Inside Montreal, journalist Louis-Philippe Messier travels mainly on the run, his office in his backpack, on the lookout for fascinating subjects and people. He speaks to everyone and is interested in all walks of life in this urban chronicle.
The Monster of La Ronde is not like you and me. We grow old, while the iconic wooden merry-go-round stagnates in eternal youth thanks to the constant care of mechanics and carpenters who devote themselves to it full-time.
When La Ronde reopens on Saturday, May 21, spare a thought for mechanics Jocelyn Mondoux and Steve Riendeau, who will then have gotten up around 3:15 a.m., like every working day in the summer.
From 5 a.m., loaded with tools and bolts, screws and other materials, they climb the giant structure 40 m high. They cover the two lanes of 1.2 km each in full, inspecting them. The next morning, they repeat this journey in the opposite direction.
They take care of the metal part. Carpenters accompany them, on the lookout for possible alterations in the wood.
These dawn workers probably get the best view of the downtown skyline. The titanic skeleton they are assigned to is also magnificent.
“Cat Walkway”
Mr. Mondoux has been treating the Monster for 20 years; Mr. Riendeau, for 10 years.
“It really impresses people to know that I’ve been working at Le Monstre, just Le Monstre and only Le Monstre for a good part of my life, let’s say! laughs Mr. Mondoux (he’s been dealing with it for almost half his life).
“Our kids don’t go unnoticed when they talk about what dad does for a living, but people are quick to ask if they can get tickets! exclaims Mr. Riendeau.
This morning inspection is not easy: moving on the sidewalk of boards strewn with balusters nicknamed “cat’s footbridge” is not easy. This one is almost never flat.
Potentially eternal
This journey that the trains complete in 63 seconds, these workers who pamper the Monster do it on foot in a minimum of 2.5 hours or a maximum of four hours.
“If a bolt is missing, we replace it, or if in one place, the spacing of the rails seems to increase, we note it, to make sure that it does not become dangerous. »
After inspecting the carousel, MM. Mondoux and Riendeau focus on… trains.
“Wooden roller coasters require a lot of maintenance, but their lifespan is virtually unlimited as long as you take care of them,” explains maintenance manager Francis Girouard.
Photo Martin Alarie
The maintenance and construction director of La Ronde, Francis Girouard.
splinters
There would be more than a million planks in this megastructure; I didn’t take the time to count, but it seems plausible.
Built in part with treated Douglas fir, the Monster is prone to splinters. While climbing, I got one on my left hand despite a glove and another on my elbow through my windbreaker.
Photo Martin Alarie
The immensity of the Monster is especially noticeable when you climb it and see it unfold beneath you, as our columnist Louis-Philippe Messier has seen.
To understand the enormity of the ride, you have to climb on it. At the top, I feel like I’m surfing a wave on an ocean of wood.
Already, the permanent workers of the Monster are thinking about the section that they will rebuild next winter in order to preserve the eternal youth of the Beast.
The monster
- Year of construction : 1985
- Top speed : 96 km/h
- 40 meters height
- Distance traveled : 1.2km
- Travel time : 63 seconds
- Number of boards: at least a million
Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com