25 November 2019
Minutes by G.T. Bishop
The three intrepid members who met at the Shaika Cafe this crisp but dry Monday morning were almost giddy with excitement at the chance for a late season Fixture ride given the unusually cold November experienced so far.
It was difficult to motivate themselves to action as there were numerous items to bring forth from Louis'
conquest of the Alamo, to Albert's activities in front of the
bright lights to George's alternate sporting activity of
curling but after finishing talking about
Jojo Rabbit the members finally bundled up and hit the road. The goal was a further investigation of the status of the longed for completion of the new Champlain bridge bike and pedestrian path.
First stop was Nun's Island via the Lachine Canal to look at the work progressing on that side of the span.
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| Is this the way to Nun's Island? |
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| Exit ramp on to Nun's Island |
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| Are we having fun yet? |
The work around the tunnel leading to the bridge had progressed from the previous visit but not as far as they had expected.
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| Looking west from entrance to tunnel |
The members continued on towards the bridge to a spot where they could see the ramp leading up to the bridge though they were stopped quite quickly by an eagle-eyed flag signalman (lady). She vigorously tried to turn us around but we explained our interest and our previous visit three weeks prior.
They asked her if she knew when the work would be completed. She said she did not know but explained that there was actually a shuttle service for pedestrians because the path had not opened on October 31st as planned, pointing to a van just behind us, and that the shuttle service was supposed to end in two weeks.
The members then turned around and headed to the bike path section that followed the shore of Nun's Island to see if they could get a view from that angle. Some of the work on the approaches had been completed in the last three weeks.
Closer to the bridge, though, the path was still blocked. Albert, spotting a gap in the barrier, announced that it was time to do a 'Malcolm' and pushed on. The remaining members followed in tepid solidarity.
Rounding a corner, the members come across something that made them imagine they had crossed a dimension into another world of Stranger Things.
The three explorers (trespassers?) ventured further but were finally stopped by another barrier. Seeing crews on the opposite side convinced the members it was time to retreat.
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| Another Malcolm in the books |
With this side of the Champlain bridge probed as much as possible, it was time to head to the Estacade and find a way to the South Shore to see the work site on the other side.
The success of the first part of their mission still tingling in their fingers, the members came abruptly to the first of what would be the beginning of a number of challenges to get to the far side.
While waiting, Albert remarked on the amount of work still continuing on the operational new bridge. After five minutes, the workers kindly allowed the members and a fourth cyclist to pass. Then it was a mucky fifteen minutes along the unpaved portion of the dyke to St. Lambert lock.
It was already known that this crossing was closed for the winter season but the members paused a moment to marvel at how unfortunate it was given the relatively good conditions. It was always in the plan to continue on to the Jacques Cartier bridge to reach the South Shore. However, what wasn't planned for was the barrier the Seaway closes on the path connecting the dyke to Ile Notre Dame.
This was too much. The members quickly conferred and decided to invite the fourth cyclist to temporarily join the Montreal Bicycle Club in the effort to traverse this barrier. When the new member had got across and his bicycle was passed to him, it was decided that he would venture along the path to verify that there wasn't a second, impenetrable barrier at the Ile Notre Dame end. He agreed and set off. A few minutes later, 'Tuque' returned to say there was another barrier but it was only waist high and easy to get over so the remaining members proceeded to get a leg over.
Finally on the good side of the barrier, the members made it onto Ile Notre Dame and then Ile Sainte-Helene, stopping to admire the distinctive work of Buckminster Fuller.
Then, it was up the steep, short climb to the access to the Jacques Cartier bridge. Louis was of a mind to turn left and head back to Montreal, but Albert and George convinced him to stick with it until lunch in St. Lambert when he could grab a train back across if he wished.
After lunch, Louis set off for the train and the two remaining members followed the Riverside path towards the Champlain bridge with one detour for road construction. The bike paths are used in St. Lambert as a convenient location to store snow during the winter, apparently.
In short order, Albert and George were passing under the highway and onto the recently re-opened Riverside path near the Champlain bridge where work was ongoing on the access to the bicycle path on the bridge.
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| Overpass over the 132 installed November 15th weekend |
The new bridge is quite impressive even when viewed from underneath.
