The long-awaited Presidents Cup has just begun, but residents, merchants and local mayors are already fed up with the traffic chaos and long waits in Montreal’s West Island.
The professional golf event is being held at the Royal Montreal Golf Club in the suburb of Île-Bizard, which only has a single bridge connecting it to and from the Island of Montreal.
Heba Armanious’ commute from Île-Bizard home to her Harvey’s business in the neighbouring Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough took about 50 minutes — up from the usual five minutes. The heavy traffic has been “long and exhausting,” she said.
“It’s affecting the business. It’s affecting the people,” Armanious said in an interview Wednesday. “It’s just chaotic.”
Only drivers with a special pass are able to access Île-Bizard until Sunday, when the tournament wraps up. Police are tasked with filtering cars, but residents say there are major flaws when it comes to the sticker system and how …