REM arrival leaves West Island riders stranded in transfers

Re: “REM doesn’t always make a trip faster” (Allison Hanes, May 26) Thank you Allison Hanes for stating what so many of us in the West Island are experiencing now that the REM has arrived and many perfectly efficient bus routes have been altered and/or cancelled. I must frequently travel to the MUHC Glen hospital from Pointe-Claire to see my oncologists. I could previously walk to the 485 bus and be at Lionel-Groulx métro 25 minutes later. No more, as that bus line has been

eradicated. Now I must take one bus to another bus, both of which make more stops, to get to Lionel-Groulx. Miss one and you have to wait 20 minutes for the next one. Not the end of the world but no fun in the rain or when it’s -25 C in winter. If I want to use the REM, that involves a bus to get me to the station and then more transfers afterward. No doubt the REM is beneficial to many who have anxiously

awaited its arrival. There are winners and losers with this new system, but sadly there are too many of us in the loser category. The Exo train remains a solution. Let’s hope they don’t mess with that now, despite the hours-long gap in the afternoon when there is no service. Judie Amyot, Pointe-Claire Who speaks for unabashed federalists? Re: “PQ swatting at spies and scare tactics” (Robert Libman, May 16) Robert Libman mentions the unanimous adoption of a motion in the National Assembly “affirming that

Quebecers alone will decide their future, and 50 per cent plus one is enough to break up the country.” I found this unanimity unbelievable, so I inquired of a Liberal MNA whether she had voted for that motion. Her office confirmed she did, adding some unpersuasive reasons. I find it outrageous that any federalist, anglophone or francophone, would vote for such a motion. It seems this unbridled commitment to “50 plus one” applies only if the Yes side were to win. In the 1980 and

1995 referendums, the No side won by more than that, but evidently these results did not qualify for ending the matter. The danger is if separatists were to attain their threshold, they would pick up their marbles and call the game over. This is what happened in Britain, where a small majority voted to leave the EU. Now that many Britons realize they were hoodwinked on the consequences of Brexit, they regret their choice. But, it’s too late. In the past, the Equality Party —

led by Libman — showed admirable courage in their defence of federalist views. Sad to say, unless the Quebec Liberal Party grows some courage, we will need other unabashed federalists to step forward for election and stand up for laws such as the Clarity Act. David Tait, Entrelacs Would 100% suffice? Re: “98% pass rate worthy of praise, not concern” (Toula Drimonis, May 29) When it comes to being served in French, a success rate of 98 per cent — and 99 per cent at

stores in the Quartier Latin and on Taschereau Blvd. — seems not enough to dispel the notion that French is in peril in Quebec. What amount would be acceptable? Looking at these latest findings by the Office québécois de la langue française, I doubt even 100 per cent would be enough. Is there any way to get a concrete answer as to what we have to rise to? Brian Goldberg, Westmount A lighter take on language Re: “No ham in hamburger and other word oddities”

(Opinion, May 21) As a volunteer with a literacy association, I often try to explain the peculiarities of the English language — for example, with regard to homophones such as “there,” “their” and “they’re.” Also, why some words require only an “s” at the end for the plural, while others require “es” or “ies.” The opinion piece by Terry Vollum humorously describes commonly used contradictory phrases and idioms that no doubt confound people working hard to learn English. I had a good laugh. Isabelle Turin,

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REM, West Island, Pointe-Claire, MUHC Glen, Lionel-Groulx, 485 bus, Exo train, transfers, public transit, winter commute