Quebec’s oldest Black church is asking Montreal’s transit authority and the Sud-Ouest borough to move a bus stop that is reportedly posing a risk to worshippers.
The Union United Church of Montreal says the bus stop near the corner of Atwater Avenue and Delisle Street – some 20 metres east of the church doors – is too close to the congregation.
Church leaders say buses often drive past or stop next to the church, creating major circulation issues, which in turn could put people visiting the church at risk.
“There’s a food bank here every week,” said Erene Anthony, the former chair of the church’s board of directors. “There are seniors who have difficulty getting in and out of the church. This indignity has gone on for too long and it needs to change.”
“When you have elderly people getting out of the bus or getting out of your car, and you’re honking them to leave and exit your car, they can trip,” added congregation member Charlene Hunte. “And it’s whether they’re young or they’re old, it’s for everybody to understand that you cannot have a big bus at that size to be running up underneath and give you a couple of seconds to get out of a car. It’s not right.”
In recent months, signs limiting circulation to STM vehicles have also been placed in front of the church. Those signs limit parking and short stops by churchgoers.
“With all the work in the area, around the Lionel-Groulx station, we put the buses there when our spaces are obstructed,” the STM said in an emailed statement. “During the weekend, we have to park reinforcement buses there due to the closure of St-Jacques and Rose-de-Lima streets. This is a temporary situation.”
“We’re working with the borough to see what’s available and making the best efforts, but we don’t have much control over the (construction) work,” added STM corporate advisor Isabelle A. Tremblay.
Anthony says she first sent a letter on behalf of the church in 2015.
“We even had a meeting at Cedar where the city people were there and two members of the board were also at that meeting and nothing changed,” she said.
“The bus can go down to Green and turn up there. It doesn’t have to stop in front of our church.”
