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I was saddened this week by Montreal Transport's decision to discontinue the No. 15 bus route along Sainte-Catherine Street downtown. That may be a bit of a strong word, but the announcement struck a nostalgic childhood chord. The No. 15 bus and I have had a long relationship.
If you think about this elimination from a logical standpoint, it makes perfect sense for the STM to eliminate a bus route that essentially mirrors the subway’s Green Line at ground level – in fact, I think it’s fair to say that the 15 bus has been in grave danger of disappearing for almost 60 years, ever since the subway opened.
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However, buses stop more frequently than the metro, making it a more convenient option for people going from Rue Atwater to, say, the corner of Rue Saint-Marc and Rue Saint-Catherine, especially those with disabilities, than returning from the Guy-Concordia metro station. Hopefully, the terminus of the 15 line will lead to improved service on other lines.
Why the nostalgia? I spent my childhood near Westmount Park (in fact, I still live there) and, perhaps paradoxically, back then, this park that is now usually packed with children was deserted in the hot summer months, as most of my generation were away on family trips and camping trips of one kind or another.
I was not one to enjoy the inconveniences of life as a kid, so I preferred to stay in town, so to distract me from the book I was reading, my mother gave me a large amount of change, 8 cents if I remember correctly. The change didn't stay in my pocket for long. I took the #78 bus, which was also unfortunately discontinued, to Atwater, then changed to the #15 on the way downtown.
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The trip offered magnificent views of what was, or was, one of the busiest streets in the city at the time. I took the good old 15 line to the heart of downtown, probably University Street, and then made my leisurely journey home. My journey home was far from a straight line, and I stopped at countless record and bookstores along the way, enjoying the views and casual window shopping. No doubt the subway would have been a quicker mode of transportation, but I was in no rush.
Many of the passengers on the 15 bus, like me, didn't seem to be in a hurry and seemed to think that if they were in a hurry, they could just take the subway.
Imagine how terrifying it would be today if a big man with long hair and a big chain stood in front of a bus and blocked its progress. This happened many times. The man asked the driver to turn off the engine and put the transmission in neutral while he attached a chain to the front bumper. He then pulled the bus, passengers and all, down Sainte-Catherine Street for about a block. After his feat of strength, the man approached a large crowd of spectators on the sidewalk and handed them his hat.
Did the passengers on the bus complain about the delays caused by The Great Antonio? Of course not. Instead, they considered it an honor to be a part of the performance of this Montreal icon, the eccentric wrestler/sumo wrestler with the surname Balicevic.
Some will lament the disappearance of the bus line and say it's foolish to fully understand the STM's decision to abolish it, but I can't help but feel a small sense of loss that another, however small, aspect of downtown Montreal is disappearing.
So I'd like to thank good old No. 15 and the men who drove it (and at least one man who pulled it) for playing a small role in my childhood that led to my lifelong love affair with downtown Montreal.
Deegan Charles Stubbs is a writer who lives in Westmount.
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