Montreal to get $42M promenade connecting Mount Royal to river

A promenade stretching from Mount Royal to the St. Lawrence River may soon be a reality, if Mayor Denis Coderre gets his wish.

• Ste-Catherine Street in downtown Montreal to be revitalized
• Mount Royal cross centrepiece of 375th anniversary idea
• Montreal plans five new 'pedestrian' streets for 2015

On Wednesday he announced a $42.4-million project to transform McTavish Street into apedestrian-only walkway and connect the mountain to the river through a series of streets. The project would mostly involve widening the sidewalks and planting trees.

The streets involved are:

• Avenue des Pins.
• McTavish Street.
• Sherbrooke Street.
• McGill College Avenue.
• Ste-Catherine Street.
• Phillips Square.
• Beaver Hall Road.
• Viger Street.
• McGill Street.

The plan is part of Coderres vision for 2017, when Montreal will celebrate its 375 birthday.

He said Montrealers and people visiting the city could learn a lot by walking.

This is where the past, present and the future are together. What kind of city do we want? What's the vision for our city? When we have all those millions of tourists who are coming, la joie de vivre means also that from the mount to the river, we have great opportunities, Coderre said on Wednesday.

Consultations as well as a design contest will begin in June.