Pandemic. E-commerce and megacenters. Inflation. Labor shortage. There is no shortage of traumatic shocks for the shopping streets of Quebec. With the series Our streets on foot, “Le Devoir” therefore assesses in an ambulatory approach the resilience of some between them. Fourth promenade: the boulevard of the Ange-Gardien, at L’Assomption.
In 1990, when he returned to settle in his youthful town, Claude de Grandpré had only one restaurant on the main artery, open until 9 p.m. The Hector-Charland theatre, which he directs, breathed new life into the district when it opened in 1999. More than forty businesses have appeared, about half of which are restaurants, in the space of six intersections from the Boulevard de l’Ange-Gardien.
“Companies have developed very connected with us. Normally, we attract 125,000 spectators a year, which keeps the businesses alive. There is also the college and the CEGEP, which feed them at lunchtime, and we take over in the evening, ”describes the director general, in a large meeting room of the modern 664-seat theater.
Indeed, on the other side of the street stand the majestic stone buildings of the Collège de L’Assomption, built in the 19th century.e century, and those of Cégep de Lanaudière. Many historic buildings are scattered on the boulevard and in the surrounding streets.
In a grassy space intended to be transformed into a public square, adjacent to the theatre, the municipality has installed furniture and an outdoor stage, in order to attract strollers. In this village-like city center, focused on the arts and catering, it must be said that the sanitary measures have hurt.
“At the ticket office, at some point, we said to ourselves that we would not get through. Especially when the government told us that we had the right to open, but by cutting seats. The coordinators wept with discouragement,” says Mr. de Grandpré, who was a musician in his former career.
The theater lost a large part of its staff, so it was a “disaster” last summer when it came time to welcome back the spectators. “We spent the last year recruiting, so this summer isn’t that bad. But there is always one who has COVID. We spend our time replacing people or compensating, ”reports the native of Repentigny with an infectious smile.
This summer, the room is filled to about 80% of the 2019 level, estimates Mr. de Grandpré, who also sees a downward trend in the number of subscribers to the theater. However, he considers the situation as “a positive challenge for customer renewal”.
A slow ascent
Despite the gloom of the past two and a half years, businesses in the area have almost all survived and are rebuilding. Next to the theatre, the bistro L’ange cornu has a huge terrace, strategically invaded by greenery, which surrounds the building. When you are seated there, absurd works of art surprise the customer at every turn of the eye.
Founded 23 years ago, the restaurant has its own little performance hall, especially for up-and-coming artists. “The first owner bought the place knowing that the theater was going to arrive at the same time,” underlines co-owner Nancy Melançon.
From then until 2020, the clientele continued to grow, so much so that the co-owner and her associates opened a second establishment, a few meters further on, the Maître Edgar pub. “In 2016, the play A hard time attracted people from all over Quebec, who came in groups. We went to the maximum of what we were capable of,” says the blonde-haired entrepreneur.
This discreet catering enthusiast suffered from not being able to practice her profession for long pandemic months. The conversion to take-out orders allowed some activity, but the traffic was starving. While some of her associates were leaving the boat, it was her love of the trade that pushed her to stay on board.
Fortunately, M.me Melançon feels this summer “an economic recovery, a resumption of life, of celebration” which “looks a bit like 2019”. The great solidarity between the merchants of the artery has, for its part, been a balm on the wounds of the restaurateur.
This mutual aid was also felt by Karine Chaumont, owner of the gift shop Le presentoir, four doors away.
“I don’t hesitate to direct customers to restaurants, according to their profile. We are pretty tightly knit among the traders — there are a lot of women. You go to the herbalist, it’s Isabelle, you go to the Hidden Vice, it’s Shannon. You go to L’ange, it’s Nancy, ”lists Mme Chaumont, between his checkout and a display of Quebec jewelry.
Alcohol and history
A little further on, in a building from 1890, an old sign announces the Portage Bars. To find out the origin of the name of the business and the history of the city, nothing better than to consult Jean-Pierre Marion, Richard Falcon and René Lesage, regulars of this traditional bar who chat there with their beer, not far from slot machine lights.
“Have you read the book History of the Assumption ? asks Mr. Falcon to our journalist. Nope ? Never mind, it is he who will tell the story. L’Assomption, you see, is a peninsula in the heart of the meander of the river of the same name. The place has been frequented since 1717 by woodsmen in addition to Aboriginal people.
“Instead of going around the peninsula, people were portaging, and that’s how it developed,” says Falcon.
And why is the word “bars” plural? “Until the 1970s, there was a wall here in the middle. On this side was the tavern, the women couldn’t enter here. On the other side, they could go,” says Falcon.
Since then, the street has been greatly modernized, remarks Mr. Marion, while keeping its antique character. This native of L’Assomption, he seems to have changed very little. In an old photo of the bar taken out by the waitress, the jovial regular is sitting in the same place, wearing a similar cap! What do you want, he is attached to this institution, the only one on the street that has remained strictly a drinking establishment.
The Le Fermentor microbrewery, installed for five years in the oldest house on the artery, erected in 1780, is also well attended. This is at least the observation of Sébastien Cloutier, who has been employed there for three years. He even believes that he is visited by more hop lovers this summer than in 2019.
“We have a lot of people from the area, but we also make ourselves known through discovery tours like Lanaubière and Je bois local”, says the hairy and bearded member of this small team, which has remained intact despite the pandemic.
For this “little family”, the pandemic was an opportunity to start producing cans. Its products are also sold in several restaurants on the boulevard.
The atmosphere is optimistic in this summer ski lift period. Traders will be a little more nervous in the fall, however, which has brought bad news for the past two years.