Streets April 2013

Took a trip through the Griff the other week to check out some old haunts. With all the construction going on in the area I was curious to see what kind of activity there has been on the walls below Notre-Dame. And as it appears there is not much happening east of Guy, but I was able to flick a few shots here and there. At least five new condo complexes are going up in the area, the towering silhouettes of construction cranes have become familiar additions to the sky line looking out towards Five Roses. And as these new developments continue to go up, so to will the efforts of the building management, and in turn the borough offices, to remove any undesirable or non marketable individual or group from the area that may impede on the living conditions of the newly established occupant population. And so it goes.

Some of these efforts can already be seen with the fencing up of areas underneath the highway on/off rampsand the installation of new video surveillance cameras in ans around the construction sites. Wellington Tunnel is directly across the street from one of the development projects. Besides the continued pad locking of the gates to tunnels and the wielding of additional plates and bars to the gate area to impede the entrance into the tunnels, nothing has been done to keep anyone from the area. It is also out of sight, next to and below Notre-Dame street. There seemed to be a bit of smoldering smoke coming from out of the main tunnel so I did not go in. It was also pad locked. There was some guy squatting in one of the adjacent tunnels. I asked him what was going in the tunnel, if there was a fire burning in there. He didn't seem concerned, and said that he knew nothing of it. I told him to watch himself and be careful and went on my way.

 

The old switch house is still closed up too. I think there is someone squatting in that area too. I saw several others squatting under the area right across the street from the spot that was fenced up leaving me to question what criteria is used to determine what area is controlled over another. Anyway, not much there anymore except a dusty parking lot and a lot of fence. I used to live in the Griff a little before all of this development started, and although I can appreciate the need to develop older areas of the city, I guess I just miss my old Griffintown.Not many flicks of the area so I through in a few from elsewhere I grabbed recently. More to come.

Stay posted.