Article: Mirabel airport today

Dub-Alicious said:
should have called it YUL, then no political or cultural issues would happen
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Originally it was named RCAF station Lachine followed by Montreal Airport. There was big block letters spelling out Montreal, which was visible from the sky. The original pre 1960 terminal was located where the present international/ trans border terminal is now. The hangers that we're just knocked down traced their routes back to the early 40s . The Air Canada narrow body hanger was built sometime in the 50s and was expanded to serve DC-8s. The wide body hanger was built specifically for the 747 which were delivered new as 747-133s in early 1971 followed by 233Ms in 75. The L-1011 came online in 1973.

I have a bunch of time tables etc from the pre YMX days at YUL. Aeroflot had a daily flight on a IL-62 as did LOT. My favourite though is BOAC operating VC10 !
 
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Here is the 1966 BOAC Schedule...
BOAC_Summer1966_Page-3.jpg



Right so this photo is YUL new terminal sometime between 1960-1966l. At the time it was one of the biggest in the world.
YUL.jpg

Summer 1970. AC hanger under construction
YUL3-1.jpg


This photo is taken some time in early 1971.. Air Canada got it's first 741 in Feb of 1971.. It's a mirror image off a slide
YUL2-1.jpg


We can see a CPAir DC-8, 2 AC DC-8s and 2 Viscounts.

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So who wants to argue with me?
 
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I just read through this whole thread. I have lots of fond memories from Mirabel airport. When my grandparents would come over from Austria, we would wait on the mezzanine and watch for them coming out of the PTV's and then get in line for Customs. It was so thrilling to finally lay eyes on them, start waving frantically to attract their attention, then see the look on their faces when they finally saw us! :)

The passenger terminal was so neat with all the glass, and the grey marble floors. Such a simple design with stunning results. I also always enjoyed the spiral ramps for the multi-level parking garage, even though I was far too young to drive. Never did get to drive on them myself.

I have some pics somewhere from a few years ago when I went up to Mirabel airport to witness what I think was the last public passenger flight to land there. There were maybe a couple hundred people in the far eastern end of the terminal on the mezzanine watching the planes come in from the east. I can't find the pics on this PC but if I do, I'll try to post them here.

Dorval just doesn't have the charm that Mirabel had for me, but that may just be nostalgia. I'm not a fan of all the walking at Dorval, then being funneled into a huge lineup for Customs. I've also heard that Dorval is one of the few airports where connecting passengers are required to collect their luggage and then check it in again at their next flight.

Someone here mentioned a fully built train terminal at Mirabel? I never heard that before, I wonder if it's true? If it is, someone must have or be able to get pics of it! I would love to see that.
 
Fastphil said:
Someone here mentioned a fully built train terminal at Mirabel? I never heard that before, I wonder if it's true? If it is, someone must have or be able to get pics of it! I would love to see that.
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Trouvé sur Google:

52691.jpg


Edit: Désolé, ce n'est pas Mirabel:

J'ai cherché " mirabel airport train station" est c'est la première image qui est sortie. Sauf qu'en lisant l'article qui venait avec, j'ai vu que c'était une photo d'un projet pour trudeau.
 
meanteg said:
Trouvé sur Google:

52691.jpg


Edit: Désolé, ce n'est pas Mirabel:

J'ai cherché " mirabel airport train station" est c'est la première image qui est sortie. Sauf qu'en lisant l'article qui venait avec, j'ai vu que c'était une photo d'un projet pour trudeau.
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I thought the pic looked too new for it to be under construction... Anyone else got something interesting to show?
 
Mirabel did have a cool outside terrasse on the ramp... Was closed in the mid 90s. YMX was where I took my first and only L-1011 TriStar flight to FLL.

anywaysYYZ doesn't have a rail link and seems to do good
 
Gregster said:
Mirabel did have a cool outside terrasse on the ramp... Was closed in the mid 90s. YMX was where I took my first and only L-1011 TriStar flight to FLL.

anywaysYYZ doesn't have a rail link and seems to do good
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Toronto's Pearson airport is far more accessible than Mirabel, and maybe even more accessible than Dorval from their respective downtown cores. In Toronto, you probably don't have to shell out $50 to take a taxi to the terminal from most places. I think in Dorval $50 is more or less a flat rate for a taxi from downtown Montreal to the airport terminal.

