility is to ensure people's safety and the durability of its facilities.