Time was marching on and the members turned north to head back to the Jacques Cartier bridge and their respective homes. It seemed to take no time at all and the members were climbing onto the bridge as the sun behind the clouds started to dip towards the horizon.
Just above Ile Sainte-Helene, the members stopped for a drink of water and a nice view of the downtown with an old friend berthed just upstream of the bridge.
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| Coast Guard, maybe but I'd rather be biking! |
Montreal looks lovely from many vantage points. Perhaps next time, it will be from along the span of the new Champlain bridge. But, for today, and while it remains open to cyclists, the Jacques Cartier will do.
The two members parted at the corner of Berri and de Maisonneuve going to their respective domiciles after an eventful and enjoyable sixty kilometer Fixture over four bridges, three barriers and a few snow piles.
George T. Bishop
The members continued on towards the bridge to a spot where they could see the ramp leading up to the bridge though they were stopped quite quickly by an eagle-eyed flag signalman (lady). She vigorously tried to turn us around but we explained our interest and our previous visit three weeks prior.
They asked her if she knew when the work would be completed. She said she did not know but explained that there was actually a shuttle service for pedestrians because the path had not opened on October 31st as planned, pointing to a van just behind us, and that the shuttle service was supposed to end in two weeks.
Closer to the bridge, though, the path was still blocked. Albert, spotting a gap in the barrier, announced that it was time to do a 'Malcolm' and pushed on. The remaining members followed in tepid solidarity.
Rounding a corner, the members come across something that made them imagine they had crossed a dimension into another world of Stranger Things.
The three explorers (trespassers?) ventured further but were finally stopped by another barrier. Seeing crews on the opposite side convinced the members it was time to retreat.
The success of the first part of their mission still tingling in their fingers, the members came abruptly to the first of what would be the beginning of a number of challenges to get to the far side.
While waiting, Albert remarked on the amount of work still continuing on the operational new bridge. After five minutes, the workers kindly allowed the members and a fourth cyclist to pass. Then it was a mucky fifteen minutes along the unpaved portion of the dyke to St. Lambert lock.
It was already known that this crossing was closed for the winter season but the members paused a moment to marvel at how unfortunate it was given the relatively good conditions. It was always in the plan to continue on to the Jacques Cartier bridge to reach the South Shore. However, what wasn't planned for was the barrier the Seaway closes on the path connecting the dyke to Ile Notre Dame.
This was too much. The members quickly conferred and decided to invite the fourth cyclist to temporarily join the Montreal Bicycle Club in the effort to traverse this barrier. When the new member had got across and his bicycle was passed to him, it was decided that he would venture along the path to verify that there wasn't a second, impenetrable barrier at the Ile Notre Dame end. He agreed and set off. A few minutes later, 'Tuque' returned to say there was another barrier but it was only waist high and easy to get over so the remaining members proceeded to get a leg over.
Finally on the good side of the barrier, the members made it onto Ile Notre Dame and then Ile Sainte-Helene, stopping to admire the distinctive work of Buckminster Fuller.
Then, it was up the steep, short climb to the access to the Jacques Cartier bridge. Louis was of a mind to turn left and head back to Montreal, but Albert and George convinced him to stick with it until lunch in St. Lambert when he could grab a train back across if he wished.
After lunch, Louis set off for the train and the two remaining members followed the Riverside path towards the Champlain bridge with one detour for road construction. The bike paths are used in St. Lambert as a convenient location to store snow during the winter, apparently.
In short order, Albert and George were passing under the highway and onto the recently re-opened Riverside path near the Champlain bridge where work was ongoing on the access to the bicycle path on the bridge.
Time was marching on and the members turned north to head back to the Jacques Cartier bridge and their respective homes. It seemed to take no time at all and the members were climbing onto the bridge as the sun behind the clouds started to dip towards the horizon.
Just above Ile Sainte-Helene, the members stopped for a drink of water and a nice view of the downtown with an old friend berthed just upstream of the bridge.
The two members parted at the corner of Berri and de Maisonneuve going to their respective domiciles after an eventful and enjoyable sixty kilometer Fixture over four bridges, three barriers and a few snow piles.
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