Thu Mar 13 11:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Montreal Metro Halted by Suspected Pepper Spray Attack

**Montreal, QC** – The Montreal metro experienced a significant disruption on Monday during rush hour, with all Orange, Yellow, and Green lines temporarily shut down due to a suspected pepper spray incident. Twenty-one stations were evacuated after reports of an irritant, believed to be cayenne pepper, affecting passengers.

Service was suspended for approximately 20 minutes, resuming around 6:45 PM. Only the Blue line remained operational. The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) reported no injuries.

The incident marked the second service interruption on these lines that day. An earlier electrical equipment malfunction caused a 15-minute delay around 10 AM.

The use of irritant sprays in the Montreal metro has increased dramatically in recent years, frequently causing widespread service disruptions. Urgences-santé advises anyone exposed to irritant gases to immediately leave the affected area and seek fresh air.

This latest incident follows a report by La Presse revealing a tenfold increase in pepper spray attacks in 2022 compared to a decade earlier. The STM is facing increasing challenges with homelessness and related issues in the metro system, recently implementing a “requirement to circulate” policy to prohibit loitering.

Other Montreal transit news includes:

* **REM Free Fares End:** Free fares on the Réseau express métropolitain (REM), implemented following service disruptions, ended Monday. Shuttle services will now only operate in the evenings.
* **Camillien-Houde Road Closure:** Despite opposition, Montreal is moving forward with plans to close Camillien-Houde road to cars, with the first contract awarded.
* **REM Service Resumes:** REM service is gradually returning to normal, with trains now operating between 5:30 AM and 8:40 PM weekdays.
* **Dog Policy Under Review:** The STM is considering allowing dogs on buses, but cites safety and cleanliness concerns as priorities.

This article contains other unrelated local news stories including a suicide from the Samuel-De Champlain Bridge, a new bomb disposal robot for Montreal police, affordable housing plans for a former prison, Laval city worker strikes, the launch of the East Montreal tramway project, and further REM service disruptions.

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