Opposition to Ray-Mont Logistiques’ industrial project in Montreal’s East End takes a far more radical turn as the private residence of one of its leaders has been targeted in recent days.
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On the night of May 8-9, people armed with paint reportedly showed up at the home of the company’s Vice President of Innovation in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Montérégie. The next day, Mother’s Day, an unmistakable message smeared the garage doors: “The lot will remain vacant.”
“I have a family, a wife and four children under the age of 10. How do you think you are feeling? the boss explains, still shocked. Of course they don’t understand. And of course they are afraid. How people would think it was a good idea to do something like this is beyond me. »
Project logistics platform
For the past five years, the company, which specializes in grain transport, has been dealing with the actions of a group of citizens from the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district, which is opposed to the construction of a logistics platform on industrial sites in the area. Despite demonstrations and repeated acts of vandalism, no opponent had ever gone so far as to attack the privacy of one of his employees.
car burned
“The right to demonstrate is fundamental in a democracy. And I can understand that we cannot agree to a project, says Charles Raymond, CEO of Ray-Mont Logistiques. But when discussion gives way to intimidation and violence, that is unacceptable. It’s not like we solve problems in Quebec with violence. »
This gesture is reminiscent of other acts of a criminal nature perpetrated against many leaders in recent weeks. In addition, the home of the President of the Royal Bank in Quebec was contaminated and the car of one of its Vice Presidents, former Minister Michael Fortier, was set on fire in front of their home.
And what makes them even more similar is that Saint-Bruno’s act, like those committed against RBC leaders, was also alleged – with supporting photos – on Montreal Counter-Information, a website that bills itself as the organ of “anarchist and anti-authoritarian news.” “Applies and Analysis“. The text, which takes the form of an anonymous letter to the President of Ray-Mont, plays on the tone of the threat, of the crimes committed.
Mobilization 6600 dissociated
Montreal Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police declined to comment. For their part, the police of the Longueuil agglomeration confirmed the opening of a criminal investigation and contact with investigators from other police forces in this file.
The organization Mobilization 6600 Parc Nature MHM, which is at the forefront of the fight against the Ray-Mont Logistique project, ensures that it is not the origin of these recent actions, distances itself from them and condemns them in the strongest possible terms.
With kind approval
Opponents of the logistics platform project Ray-Mont Logistiques have been active in recent weeks. After home-made bombs were planted in company vehicles and security camera poles cut, vandals attacked the home of one of the company’s bosses in Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville.
“No, no, we’re not behind it at all. We are taking peaceful, positive and constructive action, said his spokesman Cassandre Charbonneau-Jobin. We are also putting the finishing touches to our campaign week […] : These are picnics, conferences, hikes… We are peaceful in our gestures and our words […] No one is comfortable with that, it’s unacceptable. »
However, like neighborhood MP Alexandre Leduc, she fears a merger and regrets that a meeting scheduled for June with the Environment Ministry has been “cancelled” following recent actions.
The Ground of Discord
The Company:
- Surname : Ray-Mont logistics
- Foundation, endowment : 1992
- The headquarters : Montreal
- Field of activity: Logistician and freight forwarder
- Specialty : Export of grain and cereals, from train to ship
- Five Ports: Montreal, Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Seattle and Charleston
Field :
- 2.5 million sqm, bought in 2016
- 20 million dollars already invested in its decontamination
- Formerly occupied by Canadian steel foundries
- Still zoned industry.
The project of Ray-Mont Logistics:
- A new logistics platform near the Port of Montreal
- So you can leave your old facilities in Pointe-Saint-Charles and approach the port
- Reduced heavy truck traffic on the Notre-Dame road by a third
- reduction of 82% the company’s greenhouse gas emissions
- investments from 80 million dollars
- creation of 200 new jobs
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