Local residents protesting against the expropriation say there are other possible locations for the project.
The 48-year-old Montreal Casino employee has lived in his family’s Bellechasse St. residence since his father bought the building in 1983 using savings garnered from his job repairing electronics and money earned by his wife sewing and tailoring items from home while taking care of her three young children.
“It means everything. It’s my life; my whole life was here,” Ly said. “It’s crazy because there’s a lot of memories (in this house). It’s something that my parents wanted to keep for us.”
Ly’s parents, whose lineage can be traced back to China, moved to Canada from Vietnam in 1979.
The family was devastated at the end of April to receive a letter from the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) informing them their building was being expropriated and giving them six months to vacate the premises. An intervention by the family’s lawyer bought them a bit more time. They now have until the end of January to leave.
“The lawyer spoke to the STM and they said it’s a final decision,” Ly said. “They’re not going to change their mind.”
Ly says the family was initially offered $696,000 for their home, which he says is well below market value. That amount was reduced to $569,000 after an evaluator visited the home and determined it was in need of repairs — despite the fact that the building would ultimately be torn down.
“I said, ‘Is that fair?’” Ly recalled. “We were really, really shocked. My parents couldn’t believe that can happen. We cannot believe that today, in 2024, this can still happen. We’re not in a Third World country or a Communist country. My parents said, ‘Where’s our human rights? Where’s the justice? How can they do this to us? We bought the house. We did not steal that house. We paid the taxes.”
Ly has been searching for a comparable building the family could purchase — first in Rosemont, then in areas farther away — but has had no luck.
“I was spending more than three or four hours every day on (real estate website) Centris,” he said, “but in this area there is nothing. I even went further to Montreal North and LaSalle. So far, nothing. It makes me really upset. It’s impossible for my parents to find something similar to here. (The STM) doesn’t care. They say, ‘This is what it’s worth. Take (the money), do what you want with it.”
Standing in front of the building he bought 41 years ago, his father, Ha Ly, 75, didn’t feel the STM was treating his family with respect.
“At least they have to pay us (a reasonable amount of) money to allow us to move,” he said. “I have been living here so long. You cannot kick me out like that.”
Tristan Desjardins-Drouin is leading a group of residents protesting against the expropriation and concerned about the repercussions of four-year construction of the ventilation system, which will begin in the fall of 2026.
He argues there are other possible locations for the project, including the nearby STM garage on Bellechasse.
“This is a very tight neighbourhood with a green alleyway and a lot of kids. It’s not a good place to do this. Clearly, this is not the only (possible) site and not the best one. They’re just looking for what’s easiest for them.”
Responding by email, STM spokesperson Kevin Bilodeau said 10 locations had been studied for the ventilation system before deciding on the Ly’s residence on Bellechasse.
“Many elements were considered, notably the technical feasibility linked to the ventilation needs and evacuation objectives, integration in the area, costs and constraints of the city and the borough. This is the location that best responded to the needs of the STM.
“The STM worked in collaboration with the borough all through the process and received the approval of the borough for this site.”
The Rosemont—La-Petite-Patrie borough declined to comment.