
Roger-Luc Chayer (Picture: Valerie Plante by Noovo Info)
And here we go again, it starts all over!
No sooner had the mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, announced that she would not seek re-election in the upcoming municipal election — to the great relief of many Montrealers who have suffered under her administration for the past eight years — than she persisted, emboldened by her « non-next term. » Madame Plante is doubling down on street closures, and some merchants are even accusing her of dubious maneuvers to avoid compensating for the losses resulting from her decisions.
Two recent examples…
Fully aware of the alarming state of Montreal’s Gay Village, located in her own borough of Ville-Marie where she also serves as borough mayor, Valérie Plante seems to disregard the consequences of her actions. After a devastating economic crisis in the area and amid major social issues denounced by merchants and residents — including the increased presence of people struggling with drug addiction, drug trafficking, homelessness, and mental health problems — the mayor decided, as if nothing were amiss, to close one of the Village’s main gateways: the intersection of Atateken and Sainte-Catherine East. She had an ice rink installed there, now occupying the Place du Village as well as part of Sainte-Catherine Street East.
Consequences? Cars and trucks can no longer enter the Village through this access point, and the numerous detours required are often impractical due to endless construction on other streets. The result: the Village’s main artery is deserted, day and night, with almost no traffic. Over the past two days, an average of about 14 vehicles per hour at 4 p.m. was recorded — a true disaster for the local economy.
If motorists who wish to visit the Village’s establishments can no longer park or even access the businesses they want to patronize, and if delivery trucks must perform complex maneuvers to supply these businesses and buildings, it will do nothing to help the local economy. Already fragile, it risks collapsing entirely, especially since Madame Plante has announced major construction on Sainte-Catherine Street East in the Village, set to begin in 2025. These projects are expected to last several years, further worsening the situation.
Some, albeit a few, argue that people should simply park on nearby streets instead of needing to park directly in front of or close to the businesses they wish to visit. This reasoning is flawed because it disregards the right of everyone to circulate freely according to their means. People with reduced mobility, individuals with disabilities, and those who fear walking in the Village streets — and they have good reasons to fear, given the current state of affairs — should be prioritized in decisions affecting street closures. Before closing access points haphazardly, without thorough consideration, these vulnerable groups must be taken into account.
But let the people live, Madame !
The betrayal of Saint-Denis Street
This week, numerous merchants and professionals from Saint-Denis Street, near Ontario Street, publicly denounced the hasty closures of this major commercial and economic artery, carried out without the slightest consultation with the City. They went even further, accusing the mayor of hypocrisy, alleging that major construction work was being organized in staggered periods to make businesses ineligible for financial compensation, which is subject to specific duration conditions.
According to a publication by the QMI agency on January 9, 2025, merchants from the Latin Quarter learned in early January that Saint-Denis Street would be completely closed to traffic starting January 14 — a harsh blow for some, on top of historic losses during the holiday season.
“We simply learned that starting January 14, Ontario Street and Saint-Denis Street will be completely closed to traffic,” explained one merchant.
The owner of Saint-Bock pointed out that many merchants are already struggling to pay their rent.
“Normally, we pay rent of about $30,000 a month. So, if we do sales of $15,000 to $16,000, those are just decent days. But when we make $600, $800 a day, with five, six, seven employees on the floor, it doesn’t work,” he explained.
“There are many buildings that are closed, boarded up. I think it’s a little over 50%. Vermin issues, homelessness, drug use, violence — it doesn’t make the neighborhood very attractive,” lamented Mr. Guimond.
The merchants are calling for help from the City, but the construction work is « not major enough » to qualify for compensation programs. “I sometimes wonder how Ms. Plante would react if we took away three months of her salary every year because of construction in front of her house? Basically, that’s what’s happening,” he said.
A moratorium on construction is being demanded everywhere
Several associations of merchants, professionals, and residents are calling on the City to impose a moratorium on all major construction projects and street closures until a new administration takes office after the elections scheduled for November 2025.
This measure would allow a new team to implement necessary projects but in a participatory framework involving all Montreal stakeholders, rather than continuing on the current path, which many perceive as driven by a rigid and authoritarian ideology.
It’s your move, Madame Plante!