'It's terrific': Montreal Metro marks 50th anniversary

These days, not many people would say they hop on the Montreal Metro for fun, but that's exactly what Montrealers were doing 50 years ago today.

Cardinal Paul-mile Lger, then the Archbishop of Montreal, was on hand to bless the brand new subway system before passengers boarded the trains for the very first time.

It was hailed as a way to enrich the city while offering a quick and comfortable ride for commuters.

"It's terrific,"oneyoung man told a Radio-Canada reporter on opening day, flanked by two of his friends.

"We've made the trip three times and we just can't believe it."

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Building a Metro

In 1953, the Montreal Transportation Commission unveiled a proposal to build a metro, but city officials voted against it.

The plan was finally put inmotion by newly elected mayor Jean Drapeau and Lucien Saulnier, the president of the executive committee, in 1960.

Construction on the Metro began May 23, 1962. The project would cost $213 million.

At the heightof the construction, more than 5,000 workers toiled at job sites across the city.

Beauty and substance

Montreal was the 26th city in the world to open a metro, but one of the first Western citiesto prioritize aesthetics in its design, said Matthew McLauchlin, creator of the website metrodemontreal.com.

Many systems had decorative touches, but the idea of each station being a beautiful public building was relatively new for western cities. It wasalreadyseen in places such asMoscow and St. Petersburg,he explained.

The network was much shorter than it is now, going from Atwater to Frontenac stations on the Green line and from Bonaventure to Henri-Bourassa stations on the Orange line when it first opened.

The metro opened on a Friday.In its first weekend, itregistered one million rides.

The STM has planned a day of festivities to mark the anniversary at Place-des-Arts station.

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