NAME: Notre-Dame Level Crossing
latitude: 45.467645
longitude: -73.597994
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While railroad crossings expose pedestrian and vehicle traffic to trains directly, there are always warning lights and barricades to alert people to the train's approach. It is for this reason that level crossings might be less dangerous than breaks or gaps in the fence.


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NAME: Carillion Avenue
latitude: 45.470034
longitude: -73.596206
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Carillion Avenue is now closed to circulation.


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In 2012, the avenue continued onto an underpass that would have had the train tracks run over it. That underpass has now been filled and the street level elevated.


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The sign indicating the bridge clearance of 4,60 meters is now level with the ground.

There has also been a fence installed since 2014.
NAME: Bourassa Street
latitude: 45.4709822
longitude: -73.5950618
PRE TEXT: August 2011


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This photo from 2011 shows a clear break in the fence at the end of Bourassa Street, giving unimpeded access to the train tracks.
May 2009


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In 2009 however, the fence was intact. While it would still be possible for someone to climb over it, a fixed fence is more of a deterrent than a broken one.


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NAME: Vaillant Street
latitude: 45.47165
longitude: -73.59383
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There is a hole in the fence on Vaillant Street, which is right next to an underpass with protected sidewalk.
There is a path of dirt worn into the grass leading to the hole.


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The hole is still somewhat visible in 2011. It seems the most tempting places to cross are always right next to underpasses.


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May 2009:
For a sense of scale, I am 6'0" and I could fit through that hole by crouching down.

NAME: St-Remi Street
latitude: 45.471921
longitude: -73.593709
PRE TEXT: St. Remi - Opposite Therrien

August 2011


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This was the only photo available in Google Maps.

The breach in question was a small gap between the safety railing on the left and the fencing directly ahead.

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NAME: De Courcelle Level Crossing
latitude: 45.473713
longitude: -73.590799
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De Courcelle has a level crossing that cuts across it.

There is proper rail safety signage in the area, but no street lights or traffic signs. Access to the tracks is unimpeded, but this is a legal crossing zone.


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NAME: Acorn Street
latitude: 45.4738689
longitude: -73.5901298
PRE TEXT: May 2014


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Just a ways off from the De Courcelle crossing is this sagging fence and gate.

The gate is locked and not easy to get through, as well the close proximity to an easy, legal crossing area means that it might be easier to walk to De Courcelle than try to climb the fence.
June 2012


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The fence and gate do not seem to change much over two years.

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The beginning of the fence's deterioration can be seen here in 2009. It appears to be the same fence for those five years.

NAME: Therien Street
latitude: 45.474215
longitude: -73.589155
PRE TEXT: Thérien Street - Cul-de-Sac
May 2014


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The fence on this half of Thérien Street is well maintained.
August 2011


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There is another small gap in the fence, but I could not fit through it.

NAME: Therien Street - Corner Lacasse
latitude: 45.47498
longitude: -73.588112
PRE TEXT: May 2014


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On the opposite end of the Thérien cul-de-sac, where the street turns into Lacasse, there is an entire section of chain-link missing. This was by far one of the biggest breaks in fences I found.
June 2012


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There is a foot-worn path leading from the sidewalk through the break in the fence and on through the trees. In this shot, the cross-beam on the fence is still standing.
August 2011


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This is what it looks like as of April 2015.


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You can trace the deterioration of the fence across the five years between 2009 and 2014.

NAME: Beaudoin Street
latitude: 45.475301
longitude: -73.587849
PRE TEXT: May 2014


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The fence appeared to be intact in all places and not easily climbed.
August 2011


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There was no break in the fence that I could see. The only issue was the amount of debris that had accumulated during the winter.


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The foliage does a lot to obscure the tracks during the spring and summer months.

NAME: Sainte-Marguerite
latitude: 45.476143
longitude: -73.58851
PRE TEXT: Sainte-Marguerite Underpass

The Underpass has stairs on one side and a sloping dirt path on the other.


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The problem is, one side of this path is private rail property, and the other is this very hard to scale incline.


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Why aren't there concrete steps like on the opposite side of the street?This slope is particularly treacherous to scale when covered in half-thawed ice. An individual with reduced mobility would find it almost impossible to climb down, forcing them to trespass on railway property or turn around.


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What's more, the signs that should deter people from trespassing have been defaced to the point of illegibility. Is is not that obvious that this specific area is off-limits, especially when there are residences and a paved path nearby.

