The presence of an emergency homeless shelter at the Guy-Favreau Complex in downtown Montreal has caused thousands of criminal and security incidents, according to a federal document obtained by The Press.
This information supports the concerns repeatedly expressed by residents and traders in the area regarding the growing insecurity that reigned there.
Over just eight months, “between 1er October 2022 and May 30 [2023]2,243 incidents of a criminal and security nature were reported” in connection with the 85-place shelter, according to a memo prepared for Justin Trudeau in preparation for a meeting with Valérie Plante last June. The Press obtained it thanks to the Access to Information Act.
“Several users and commercial tenants of the Guy-Favreau Complex witnessed these incidents and expressed concern about their safety,” continues the note, prepared by the Privy Council Office.
With the presence of a large number of civil servants, other occupants and numerous citizens present every day, it is clear that the presence of a refuge in this building is incompatible with the vocation of the Guy-Favreau Complex.
Excerpt from the note to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Opened at the height of the pandemic, in May 2020, this shelter was closed at the end of 2023. After several renewals, Ottawa took possession of the premises to carry out “priority and major work to ensure the integrity of the building” at the following the discovery of mold, explains the note. “This major work cannot be carried out in the premises used for the shelter if occupants are still there. »
The City of Montreal announced last fall that a former seniors’ residence in Verdun, the Gordon Gardens, is taking over this facility.
Violence, incivility and drugs
Entrepreneur Winston Chan, a member of Montreal’s Chinese community who has often denounced the insecurity around the Guy-Favreau Complex, indicated that the high number of incidents did not surprise him.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” he said in a telephone interview. “In the field, several traders are talking to us about it [de l’insécurité] because of this refuge. »
In recent years, people in the neighborhood have reported being insulted and even beaten by suspected shelter users, in addition to frequently witnessing crack and injection drug use. In 2022, a homeless man was stabbed to death in the neighborhood.
“The shelter opened at a certain time and people lined up to get in, so they stood in that corner” for most of the day, Mr. Chan added. “It’s really not a pleasant cohabitation for the residents. »
The City of Montreal argued that it had done its best to mitigate the impacts of the presence of a homeless shelter at the Guy-Favreau Complex.
“During the period when a temporary shelter was in operation, the City of Montreal worked closely with the Société de développement social (SDS) which operated the resource and the managers of the building to ensure security and harmonious cohabitation between residents, workers, merchants and users of the shelter,” argued public relations officer Guillaume Rivest, in a statement by email.
“The City of Montreal is always committed to ensuring social cohabitation and safety in public spaces,” he continued. “This is why, among other things, we have enhanced the Mobile Mediation and Social Intervention Team (ÉMMIS) and added patrols from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) in the sector. »
Public Services and Procurement Canada, the department which manages federal buildings, had not reacted at the time of publishing this text.
“The location was not ideal”
The Montreal mayor’s office did not want to comment on the situation.
“The fact that the federal government wants to make major renovations [au Complexe Guy-Favreau]we understand, but it is certain that it shakes up an entire ecosystem, an environment with very vulnerable people,” Valérie Plante said in mid-August, when the closure of the shelter was announced.
On Friday, the opposition spokesperson responsible for the homelessness issue took shots at the mayor and her team.
“I’m not surprised at all. We had said that the location was not ideal,” said Benoit Langevin in a telephone interview.
[Le] cohabitation plan was, let’s say it, non-existent. These figures are proof that the Plante administration did not listen to the heartfelt cry of residents and business owners in Chinatown who did not feel safe.
Benoit Langevin, spokesperson for the official opposition on the fight against poverty and homelessness
“The hasty opening of shelters, without a cohabitation plan, has been the hallmark of Projet Montréal in recent years,” he added.
With the collaboration of William Leclerc, The Press