Paris has been re-thought for bikes, pedestrians and scooters I am currently spending a few days in Paris, where I grew up (well, in its suburbs). Paris has noticeably changed changed since the 70s and 80s: bike lanes and pedestrian streets are now ubiquitous. I have just wandered from Gare Du Nord to Châtelet, andContinue reading “Bikes and the city : forget Europe-envy and invent a Montreal approach”
Author Archives: Richard Shearmur
Air Canada: charge the poor to pay the rich
There are many good reasons to avoid flying. Air Canada is one of them. It is a corporation that operates within a tight oligopoly in Canada: in other words, there is very little competition, and it is protected by federal laws that prevent foreign operators from operating routes within Canada. It is also very profitable,Continue reading “Air Canada: charge the poor to pay the rich”
Housing crisis: the need for smart regulation
This morning I read an interesting article in the New York Times. It describes how, “under pressure to control housing costs, […] lawmakers rejected standards meant to protect against disasters”. The articles continues: “Over the past 15 years, North Carolina lawmakers have rejected limits on construction on steep slopes, which might have reduced the numberContinue reading “Housing crisis: the need for smart regulation”
Systematic pricing of on-road parking: a bad good idea
In Montreal there have been repeated calls by a prominent environmental organisation – Conseil régional de l’environnement de Montréal (CRE) – to price on-road carparking. The latest reminder of this was a few days ago in La Presse. I share many of CRE’s motivations, and would like to see less car dependency. However, I believeContinue reading “Systematic pricing of on-road parking: a bad good idea”
Hats off to Vélo-Québec!
Vélo-Québec is a non-profit organization, founded in 1967 to promote the use of bicycles in Québec. It remains Québec’s primary advocacy group for cyclists and cycling, but it also takes very seriously its role in promoting cycling in a positive way. In this blog I want to emphasize just how good Vélo-Québec is at democratisingContinue reading “Hats off to Vélo-Québec!”
In defense of the the indefensible
George Orwell, in his 1946 essay ‘Politics and the English Language‘, wrote that: “In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defence of the indefensible. [….] Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness.” He continued: “Defenceless villages are bombarded from the air, the inhabitants driven outContinue reading “In defense of the the indefensible”
On motornormativity – an everyday experience
Having returned from Newfoundland to Montreal, and having finished my vacation, I am now slowly settling back into my Montreal habitat. This involves commuting by bike, which I could not really do in Newfoundland. It therefore involves dealing with motornormativity – a term coined by Professor Ian Walker to describe the way our society hasContinue reading “On motornormativity – an everyday experience”
Canada’s dismal science: in praise of alcohol
As I took my morning hits of caffeine and news, I came across another of those dismal articles pontificating – with repressed prudishness – on the evils of alcohol. In this Guardian piece, building upon reams of prim articles and proper research, we are told that Canadian scientists have recently determined that it is justContinue reading “Canada’s dismal science: in praise of alcohol”
McGill : choosing which discomfort matters…
Further to the mediatised dismantling of the pro-Palestinian camp at McGill on 10th July, I turned up this morning (22nd July) to pick up an item from my office. To my surprise, McGill’s campus – McGill, let us recall, considers itself a seat of learning and debate open to all – is in lock-down, withContinue reading “McGill : choosing which discomfort matters…”
How to fleece your customer: lessons from Norwich airport
Please indulge me. I have just been fleeced at the airport. A minor fleecing, to be sure, but infuriating because it smacks of extorsion. First, £5 (about 7.5$ CAN) just to be dropped off by a taxi. Second, unannounced until I had my boarding card, a £10 airport fee. This is the most dishonest, sinceContinue reading “How to fleece your customer: lessons from Norwich airport”
Richard Shearmur 