While a legendary Montreal institution was asked to make less noise, hundreds of people decided to respond with a joyful cacophony. Musicians, artists or simple culture lovers gathered Thursday evening in front of the La Tulipe cabaret to demonstrate their love for this cultural place, threatened with closing permanently due to recurring noise complaints from the neighborhood.
The demonstrators, gathered around 7 p.m. in front of the legendary performance hall on Avenue Papineau, chose to do so in music and songs, to the rhythms of the instruments that everyone had carried around.
In this pleasant chaos where the notes of saxophones, the noise of pots and pans and the clamor of horns intersected, a common fear, that of seeing another performance hall disappear from the Montreal cultural landscape.
“Le Divan orange, L’Escalier, le Spectrum… Many small and medium-sized theaters have closed in recent years,” lamented the Duty Chloé Beaudoin, musical artist manager. Not everyone has $300 to go see a show at the Bell Center or the MTelus. People like to go to places where they can afford a little show at $25 for them and their family. It’s important that small places stay. »
Owned by the record company La Tribu, La Tulipe chose to stop its activities “for the moment” on Tuesday, the day after a judgment from the Quebec Court of Appeal ordering it to cease all noise that could be heard at the inside the adjacent building.
At the heart of the dispute is a long-standing dispute between the owners of the 500-seat hall and Pierre-Yves Beaudoin, a real estate investor who owns and lives in the neighboring building. The latter was able to transform it into housing despite municipal regulations, which prevented the move from commercial to residential zoning, due to the error of a municipal official. Since 2016, he has increased noise complaints and legal action against the performance hall. The Superior Court and the Court of Appeal have so far agreed with him.
“That one person can kill the fun of thousands of others is not normal. And it’s not fair,” lamented Dean Kalaidjian, a big fan of Cowboys Fringants who attended several launches of the group within the walls of La Tulipe. “Music is important for all Quebecers. This is unacceptable, something must be happening. »
“A Mecca of culture”
Opened in 1913, the institution on Avenue Papineau has undergone different incarnations over time, always with a cultural vocation. From 1967 to 2000, the establishment was notably the mecca of Quebec burlesque under the name of Théâtre des varietes, owned by actor Gilles Latulippe.
It is this heritage that André-Anne Leblanc, actress and show producer, came to defend, who for the occasion wore the finery (and rolling pin!) of the late actress Manda Parent, legend of the Théâtre des Varieties .
“We absolutely must save this place. It is a Mecca, a temple of culture, she insisted. Montreal is extremely rich in terms of entertainment culture; not so long ago, people came from everywhere to party there. I can’t believe that one person is capable of putting this in danger. [Si La Tulipe fermait ses portes]it would be horrible for cultural heritage and a victory for individualism and “not in my backyard”. »
An opinion shared by Kamil Bungera, who lives a few steps from the performance hall.
“Culture is important. Without culture, we cannot understand Montreal,” he maintained, adding that he had never been bothered by the noise emanating from La Tulipe.
“If La Tulipe disappears, it will take life away from our neighborhood. This decision is incomprehensible. A single proprietary decision affects everyone. As neighbors, we should also have our say. »