The Mayor of the City of Montreal, Valérie Plante announced this Thursday that owners whose terraces had been suddenly closed by agents of the Montreal Fire Safety Service (SIM), will be able to reinstall their marquees.
Parking spaces near the terraces will be removed in order to allow the terraces to encroach further on the roadway and thus respect the three meters distance from the building. Possible financial compensation is being considered, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
“I wanted to test this solution with the restaurateurs first to ensure that it held up,” explains the mayor.
She also denounces the “cavalier” approach of certain SIM agents towards merchants on Peel Street.
The deputy director for urban security, Martin Prud’homme, recalled that the objective is now to correct the errors made last weekend.
“We don’t want to respond to a fire call, we want to avoid it and it’s our responsibility to explain it to business owners and support them,” he says. The latter immediately launched an administrative investigation and two SIM executive employees were suspended from their duties.
The owner of the restaurant Chez Alexandre, Alain Creton affirmed that the merchants concerned now say they are “happy” with the City’s announcement. He says that the marquees will be back on the terraces next Monday.
“Our terraces will regain the space they had before and everyone will ultimately be safe,” he says.
Last Friday, four restaurants on Peel Street were forced by the SIM to close their terraces for security reasons while the Grand Prix was in full swing. The terraces were able to reopen the next day, but without the marquees which protected them from bad weather.
This event sparked strong reactions among the population and among elected officials in the metropolis after one of the businesses on Peel Street published a video on social networks recounting her ordeal.
For the affected traders, the financial losses are considerable, particularly with regard to the rainy day of Saturday.
The manager of the Iberica restaurant, Christopher Ramirez, estimates that these financial losses could amount to up to $10,000. He admits that he would like to receive financial compensation, but says he is “realistic”.
“On Saturday, all day, it was raining. So we didn’t get a table outside,” he says.
For Alain Creton, financial compensation does not reflect his “personal style”. However, he hopes that the clashes of the Grand Prix will serve as a lesson for the future.
Asked about this, the mayor explained that “it’s not all black or white”, before adding that non-conformities had nevertheless been noted on site by the SIM.
It also recognizes the impact that the events have had on customers and on the reputation of the Grand Prix.
The general director of the SDC of downtown Montreal, Glenn Castanheira, welcomes the City’s efforts, but invites it to tackle the “source of the problem.”
“The SIM and the City of Montreal must take concrete actions to improve relations with stakeholders during street closures, major events, pedestrianization and terraces,” he says. Better communication is essential to avoid such incidents in the future. »
