PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

School Bus Loses Control Descending Devil’s Hill

Broughton Street Closure Leaves One Perilous Entry During Snowstorm and Its Aftermath

Montreal- Thursday, February 3, 2010 – Yesterday, a school bus slid down Des Erables
yesterday afternoon trying to exit Hillcrest street. None of the primary school passengers were
reported injured but it was just one of many incidents of drivers struggling to use the only access
road available after Montreal West blockaded its side of the shared Broughton/Des Erables
street this past fall. The bus, which transports children from Montreal West and neighbouring
Lachine to Elizabeth Ballantyne school, previously drove through Montreal West streets but had
its route re-directed onto Lachine streets when Montreal West erected signage and then a
physical barricade to stop non-resident drivers from using its streets.

Other drivers reported similar driving mishaps yesterday and this morning. “We slid backwards
and sideways on the steep curve last night going up Des Erables onto Hillcrest,” reports
Hillcrest resident Maureen Marovitch. “So we did a 360˚ turn and slowly drove back down
Hillcrest onto Mt. Vernon. But even there, it took us several attempts to get up the hill -
backsliding again and again and smelling burning rubber from the tires. It was pretty tense with
our 5 and 7 year old kids in the backseat.”

Even those that preferred risking a $154 ticket driving over the barricade to mounting the Devil’s
Hill’s slope found they couldn’t make it over the structure. Rosewood resident John Symon
says, “I tried to drive over the barricade from Hillcrest, preferring a ticket to an accident, but was
unable to. Because of the snow and ice buildup on the barricade, my wheels just spun without
giving me any traction to get over it. I am very worried about what might happen in the event of
a mass evacuation in such weather conditions.”

Locals who have seen this situation rage on for over ten years and long been involved in the
struggle to get the barricade removed is fed up. “This is just not how citizens should be forced to
live,” says Hillcrest resident Judy Hand. “It is abusive. Our elected representatives should be
doing something to ensure the safety of our citizens.”

The barricade responded to complaints from a small group of Montreal West residents that non-
local cars were using their streets as a shortcut to nearby Highway 20. Lachine residents argue
that the situation has classist overtones between the two wealthier and poorer neighbourhoods
and cite independent traffic studies that recommend against a barrier. SIM (Service de sécurité
incendie de Montréal) also recommended against the permanent barrier, citing that it slows
emergency response time and impedes an important emergency evacuation route for Lachine
residents. The situation has seen numerous street protests, petitions and even a music video
launched on You Tube last fall to encourage the town of Montreal West to remove the barricade
and find an alternate solution to its traffic concerns. So far Montreal West’s mayor Beny Masella
and the Town Council has refused to discuss any alternate options in the media or with Lachine
citizens.

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For more information:

Maureen Marovitch, Tel: 514-484-1145 (work), Mobile: 514-799-4631
John Symon: (514) 485-5795
Pat Schmidt 514-484-5331