Expect longer commutes, crowded buses and metros, if strike happens, STM says
"We suggest to set aside twice as much time as usual to get around," said Marie-Claude Léonard, the executive director of the Société de transport de Montréa l (STM), during a news conference on Wednesday morning.
"During the service hours, there will be crowding."
Léonard also suggested that people use other transportation methods if possible.
Earlier this week, Quebec's labour tribunal ruled that about 2,400 STM workers who do maintenance work on the city's buses and Metro cars can go on strike from June 9 at 12 a.m. to June 17 at 11:59 p.m.
Exceptions were made, however, for peak hours and to account for the influx of tourists and increase in traffic during Grand Prix weekend.
The union representing the workers, the Syndicat du transport de Montréal-CSN, and the STM agreed to only provide services during peak hours on June 9, 10 and 11. For June 16 and 17, there would be service in those peak-hour windows and the the frequency of buses and Metro cars would be reduced by 50 per cent outside of those hours.
The reduced services outside of the peak hours would also apply to June 12, but the peak-hour windows on that day would be slightly bigger.
For the Grand Prix weekend, between June 13 and June 15, there would be full service.
STM service limited to rush hour and late evenings on June 9, 10, 11, 16 and 17:
Metro:
• 6:30 a.m. to 9:38 a.m.
• 2:45 p.m. to 5:48 p.m.
• 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Bus:
• 6:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
• 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• 11:15 p.m. to 1:15 a.m.
Outside of the hours listed above, the bus and Metro frequency would also be reduced by 50 per cent on June 16 and 17. There would be no bus and Metro service outside of the peak hours for June 9, 10 and 11 and access to the Metro will be closed, making those the most challenging strike days for commuters.
STM service offered on June 12, the eve of Canadian Grand Prix weekend:
Metro:
• 6:30 a.m. to 10:38 a.m.
• 2:45 p.m. to 6:48 p.m.
• 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Bus:
• 6:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
• 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• 11:15 p.m. to 1:15 a.m.
The bus and Metro frequency would also be reduced by 50 per cent outside of these hours.
The STM said the strike would not affect adapted transit nor school shuttles.
Montreal's light-rail train network, the REM, has relied on buses from the STM and the Réseau de transport de Longueuil (RTL) to provide shuttle buses outside of its current service schedule that ends at around 8:30 p.m. The STM says the shuttle bus it provides for REM users would be available between 11:15 p.m. and 1:15 a.m.
The maintenance workers are with the Syndicat du transport de Montréal, a union that is under the massive umbrella of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) labour federation.
The STM is also negotiating with three other unions, including one that represents bus and Metro car drivers who just voted 99 per cent in favour of a strike mandate. That union has not yet decided on strike dates.
According to the STM, it provides 1.1 million trips per day.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
29 minutes ago
- CBC
'What took so long?' P.E.I. senator says Ottawa's bridge toll cut came a decade too late
Social Sharing Prime Minster Mark Carney's decision to cut tolls on the Confederation Bridge satisfied a Prince Edward Island senator's long-standing quest for equality — but it didn't come without a question. "What took so long?" said Percy Downe during an interview with CBC's Island Morning. Downe, who served as chief of staff to former prime minister Jean Chrétien before his appointment to the Senate in 2003, had long called the bridge tolls unfair to Islanders. His complaints began about a decade ago, when the previous Liberal government announced it was fully funding and removing tolls on Montreal's Champlain Bridge. Both that bridge and Confederation are assets owned by the federal government. "That was grossly unfair. It was unfair to Islanders," Downe said. "It was a problem that should have been addressed by prime minister [Justin] Trudeau. It was never addressed. I'm thankful Prime Minister Carney fixed the problem." Carney's announcement Monday saw the price of tolls on the Confederation Bridge, which connects P.E.I. with New Brunswick, fall to $20 from $50.25. Prices for transport trucks fell to a flat rate of $20. And there was no change in the cost to cyclists, pedestrians, shuttles or motorcycles. Those changes kicked in Friday. Downe said he's OK with the $20 toll, saying that money can go toward the bridge's maintenance. But it took a decade for Ottawa to right a wrong, he said, and Islanders paid the price during that