The fight for free transit in Montreal

Montreal's new light rail system that's continuing to open stations, the réseau express métropolitain (REM) has faced great praise over it's speed and offering an easier way for Montreal commuters to travel, but there's also been some critique. 

Pierre-Guy Sylvestre, an Economist at the research department of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says public transit should be 100% publicly owned, however the REM is not. Pension fund investment company the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), a private company, owns 50% of the REM. The federal government owns 25% and the provincial government owns the other 25%. 

"CUPE believes public transit should be free," said Sylvestre. "We have way too much greenhouse gas emmissions, especially in Quebec.

He said that Quebec should invest public money into transit and we shouldn't make profits from public transit, we should make returns. He said that the provincial CAQ government invests a lot of money into new roads. "We're not going in right way." 

"For example, Hydro Québec is owned by the state. When Hydro Québec produces, 100% of profits goes back to the state," said Sylvestre. In Hydro Québec, we own assets, it's very good public investment."

"With the CQPQ, [Quebec doesn't] own anything. We don't have transparency of information, we don't own assets, we want a return on equity, we want profits," he said, but these investments are going back into pension funds, not directly into the province.

He said that the CDPQ wants to make 7-8% profits and will do so through the contribution of municipalities and the province to the REM. He clarified that it's not bad that this money will go into pension funds, but said we should look at the impact of social development in Montreal.