NAME: Charlebois Street - Corner Sainte Marguerite
latitude: 45.476034
longitude: -73.587701
PRE TEXT: May 2014


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There is a small hole in the fence where Charlebois joins Sainte-Marquerite. I saw this often when looking at fences near overpasses. If someone wanted to walk along Sainte-Marguerite, rather than going around the fence (which stretches in the opposite direction), it is faster to go through the fence and cross the tracks.

There are a set of concrete stairs leading from the street down to the sidewalk that crosses the underpass. On the opposite side of the street however, there was nothing but a steep, muddy incline.
August 2011


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You can see the hole wasn't quite torn yet in 2011. There appears to be a second, newer fence laid over an older one, but it was definitely starting to warp, from abuse by the looks of it.
April 2009


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Here's what the fence looked like in 2009, minus the foliage. Without the greenery, it looks like it would be quite easy to climb over the fence and access the tracks.

NAME: Charlebois Street
latitude: 45.476282
longitude: -73.587249
PRE TEXT: May 2014


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Another breach in the fence on Charlebois street. This one is about halfway to Sainte-Marguerite.
August 2011


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It is difficult to determine if the hole in the fence is there in 2011. The undergrowth obscures it.

April 2009


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As of April 2015, the fence is still broken, and can even be used as a stepping stone to help climb over the barrier.


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The same is true for 2009, only without the vegetation.

NAME: Aquin Street
latitude: 45.4757698
longitude: -73.5871075
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Cul-de-Sac
May 2014

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There was a small break in the Aquin Street fence, but it was the section separating the sidewalk of the adjacent underpass street, not Aquin from the train tracks.
September 2012


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A smaller opening than in 2014 is seen here in this picture from two years earlier.
April 2009


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The break in the fence does not appear in 2009. The fences obviously get damaged by passers-by over time.

NAME: Aquin Street - Corner St. Philippe
latitude: 45.476194
longitude: -73.586566
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May 2014


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No visible breaks in the fence on Aquin Street.
April 2009


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The fence is actually a few feet higher than street-level because it is on a layer of concrete blocks, as seen in this photo from 2009 with the foliage gone.


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NAME: Saint Ferdinand - Near Metro St. Henri
latitude: 45.476898
longitude: -73.586391
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The missing section of this fence is only a few meters away from the exit to the Place St.-Henri Metro Station.
August 2011


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The break in this fence appears to have been made after 2011.
April 2009


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The area appears heavily trafficked, no doubt from the large volume of people going to and from the Metro.

NAME: Notre-Dame Underpass
latitude: 45.476941
longitude: -73.585209
PRE TEXT: May 2014
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The tracks intersect with Notre-Dame Ouest once again, but the major boulevard goes under them. Anyone this close to the underpass would be better off just walking along the sidewalk than trying to cross illegally.
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NAME: Maria Street
latitude: 45.477075
longitude: -73.581263
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Maria Street, another small cul-de-sac, had the biggest segment of missing fence that I saw when inspecting the rails in St.-Henri.

September 2012


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It appears that nearby property owners used the area for parking, as the same vehicles appear in shots taken years apart.
August 2011


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The fence had been missing for at least three consecutive years. The fence obviously was not always missing. It appears to be reasonably intact in this photo from 2009.

NAME: Saint-Ambroise
latitude: 45.476577
longitude: -73.57918
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Another railroad crossing, this time on Saint-Ambroise street. The warning signals actually work to make this legal crossing safer than alternative crossing routes. Saint-Ambroise is the furthest North and West the working rail lines go into St.-Henri. From here, the trains cross the Lachine Canal and leave the borough.

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NAME: Turgeon Street (RAILWAY NO LONGER IN USE)
latitude: 45.476885
longitude: -73.57785
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At first glance, it appears that there is nothing separating the street and the railway, but this track in question branches off from the main line and is now out of service.

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The other branch of the tracks however is still used. Trains cross Saint-Ambroise and then cross the canal, leaving St.-Henri.


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NAME: Des Lacquiers (RAILWAY NO LONGER IN USE)
latitude: 45.47763
longitude: -73.57685
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A branch off of the train tracks that runs parallel to the street Des Lacquiers. This railway is now defunct and no longer has any trains passing on it. There is a small footpath as well as several condo buildings all within less than three meters of the track.

Past the tracks is the Lachine Canal.


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