On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the Ordre des urbanistes du Québec asked its members to name fifty projects that marked the development of urban planning in Quebec. At the organization’s 50th anniversary Gala, held on October 23, the Montréal métro was named one of the top fifty urban planning projects in Quebec over the past fifty years.
On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the Ordre des urbanistes du Québec asked its members to name fifty projects that marked the development of urban planning in Quebec. At the organization’s 50th anniversary Gala, held on October 23, the Montréal métro was named one of the top fifty urban planning projects in Quebec over the past fifty years.
A remarkable achievement, the Montréal métro innovated in many ways including the creativity of its Montréal and international design teams, the distinctive architecture of each of its stations, the design of its tunnels, the arrangement of its functional spaces, the systematic integration of works of art in its stations, and the design of its cars. This complex, highly efficient system handles 900,000 passenger trips each day. The construction of the métro brought unprecedented economic support to Montréal, whose urban fabric was reorganized around the various stations.
“We have an obligation to our parents and grandparents, who built the extraordinary transportation infrastructure that is the Montréal metro,” affirmed Michel Labrecque, chair of the board of the STM. “They built this magnificent métro system, which has transformed the face of Montréal and serves as a model to other public transit systems around the world. We now have a duty to maintain it properly so that it will also benefit future generations.”
Tribute to Michel Labrecque and Marie Turcotte
During this same gala, Michel Labrecque, chair of the board of the STM, was presented with the Blanche-Lemco-Van-Ginkel award, a distinction created in 2003 and presented to people in various non-urban planning fields (private individuals, elected officials, managers, developers, professionals, etc.) who have made a significant contribution to the development of urban planning in Quebec. Before working at the STM, Mr. Labrecque headed Vélo Québec and served as president and CEO of the Montréal en lumière (Montreal High Lights) festival. Marie Turcotte, a member of the board of the STM, also received a Blanche-Lemco-Van-Ginkel award.