New leadership, familiar debate: Lachine mayor urges patience on waterfront plans

The closure of Lachine’s marina has divided residents, and the borough’s new mayor says the waterfront’s future could be reassessed.

A change in leadership in Lachine has reopened a long-standing debate over the future of a prominent stretch of waterfront.

The borough’s marina closed in 2021 and was torn down last year.

It was replaced with a public park — but with a new borough mayor at city hall, questions are resurfacing about whether the site could one day welcome boats again.

Julie-Pascale Provost, who had long opposed the marina’s closure, said nothing was off the table as the borough could reassess the space.

“We are asking ourselves what we can do with this specific place,” Provost said, before stressing there was no immediate plan to reinstate the marina.

“I want to unify my community and be a mayor for everyone. It’s important to not rush and for everyone to have the right information in order to make the right decision.”

Divided views in the community

Prior to its closing, the city-owned marina would serve paying boaters.

The former borough administration removed it, arguing the shoreline should be accessible to everyone.

For some nearby residents, the change brought a welcome sense of calm.

Hossein Mirzaei, who lives close to the waterfront, said the closure made a noticeable difference.

“t’s been quieter ever since, and I believe residents, including myself, appreciate the quietness,” he said. “Because, already with all the locals who come here in the summer, it gets really busy.”

Others, however, feel something was lost.

Pierre Larrivée sold his boat after the marina’s final season in 2020. The Montrealer said the waterfront has not felt the same since the docks were removed.

“It was the minority that won,” Larrivée said, adding that supporters of the marina felt sidelined in the debate.

“So did all the restaurants and businesses along the waterfront — some of them have even had to close since.”

Bill Kozinski, who’s been a Lachine resident for more than 40 years, said he found the new park that replaced the marina too narrow for his walks.

“I thought they were using it more wisely as a marina,” he said, adding that he far preferred the nearby René-Lévesque Park.

Provost echoed concerns about the economic fallout, saying the impact of the shutdown had been underestimated.

She also accused the previous administration of deepening divisions within the community.

“The former mayor divided the community, framing it as a fight between rich and poor,” Provost said, adding she hoped to move beyond that narrative.

With 14 kilometres of riverbank in the borough, Provost said access to the water did not have to be limited to a single use.

She suggested different activities could coexist along the shoreline, rather than framing the debate as marina versus park.

Projet Montréal pushes back

At Montreal city hall, Projet Montréal defended the decision to remove the marina.

In a statement to CTV News, interim leader Ericka Alneus said bringing back the marina would once again privatize “an exceptional public space” for a small group of about 400 people — many of whom, she said, did not live in the city.

Instead, she said, the party chose to transform the site into a riverside park, returning the shoreline to the people of Lachine.

She described the park as a vital green space for the thousands of residents expected to move into Lachine East in the coming years.

Alneus added that public access to water and green space must come first and pointed to plans for an accessible swimming project in the area as part of what she called Lachine’s sustainable and inclusive future.

No marina this summer

For now, Provost said a marina is not a priority, and boaters should not expect one to return this summer.

Her immediate focus, she said, is improving local services.

If any project should be prioritized, the borough mayor said it will be the long-awaited sports centre project.

“We have been pushing for this. Back in 2018, it was supposed to be a priority for the City,” she said. “But that never happened.”

Provost said the facility would include an indoor pool and spaces reserved for community organizations, designed to serve residents of all ages and abilities, including those with reduced mobility.

She said it was time to get the project done — and to ensure that whatever comes next for the waterfront reflects the needs of the entire community.