And the winner is ...... the status quo!
The ATR-500 will continue in service until being replaced by the -600 verson around 2010/2011.
Don't know where you heard this champ, but nothings been announced by MC to the employees, so seriously doubt your claim.
In fact I've flown with a couple of MC C&T'ers lately and they say it's still too close to call.
Plus any merger of the MC and NS pilot groups - for the group common type qual on Q300/Q400 - has apparently ended up in the 'too hard' bin.
WTF!! Where did that come from?? Maybe a JH pipedream, but def nothing of the sort was ever mentioned to the MC Pilot group about that. Why would we need a group common type qual anyway?