And to think I lobbied every single MEC board member candidate for them to pick a greener location in the future... I'm outraged!

But then again, maybe 20,000-square foot stores can never be sustainable.

As for alternative modes of transport between NYC and Montreal, you are right - current train service takes, typically, around 10 hours and, assuming two people, is considerably more expensive than taking a car, even factoring in tolls & parking.

I lived in Plattsburgh for a few years, in the mid- to late-90's, and I was able to get to Montreal in about an hour and 10 minutes by car. The train takes nearly 4 times as long, and that's assuming some idiot doesn't show up at the border without any ID, thus delaying the entire train while CBSA tries to sort them out.

I am disheartened to say that getting a fast train to NYC is a loooong way away, not only because of financing, but because the most logical route would necessarily run along the very eastern edge of the Adirondack Park, which has some very strict environmental and land-use protections, thus requiring all manner of environmental studies.

And both the westbound 100 and 460 express bus (now with extended hours) run quite from Cremazie metro.

There is also a store in Québec City, in the central Lower Town, near the public library and the redeveloped rue St-Joseph stretch.

By the way, it is Marché central (no e). Marché is a feminine noun in French (think mercato in Italian and mercado in Spanish).

I live near the Jean-Talon market, so Marché central is much closer than the South Shore location will be; it is just hell to get to and around, for people without cars. Jim, I just wish the fast train to NYC (and the one to Boston) will eventually get built. It takes forever by train to NYC and the bus sucks, and it is an environmental absurdity to take a plane that distance.

I recall when MEC opened in Marche Centrale, they said it was difficult for them to find suitable space closer to downtown. It'd be interesting to know the backstory there, since their Montreal location contrasts so starkly with the choices they have made for theiir other urban locations. (One exception there being their new store in Burlington, Ont., which is right next to the QEW/403. (Okay, so it is LEED-Gold certified, which is a nice accomplishment, but I suppose they could have put it in, for example, downtown Hamilton. NOTE: I have no idea what downtown Hamilton is like.)

I am looking forward, accordingly, to the Blvd. Taschereau location when it opens. It'll be far easier to get to when I come up from New York, since I won't need to go very far out of my way.

The last time I was there, I was looking for those little metal supports for flower boxes - and found them - at the big hardware store (Réno-Dépôt). None in any hardware or household places closer in Villeray/Petite Patrie or Plateau/Mile End, including Canadian Tire and Home Depot. The Rona on avenue du Parc had them, but at Outremont prices.

Shawn, there are several ways to get there: you can also go through Parc-Extension, cycling along Querbes, which actually crosses the 40. I prefer to avoid cycling up St-Laurent as there is a risky intersection just south of the expressway: a couple of streets east of there one of the streets (Henri-Julien?) has a light with a pedestrian button under the expressway. In that case you have to travel through Ahuntsic, and at least part of the way along Chabanel (very busy during garment-industry hours, quiet at weekends). I do cycle along the very wide sidewalk of the underpass along Chabanel (they should mark a bicycle path along there); there are never many pedestrians.

Yes, of course I don't think cyclists should use sidewalks, but with many badly-designed viaducts and underpasses, there is no safe alternative.

Or like you said, they could have housed people there and built an overpass specially for pedestrian when they rebuilt the l'Acadie exchange, and they could have gone to Rockland center, right next door.

I haven't got the foggiest idea. What a waste of space. They could have housed thousands of people on that space, with ground-floor businesses.

« Recycler, ça rapporte ! »

and the obligatory (tm)(tm)(c)()()() following those catchy catch phrases.

It looks like #6 is the correct answer for the first question. I really hoped it would be #4. Getting to the Marché is a pain in the ass if you don't have a car or bike.