This text is part of the special publication Public consultations
Martin Galarneau and Dinu Bumbaru have been frequenting the Office for a long time, knowing the workings, as well as its value.
MARTIN GALARNEAU
The OCPM is an ally, not an obstacle
“Ten to 15 years ago, many real estate developers feared the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) and perceived it as an obstacle to going around in circles. Today, rejoices Martin Galarneau, the perspective has changed a lot, particularly for a whole new generation of promoters. »
The lawyer by training is one of them, acknowledging “his tremendous work”, and understanding that this open and transparent democratic process can only improve the projects that pass under his magnifying glass.
Also holder of a certificate in real estate business and a master’s degree in urban planning, this partner of the firm TGTA understands well the unique character of Montreal, as well as the complex workings of politics. Former provincial deputy minister in charge of the metropolis in the early 2000s, Martin Galarneau knows that the consultative processes can sometimes be “laborious” but essential. “I know public affairs and I am first and foremost passionate about Montreal. So, as a promoter, being in contact with the OCPM is just as natural as it is desirable. »
For more diversity in opinions
He thus remembers very well his first project submitted to the OCPM. In 2009, Le Castelnau completely transformed the Montreal Institute for the Deaf and Dumb, a huge historic building built in 1918 located on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, a stone’s throw from Jarry Park. This was the beginning of a long process of consultations and hearings before numerous committees, including the OCPM, for what was then phase 1 of a vast real estate complex.
Deaf people worried about the disappearance of a part of their history. Since the promoter was well aware of their concerns, he was able to respond to them.
“We were already in contact with them, specifies Martin Galarneau, and by going before the OCPM, they formalized their approach in a way. This proved to me the relevance of the Office, but also the importance, as a promoter, of organizing activities with the general public as well as with stakeholders. Beyond legal obligations, consultations must be part of our practices. »
As the OCPM celebrates its 20th anniversary, Martin Galarneau wishes it a future marked by diversity of opinion. “The organization has developed new approaches and must continue in this direction. Because for a long time, we heard the same people, the same groups, and they were not always representative. Joining a young family where both parents work is important, because these people have things to say. But do they have the opportunity to participate in a consultation? »
The partner of the TGTA firm also believes that he must continue to protect his neutrality. “We all agree with the precepts of sustainable development, but that’s not the job of the OCPM. Between a not-quite-LEED home project [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design], built above a metro station, and another completely LEED, built in the middle of a field, which of the two is greener? According to him, the OCPM is not empowered to decide.
DINU BUMBARU
The pedagogy of the city
Not only has Dinu Bumbaru seen the Quebec metropolis transform over the decades, but he has been closely involved in redefining its image and contours. For 40 years now, the Director of Operations of Héritage Montréal has stood as a privileged witness to the upheavals that have shaped the city.
The man no longer counts the consultations in which he participated, having also followed the evolution of the organizations responsible for doing so… or not! Because before the election of Jean Doré as mayor of Montreal in 1986, power was most often concentrated in the hands of a single man: Jean Drapeau. We owe him Expo 67 and the 1976 Olympics, but also violent unilateral decisions. “We saw a number of demolitions and decisions taken in the greatest opacity, which lends itself to both corruption and imbecility. »
A major clean-up was needed and that was what the Montreal Citizens’ Rally promised, a party led by Jean Doré from 1982. “At the end of the 1980s, we entered a phase of profound modernization , a quiet revolution across Montreal, recalls Dinu Bumbaru. The creation of the Montreal Consultation Office [dont des experts et des élus étaient membres, et dissous plus tard par Pierre Bourque, à son arrivée au pouvoir en 1994] as well as the establishment of the first urban plan in 1992 were good instruments. »
Do not substitute for elected officials
But for every voice to be heard and count, an independent and impartial body was needed. Modeled in 2002 on the model of the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement du Québec, the Office de consultation publique de Montréal offers this space “so that the population can understand the issues, but also question the promoters or spokespersons of ‘a project,’ emphasizes Dinu Bumbaru. And be careful, says this lover of Quebec heritage: “Informing is not the same as selling! The OCPM creates a decorum where everyone is invited to observe the rules of the game, because it is not a rat race. »
To establish such a climate, “we need competent commissioners who are attentive and fortunately, the OCPM has the talent to find them”, favoring this “pedagogy of the city” that Dinu Bumbaru considers essential. The Office must formulate the best synthesis of all the information received, but the architect by training also believes that he should not take the place of elected officials.
How does the man who saw its birth 20 years ago envision the next 20 years of the OCPM? “In 2042, we will celebrate Montreal’s 400th anniversary. We hope that the Office can continue to make it a participatory city. It will change, it is inevitable. But let’s stop dreaming of Copenhagen as we used to dream of Los Angeles: let Montreal “become real”! »
This special content was produced by the Special Publications team of the To have to, pertaining to marketing. The drafting of To have to did not take part.