A plan for development is finally being created for the Wellington Basin , which has been mostly unused in recent years.
The area is former federal port lands on the south side of the Peel Basin bordered by Mill and Bridge streets along the Lachine Canal. The 8.5 hectares that Crown corporation Canada Lands acquired from Transport Canada are scheduled for development in an area of deteriorating infrastructure.
Christopher Sweetnam Holmes, senior director of real estate, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, for Canada Lands, explains that the goal is to create a diverse community that will provide space for economic development, housing, and will reintegrate these former port lands into the city.
Out of the 2,800 new homes to be constructed, 1,000 will be affordable and social housing. The former Wellington Basin, from which the area gets its name and most of which was filled in decades ago, will be uncovered.
Sweetnam Holmes states, “We’re going to be able to create a natural swimming basin there with a beach.”
Supporters believe the area, which will ultimately be an extension of Pointe-Saint-Charles and Old Montreal, has a lot of potential and say the project will address specific urgent needs.
Architect Ron Rayside of the firm, Rayside Labossière, says, “I think it’s the opportunity for affordable housing that I think is the most important thing. The second thing is creating a genuine neighborhood.” His company was one of the groups consulted about the project.
Montreal independent city council member for the area Craig Sauvé has some concerns about the project, given the current housing affordability crisis.
“When we talk about some parts of this project being affordable housing, based on 80 per cent of the median (house) prices around here, there’s a lot of expensive houses around here,” he reasons.
Sauvé believes that will be the concern of many in his community.
“They would like to see 100 per cent of the public land remain public for public use, such as public housing.
Canada Lands didn’t specify how much of the 1,000 affordable units would be social housing. Construction for the five-year project is expected to start in 2025.