The new ramps off the 20 and 520 will make things easier for people going to PET by road, but that doesn't help for traffic. Even the train station at Dorval requires a shuttle or taxi or bus to the air terminal. I know I wouldn't want to be walking down that access road, especially not with a suitcase or family in tow.

I'm not even sure I'm on topic with all the stuff I wrote... And as others said, Mirabel probably will never again be a valid option.

I do find it interesting that highway 13 is such a hot topic when it comes to Mirabel's demise. judging by google Maps, it really would be a crapshoot to get to Mirabel via the proposed 13 or the existing 15. An in-terminal train station would have been a huge boon to the airport's success. It really is a shame when cost-cutting undermines a great plan.
 
Wow...

Have you ever tried to get from YYZ to downtown Toronto during rush hour?1hr to 1.75easy A cab ride is about 70$, the airport shuttle bus is about 25$ last I was on it you also need to make 100 stops There is no rail link or real public transit link either.

It wasn't cost cutting but rather a PQ govt being elected and the Feds weren't going to invest .
 
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Gregster said:
Wow...

Have you ever tried to get from YYZ to downtown Toronto during rush hour?1hr to 1.75easy A cab ride is about 70$, the airport shuttle bus is about 25$ last I was on it you also need to make 100 stops There is no rail link or real public transit link either.

It wasn't cost cutting but rather a PQ govt being elected and the Feds weren't going to invest .
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No.

The provincial government waited that phase 2 of Mirabel Airport was completed before making the rail link.

But the federal conservatives at the time was elected and shelved the project.
 
Rookie_One said:
No.

The provincial government waited that phase 2 of Mirabel Airport was completed before making the rail link.

But the federal conservatives at the time was elected and shelved the project.
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There are several factors that caused the demise of YMX. The PQ election and subsequent referendum didn't help. You can't argue that fact
 
Gregster said:
There are several factors that caused the demise of YMX. The PQ election and subsequent referendum didn't help. You can't argue that fact
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Actually the PQ wanted to complete the damn thing, but did not want to do it before there were assurance that the airport was completed.....and guess who cutted the money on the federal government ? Mulroney. And worse he returned the land to many who were expropriated. And harper did the same for the rest of the land, basically locking mirabel in what it is today...

And it's a shame, because Dorval should had been closed and everyone should had gone to Mirabel instead....that airport really had potential to become the biggest one of the country
 
You also seem to be forgetting the fact that Montreal simply didn't have the PAX traffic at the time and still doesnt. The economy in Quebec in the late 70s and 80s wasn't the greatest to warrant that many people traveling through here. Airlines/ countries came up with better bilateral agreements . As I mentioned a 60s idea, built in the 70s. Air Canada for example has more international flights from YUL today than they ever had at YMX. New markets opened up because YUL finally became a real hub.

I've argued enough in this thread. If you guys really think that YMX is so great than you can speak to your local MNA about it. It will never reopen
 
Quand j'étais jeune et innocent y'a quelques années on s'était inflitré dans l'hotel une couple de soirs boire de la bière durant une période de 2-3 semaines. La piscine était encore en fonction pis toute, les chaises longue, le bar, avec les frigidaires à bière pis toute. C'était freak pas mal, tous les alarmées de fumées émettaient le petit bip caractéristique qu'ils font quand ils manquent de batteries. Mais quand t'en a à peu près 300 pis les bips viennent de partout alentour de toi ça rend paranoiaque en criss. On paniquait pas mal jusqu'à ce qu'on se rend compte que c'était les détecteurs de fumée haha.

On est pu retourné quand on a failli se faire pogner par un truck de sécurité qui balayait un gros spot light au travers des grosses vitres au rez de chaussé. Ils devaient chercher voir s'il y avait du monde en dedans parce que je m'étais parqué pas trop subtilement sur le côté. On a couru en tabarnac jusqu'à mon char lol j'comprend encore pas comment on s'est pas fait pogner...
 
Fastphil said:
Someone here mentioned a fully built train terminal at Mirabel? I never heard that before, I wonder if it's true? If it is, someone must have or be able to get pics of it! I would love to see that.
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I've seen it in 2008.5
Rails have been covered with asphalt. Converted into a staff parking.
Ceiling is very low... Of course because the train was supposed to be low profile (high speed train).
Physically located at the beginning of the terminal, (bottom left corner) same level as the ground floor of the multi-level parking. Right next to it... Between parking and the cargo zone downstairs
 
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