100 years of buses

Open house day

On November 23, 2019, we held an open house at the Legendre bus garage to mark 100 years of buses in Montréal.

It was a great way for families to get a behind-the-scenes look at the bus network by visiting the garage and its maintenance workshops.

Visitors were able to travel through history and board the new fully electric New Flyer bus as part of the exhibition on buses from past to present. Visitors also enjoyed speaking with representatives about topics such as:

  • Our future bus garages
  • Our services and trades
  • Jobs at the STM
  • The Réchaud-bus
  • The Boutique STM

Thank you to all 2,320 participants!

Here are some highlights of this memorable day (video in French only) :

Consult the accessibility page for more info on the external medias.

See Portes ouvertes au Centre de Transport Legendre on YouTube

Spotlight on history

100 ans des bus à Montréal

Benoît Clairoux, public affairs advisor and STM historian, in cooperation with bus enthusiasts Jaysen Constantineau, Robert Lacombe and Jean-François Lacourse, commemorate 100 years of buses in Montréal with this unique work. Dive into the history of buses, from 1919 to today!

“In the early 1940s, the entire country was involved in the war effort, including the Montreal Tramways Company. Ridership soon reached its peak, but resources were scarce.”

Translated excerpt from the book 100 ans de bus à Montréal by Benoît Clairoux, Jaysen Constantineau, Robert Lacombe and Jean-François Lacourse, 2019.

More history

A section of the STM’s website is also dedicated to the history of buses. You can read about how streetcars, trolleybuses and finally buses made their way into Montréal’s urban landscape.

Learn about the history of buses

24 hours in the life of buses

To mark the 100th anniversary of Montréal’s buses, here is a series of three videos on the theme of ‟24 hours in the life of buses.”

What happens every day on the bus network? Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at our operations and vehicle maintenance as well as a glimpse of the many workers that keep Montréal in motion, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Consult the accessibility page for more info on the external medias.

See 24hrs in the life of buses on YouTube

A day in the life of operations employees (in French only)

What is it like for employees at the main bus operations centre? How do they provide real-time information to customers? Who coordinates bus arrivals and departures at the garage? Who is in charge of assigning buses to drivers? Who intervenes with the city to ensure our vehicles get repaired fast?

Watch this second video, where several of our employees share their stories about their job and their day-to-day as they keep Montréal in motion!

Consult the accessibility page for more info on the external medias.

See 24 heures dans la vie des bus : en opération on YouTube

An inside glimpse of the bus maintenance teams(in French only)

What happens during a major vehicle breakdown? What kind of repairs are carried out on our buses? What about their cleaning? Is it unusual for a public transit authority to have a tire reconstruction workshop?

Our bus maintenance employees answer these questions in this video. Happy viewing!

Consult the accessibility page for more info on the external medias.

See 24 heures dans la vie des bus : à l'entretien on YouTube

Get your headphones on!

Want to get a behind-the-scenes look at the world of buses? Our podcasts are a unique way to learn about them.

New! L'évolution des bus à Montréal (in french only)

In this podcast, learn more about Montréal buses over time, from their beginnings 100 years ago, in 1919, to our vision of a fully electric future. Listen as our experts—total bus enthusiasts—and our customers share their memories and a few anecdotes.

L'évolution des bus à Montréal

Explore Montréal by bus (in french only)

Listen to our podcasts to get to know three featured north-south and east-west lines:

Discover Montréal by bus!

Discover Montréal by bus with one of our 16 suggested itineraries, on 20 regular bus lines, that will take you through the city’s different neighbourhoods

Discover Montréal by bus

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