Summary#
Montréal city council adopted a unanimous position supporting an intermunicipal agreement with Varennes and Repentigny for the « Fleuve à vélo » river shuttle. The agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting. City staff say the goal is to link the three cities and support cycling and access to the river.
- The agreement would provide service in 2026, 2027 and 2028, with an option to extend it for 2029 and 2030.
- The shuttle would run 54 days each summer between Varennes, Repentigny and Montréal’s Pointe-aux-Trembles area, including Parc Marcel-Léger and the Maison Antoine-Beaudry site.
- The Ville de Repentigny ran a public call for tenders. One bid was accepted: Croisière Navark inc., for $542,946.44, taxes included, for the three-year service. The contract was conditional on the participating cities agreeing to take part.
- The 2026 fare would be $7 per segment for passengers aged 12 and over, $4 for ages 6–11, free for ages 5 and under, and $17 for a family of two adults and two children. The fare includes a bicycle; fares may be indexed each year.
- The operator keeps all ticket revenue. If the cities extend the service, the fixed price would rise according to Montréal’s consumer price index.
What it means for you#
- Potential riders: If the agglomeration council approves the agreement, the seasonal shuttle would offer another way to travel between the three cities. The service is planned for weekdays, some weekends and Labour Day; exact dates are set each summer.
- Montréal residents and taxpayers: City staff list Montréal’s Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles borough share as $165,260.82 net of tax rebates over three years. The council’s resolution sets Montréal’s position on the agreement; it does not itself set out a rider application or approval process.
- Other residents and businesses: The decision does not directly change taxes, property rights or business rules.
Money#
The materials give a total contract value of $542,946.44, taxes included, and Montréal’s borough share of $165,260.82 net of tax rebates.
- Montréal’s borough share is listed as $52,441.26 for 2026, $54,992.45 for 2027 and $57,827.12 for 2028. The corresponding total including taxes is $180,982.15.
- The contract amount covers the boat, crew, fuel and schedule signs at docks. The three cities’ exact individual shares are not provided.
- The summary says the operator keeps ticket revenue. It gives no estimate of ticket sales or net public cost after revenue.
- A two-year extension would bring price increases tied to the consumer price index; no extension price is given.
What is unclear#
- The agreement itself is not included, so its detailed terms and how the cities divide costs cannot be checked.
- The cost table lists Montréal’s third-year amount under 2028, but a later line labels that year’s credit as 2029.
- The materials do not say how the cities would decide whether to extend service, or give exact operating dates for each summer.
- The listed fares may be indexed annually, but the materials do not give the future fare amounts.
Case for#
- A shuttle linking the three cities could connect with the Route verte and give cyclists and other visitors another way to cross the river.
- City staff say the service could make the river and its banks more accessible and support cycling links and local visits.
- The plan continues a service that the summary says has operated since 2015.
Case against#
- One bid was accepted, and the materials do not compare its price with other options.
- The cities would pay a stated contract amount while the operator keeps all ticket revenue; expected ticket income is not provided.
- The service is seasonal and planned for 54 days each year, so its usefulness outside those dates is limited.