Restaurateurs exasperated by the bureaucracy deplore that the City of Montreal and the STM are putting a spoke in their wheels for the installation of their terrace, after two years of pandemic and multiple closures.
“We invested $50,000 in a terrace, part of which was paid for by the recovery fund [de la Ville]explains Pierre Thibault, president of the New Association of Quebec Bars and co-owner of the Pontiac, on Mont-Royal Avenue.
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Until yesterday morning, the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) refused to move a bus stop, yet canceled part of the summer when the street is pedestrian, forcing it to reduce the area of its terrace by 80 places. 24 seats.
The STM has finally confirmed that it will move the stop after being questioned by the 24 hours.
In all, 11 merchants interviewed claim to have experienced similar situations and to have found themselves in the maze of endless administrative processes to obtain or renew their terrace permit for the summer of 2022.
“This terrace, you can understand that for us it is more than vital. We are waiting for the summer season to start to come out of the water,” argues Otman Amer, the owner of Darna Bistroquet, a restaurant located in La-Petite-Patrie.
It was a reserved lane that prevented him from obtaining his licence. For others, it is pipeline work postponed for three years, a permit granted by mistake or a change in regulations that have been invoked.
A late reaction
A few hours after our request for an interview with the City and the STM on Tuesday, the mayor of Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, François Limoges, visited restaurants on rue Beaubien in the evening, assuring them that their terraces would be authorized.
Traders in the Plateau Mont-Royal would have received a call from the chief of staff of the mayor of Plateau-Mont-Royal, Andréanne Leclerc-Marceau, going in the same direction.
“It is important to remember that the majority of terrace permits are accepted without delay, it is really a minority of more complex cases that is in question”, reacted the Mayor of Plateau-Mont-Royal and responsible for economic development and commercial, Luc Rabouin by email.
“We are aware that restaurateurs need predictability and support, we are going to make sure that they have all the support necessary for a successful summer season,” he said.
Avoidable pitfalls
The fact remains that the restaurateurs are exhausted from the obstacle course they have had to lead.
“We must realize that the passage of anguish and anxiety and the interventions of the media were necessary to accelerate a process that had been dragging on for months”, denounces Pierre Thibault.
“Almost every day I followed them up, I tried to find solutions, I called the STM, I called the city, I called public works. It took two months for us to finally just move a bus stop,” he concludes.
Although they are accustomed to dealing with the heavy paperwork involved in operating a business in Montreal, many entrepreneurs believe that their administrative struggle of the past few weeks could have been avoided.
“We don’t get told no by the political, we get told no by the structural for reasons that are in my opinion unfair,” says chef Danny St-Pierre, co-owner of the Pontiac.
Restaurateurs tell us about their pitfalls
Thibaud Shoemaker
- Pit Caribou | The Plateau-Mont-Royal
Thibaud Cordonnier denounces a new regulation on the Plateau Mont-Royal which obliges him to revise downwards the number of places on his terrace.
This allows the establishment of terraces of 24 places on residential streets. However, it does not distinguish between a terrace located on a residential street at the corner of a commercial street and a terrace that would be located in the middle of a block of houses.
“Last year, I had a 50-seat terrace which was no problem then there, now I find myself with half. And we found out about that in March, so I had to redo my plans, restart my submissions. […] I find it ridiculous that I am given the same rights as any restaurant or small café that is lost in the middle of houses on residential streets, ”denounces Mr. Cordonnier, owner of Pit Caribou.
Joel Lemay / QMI Agency
His business is however located at the corner of Rachel and Mentana streets and his terrace is located in commercial zoning although it is on a residential street. However, the planning department justified its decision by invoking the concept of “use of public space” and not zoning as is normally the case, which Mr. Cordonnier denounces.
When the borough modified its regulation on terraces at the end of February, it was with the aim of establishing “more flexible rules for the next season” according to its press release.
Eric Lefrancois
- Vice-president of New Quebec Bar Association
- The Drinkerie and the Suzanne bar | The Southwest and Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Joel Lemay / QMI Agency
“I try not to do any more business on the Plateau Mont-Royal. I also do it outside Montreal and it’s not a mess like that, we have a listening ear, ”says Éric Lefrançois. He believes that the borough manages its files in a way that is too “impersonal”.
He claims that it is a permit granted “by mistake” by a civil servant two years ago which would force him to dispose of the terrace he had built near his bar Suzanne located rue Duluth on the Plateau Mont -Royal.
Joel Lemay / QMI Agency
As for the Drinkerie, located rue Notre-Dame O in the South-West, it is pipe work postponed for more than three years that is in question. He believes that this work, which he recognizes as necessary, could take place at a less critical time in the year for merchants and that they should have been listened to more.
He believes that these “incredible” communication problems are not good for the reputation of the metropolis. “Montreal nightlife is not a very encouraging prospect […]. There is a great reflection to be had, ”he believes.
Danny St-Pierre
- The Pontiac | The Plateau-Mont-Royal
Joel Lemay / QMI Agency
Chef Danny St-Pierre was very anxious in the last few weeks at the idea of having to considerably reduce the size of the terrace of the restaurant Le Pontiac, located on avenue du Mont-Royal, which he owns.
Despite three solutions proposed to the STM by the co-owners of the establishment, the STM refused for weeks to move the bus stop located at the corner of Mont-Royal and Pontiac.
Joel Lemay / QMI Agency
According to the chief, this kind of bureaucratic slowness tarnishes Montreal’s image internationally. “Last year, when we saw terraces in Montreal in the international newspapers, it was the Pontiac terrace that we saw. It was always the same clip, the lights flashing on the sanctuary of the most holy sacrament. We created a product that is interesting,” he recalls.
The STM finally notified the borough on Wednesday that it is authorizing the installation of the terrace on rue Mont-Royal, just hours after the 24 hours asked her about it.
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Otman Amer
- The Darna Bistroquet | Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie
Joel Lemay / QMI Agency
A lane reserved for buses on rue Beaubien jeopardized the terrace plan of the Darna Bistroquet, to the chagrin of its owner Otman Amer. The terrace, however, occupied this path last summer and the owner assures that he has not received any complaint or negative comment.
“We bring life to our street, we bring beauty, activity. We are local businesses supported by our neighbors. We held out until then because our neighbors supported us, because we are all in the same relationship of mutual aid. We bring life back and bring something different and complementary to our neighborhood life. I think all of this is completely unnecessary. It’s unnecessary bureaucracy,” he said.
Joel Lemay / QMI Agency
A few hours after being questioned about it by the 24 hours, the STM finally allowed the terrace to relocate in the same way as last year. Mr. Amer now hopes to enjoy his summer at a time when his business is struggling to make ends meet.
“We could have avoided such a waste of energy and resources, but it served a purpose. It set a precedent for us at least on the street. […] It taught us that there are communication channels somewhere that don’t work,” he said.
Laurent Farré
The redbreast | The Plateau-Mont-Royal
Joel Lemay / QMI Agency
On March 17, less than a month before the start of the terrace season, Laurent Farre would have been informed that a change in the regulations had been put in place and that the traffic lights could no longer be part of the perimeter. from a terrace.
At this point he was already building his new structure thinking it might be located in the same area he has occupied for nine years. He therefore had to pay additional costs to modify the plans and his terrace will not be ready in time for the start of the hot season.
“We are not listened to too much, we traders. There is little respect, especially since we have been closed for a very long time, so financially we are very behind. So, it didn’t help us that we were shifted our terrace and asked to redo the plans, ”says the restaurateur.
“When you are called 28 days before opening your terrace so that you change things, it is not respect”, concludes Mr. Farre.
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