time. "In those 10 years... Islanders spent hundreds of millions of dollars in tolls," he said. More than 990,000 vehicles crossed the Confederation Bridge in 2024, many of them paying at least $50.25 to pass. Also in Carney's announcement, news that fares for passengers, cars and commercial traffic on ferry services in Eastern Canada that are federally supported would go down by 50 per cent. The ferry service between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland also got a boost from Ottawa. Ticket prices were cut in half, though rates for commercial freight did not see a decrease. To make it all happen, it's estimated government will spend about $100 million of public money annually to offset the reduction of the bridge toll and ferry fares. An economic and social boost Despite the spending, the prime minister said the move will pump millions back into the Canadian economy. "If we are going to build a stronger, more united economy, and we are doing that, we are going to need to make it more affordable to travel around this country, for people and for businesses," Carney said during the announcement. That need is something Downe has seen first-hand "Just prior to the pandemic, I heard from an agricultural producer who spent $66,000 in bridge tolls that year — money that his competitor in Cap-Pelé, N.B., did not have to spend," Downe said. WATCH | Islanders and tourists excited about reduced price to leave P.E.I.: Islanders and tourists excited about reduced price to leave P.E.I. 4 days ago In seven years, full ownership of the bridge will transfer back to the federal government from it's current operator, Strait Crossing Bridge Ltd. Downe said he is "not worried at all" about whether tolls will remain low after that deadline. But advocacy for equitable, reliable travel can't end, he said, especially as the ferry service between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia continues to face delays and disruptions this season. "It has to be addressed," he said. "I won't be in the Sentate for another 10 years."
CBC
33 minutes ago
- CBC
N.S. SPCA cancels some municipal bylaw contracts amid staff burnout, rising costs
The Nova Scotia SPCA has cancelled half of its municipal contracts for bylaw enforcement or kennel services, saying it must focus resources on handling the rising number of surrendered animals across the province. In March, the SPCA wrote to eight of the 16 municipalities where it provides either animal bylaw enforcement, kennel space or both, to say it would be ending those contracts. The end date for most towns or regions was late June, while the Municipality of East Hants was given until March 2026. Heather Woodin, chief of animal operations for the SPCA, said their special constables across the province were dealing with "burnout" as they juggled bylaw calls alongside animal protection work, such as neglected or abused animals. "They have to choose to prioritize which case to go to first, if they have multiple priorities pulling them in different directions," Woodin said Tuesday. "We don't necessarily want to be the service provider that is looked to, to enforce animal-related bylaws." Animal control or dog bylaws vary by municipality across Nova Scotia, but enforcement often means responding to complaints of barking, aggressive or stray dogs, or picking up dog poop. Woodin said the animal protection workload has increased, as the SPCA is seeing more surrendered pets from Nova Scotians who can no longer afford to care for them. "The cost of living overall is affecting the SPCA, it's affecting the community members as well," Woodin said. The charity is also experiencing its own rising bills, Woodin said, and more animals coming into shelters means it's hard to keep a kennel free for stray dogs picked up under bylaw enforcement. Financial statements from the SPCA's annual reports show their budgets have more than doubled in the past few years. In 2024, expenses hit $11.5 million with shelter operations costing $4.8 million. Back in 2020, shelter operations cost $1.9 million out of the $5.1 million total expenses. Woodin said cancelling the municipal contracts was a "cost neutral" move to the SPCA, which helped them come to their decision. She said the overtime pay, and mileage for staff to respond to bylaw duties, added up to the point where they were not bringing in surplus revenue from the contracts. The eight affected units are the towns of Stewiacke, Wolfville and Yarmouth, and municipalities of Pictou County, District of Argyle, District of Clare, District of Yarmouth and East Hants. These were chosen based on an evaluation of the staff and physical resources within the six SPCA shelters across the province, Woodin said. The impact of the change has varied across the province, with some municipalities already moving on with solutions, while others need more time. Wolfville