(Montréal) Des terrasses de restaurants ont été vidées de leurs clients vendredi soir par le service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM) alors que le Grand Prix bat son plein et que la clientèle afflue.
C’est ce qui est arrivé vendredi soir au Ferreira Café situé sur la rue Peel. Dans une vidéo publiée sur les réseaux sociaux, la directrice des opérations de l’établissement, Sandra Ferreira, raconte le calvaire qu’elle a vécu après qu’une douzaine de pompiers lui ont demandé de vider la terrasse de son restaurant, pourtant remplie de clients.
« Les pompiers sont venus nous dire que la terrasse n’est pas conforme, explique dans sa vidéo Sandra Ferreira. Ils attendent au vendredi du Grand Prix pour venir, alors qu’on a un restaurant plein. Et devant tout le monde, ils nous demandent de faire évacuer la terrasse ».
La terrasse de son établissement a pourtant reçu la permission de la Ville pour ouvrir, et ce malgré quelques ajustements qui ont été nécessaires quant à son installation, dit-elle. Au total, la propriétaire aurait déboursé plus de 40 000 $ pour accueillir ses clients sur sa terrasse cette année.
« Je leur demande ce qui arrive si je ne le fais pas [évacuer la terrasse] and they tell me it’s the terrace or it’s the restaurant,” she said. I find it so cruel that you waited to tell us this [de faire] a scene in front of lots of people, with me bursting into tears. »
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
The Ferreira Café terrace
The fine she allegedly received mentions that she “did not take all necessary measures to remove a dangerous condition.” »
“ [Pour] all the restaurants on Peel Street, it was months of relentless relentlessness [pour avoir les terrasses], adds Sandra Ferreira. This weekend, I’m ashamed for my city, I’m ashamed that this is happening in front of our customers […] Everyone arrives and the disappointment is that nothing happens on the street [Peel]. »
The event sparked the reaction of many people, including elected officials from the metropolis.
“Besides the question of bad timing, I question the lack of leadership in the Ville-Marie district led by Valérie Plante, writes on X the spokesperson for the Official Opposition in matters of public security, Abdelhaq Sari. Where is the consultation with all the stakeholders that the mayor is talking about? »
The owners had been warned
The SIM explains that it closed four terraces on Friday evening which were not compliant. This procedure took place as part of Operation Sentinel, which aims to ensure the compliance of establishments which welcome the public. This operation takes place four times a year during important festivities.
The SIM communications division head, Guy Lapointe, assures that the firefighters had been meeting the traders well before the Grand Prix.
“We met the owners a week and a half ago to tell them that it is not the terrace, but the awning which must be three meters away,” explains the SIM communications division head, Guy Lapointe. We asked them to move it, but we noticed [hier soir] that they had not followed the instructions. »
He refutes accusations from the owner of Café Ferreira that the firefighters came without warning. Guy Lapointe explains that Operation Sentinel also aims to verify that traffic limits are respected, which is why they intervened in the presence of customers.
A cumbersome presence of morality
Marie-Pierre Burelle is the manager of the Ryu restaurant on Peel Street. His establishment is the only one not to have installed a marquee on its terrace this year.
And yet, two agents from the morality squad stood in front of the doors of his establishment for almost half an hour while customers were present.
“Customers were wondering what was going on […] why would they come in if there are two police officers in front of the doors [du restaurant], explains Marie-Pierre Burelle. It emptied the terraces. »
The office of the mayor of the City of Montreal Valérie Plante had not yet reacted at the time of writing.