already has compliance staff with animal-control training, and is using a local dog rescue group for kennels as needed. But Argyle Warden Nicole Albright said that approach is difficult for them, and they are still exploring their options. "[In] small rural municipalities, our staff are already so overworked and you know, it's hard to throw [them] something else," Albright said. The SPCA is supporting municipalities through the transition, Woodin said. If municipal staff need training or support from an experienced animal handler on a call, they can pay for the bylaw enforcement service as long as resources are available. Stewiacke took this approach, as the town council decided in July to budget about $8,000 to cover the SPCA expenses until March 2026. By then, staff said, they hope to have found a solution with neighbouring East Hants. "There are not many options out there. We will continue to look," Marc Seguin, chief administrative officer, said during the council meeting. The eight remaining contracts are with the Halifax Regional Municipality, Cape Breton Regional Municipality, District of Antigonish, Membertou First Nation, Town of Truro, and the municipalities of Barrington, Colchester and Kings. As of now, the SPCA has enough resources to deliver those contracts, Woodin said, and they don't have "current plans" to end them. But, she said, they will monitor the situation to see if changes are needed in the future.
CBC
33 minutes ago
- CBC
Members of environmental racism panel, N.S. government discuss meeting dates
Social Sharing Members of a provincial panel on environmental racism are discussing when they can schedule a meeting with Nova Scotia government cabinet ministers. The panel was commissioned via an NDP amendment to major environmental legislation the Progressive Conservative government passed in 2022. A report was delivered more than a year ago, but so far has not been shared with the public. Becky Druhan, the cabinet minister responsible for the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism, said in May that there were no plans to make the report and recommendations public, noting that was not part of the panel's mandate. At the time, Druhan would not say if she'd read the recommendations. Following pressure from opposition MLAs and Mi'kmaw chiefs, however, Druhan said last month that she'd asked department staff to arrange for a meeting with the panel. "Out of respect for the panel, we want to meet with members before sharing any further details publicly," she said in a statement at the time. On Tuesday, a government spokesperson said an invitation to meet had been extended to panel chair Augy Jones, who is also the executive director for African Nova Scotian Affairs for the province, and the hope was a meeting date could be set soon. "Given the busy summer season and the need to co-ordinate several schedules, it is likely the meeting will take place later this summer or early fall," Denise Corra said in an email. Tom Johnson, a member of the panel and the executive director of fisheries and wildlife for Eskasoni First Nation, confirmed in an email Tuesday that people are trying to line up schedules. Calls for the report's release Although Deputy Premier Barb Adams said earlier this year that the recommendations from the report are being used across government, some high-ranking civil servants and cabinet ministers have indicated in the last two months that they have either not seen the report or are only familiar with it at a high level. No one from the government has been willing to say whether reparations for communities affected by environmental racism is one of the panel's recommendations. Membertou First Nation Chief Terry Paul told CBC News last month that Mi'kmaw chiefs in the province have not seen the report, but they've talked about it and believe it should be made public. Louise Delisle feels the same way. Delisle lives in a historic Black community in the Town of Shelburne. She spoke to the panel during its consultation work and shared concerns about the effects a garbage dump situated for years beside her community had on the health of people living nearby. 'Where is it?' "I talked about the fact of the high rates of cancer and the fact that our water was polluted," she told CBC News. "We were not consulted when that dump was put in there. Nobody came into the community and asked anything because they felt they didn't need to do that. That's racism at its finest." Delisle said her expectation was recommendations from the panel would be shared with the communities consulted as part of the work. She's frustrated by the lack of answers. Communities are already dealing with the fallout from environmental racism, Delisle said, and to not share the report and its recommendations feels like another form of discrimination. "Where is it? Just make it public."
