The place seems ideal for organizing night events: an unoccupied warehouse on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, in the heart of the Quartier des spectacles, has been transformed for a year into a space that can host artistic activities until the early hours. However, the promoters are up against bureaucratic rules that force them to question their investment of more than $200,000 in this project.
Entrepreneur Bashar Sawalha shows us around Espace ESC, located in an industrial-style building on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, near Ontario Street. A large room equipped with projectors, digital screens and a music system occupies the ground floor. Upstairs, a room with wooden floors offers a cozy atmosphere.
The facade of the building doesn’t look much, but the place has hosted a series of memorable events in recent months. The future of the ESC Space is, however, uncertain.
“We are responding to an undeniable need in the cultural sector, but it is really complicated to organize night events in Montreal. I had never had to submit to a bureaucracy like that,” says Bashar Sawalha, an artist of Jordanian origin who arrived in Quebec around twenty years ago.
He and his sister Shermine, well known in the world of digital arts, launched Espace ESC to allow emerging artists to hold events at a reasonable cost. This place of gathering and creation underground is available to rent for a fraction of the price of more commercial locations. A rarity in the booming Montreal real estate market.
“Limit nightlife”
Like many other places dedicated to night shows in Montreal, Espace ESC faces an inhospitable environment. Vague rules surrounding noise, complex fire safety standards, a long process for granting municipal permits, as well as constraints on alcohol consumption make life difficult for promoters of night events.
“It’s as if the rules were designed to limit nightlife in Montreal,” summarizes Shermine Sawalha.
The artist and entrepreneur delivered a cry from the heart for the survival of her project at the last municipal council meeting. She recounted the journey of the cross that she and her brother had to travel since the start of their business a year ago.
The duo took all steps to meet all the requirements — with the Ville-Marie borough, the Police Department, the Fire Safety Department and the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux — but they faces almost “insurmountable” obstacles.
Only half of the space can accommodate the public. Access to the upper floor is prohibited, except to go to the toilet, due to the non-compliance of emergency exits. And eight neighborhood noise complaints in this entertainment district led to a ban on serving alcohol — a crucial problem for a space offering dance events, electronic music and artistic performances of all kinds. .
An expected turn
However, the developers of the ESC Space have invested thousands of dollars to improve the exits at the rear of the building, to soundproof the walls and to meet building code requirements. They believe that a transitional period could allow them to comply with all safety rules.
Shermine and Bashar Sawalha say they have reached a breaking point. More than 80% of reservations for the coming weeks have been canceled — and refunded — due to the constraints imposed on them.
The misfortune of this alternative space illustrates the difficulties of all cultural organizations dedicated to night events, believes Mathieu Grondin, of the organization MTL 24/24. “It’s extremely disturbing,” he said. And it is emblematic of the path of the cross of entrepreneurs who want to highlight emerging artists. »
He recalls that the expectations of the cultural community are immense in view of the nightlife policy that the City of Montreal is preparing. The municipal commission responsible for developing this flagship policy is due to unveil its recommendations next week.
For Mathieu Grondin, it is essential that this policy leads to the creation of a “night mayor” as exists in other large cities. This nerve center would aim to encourage and coordinate night activities, which currently come up against all kinds of rules without cohesion.
Ericka Alneus, responsible for culture on the Montreal executive committee, agrees with the need for a change of direction. “It’s really our wish to simplify procedures and encourage communication between nightlife stakeholders,” she says.
The key word is cohabitation between night-goers and citizens looking for calm, she specifies. The establishment of a nightlife commissioner is one of the solutions envisaged. Varying noise standards between neighborhoods are also mentioned.
Complications on the menu
Alexis Cousineau, co-owner of Espace Transmission, located in an industrial sector of the Rosemont district, also notes the importance of better communication of the rules governing nightlife.
“Events that go beyond 3 a.m. are subject to more scrutiny than daytime events,” he says. Two artistic performances were recently canceled or modified because the Fire Department imposed a reduction in the number of participants. The alarm system is considered inadequate for the capacity of the room.
This last-minute constraint disrupts the plans of Eva Sutter, who is organizing a large-scale event at the Espace Transmission in the coming days. She invited a German artist to a full house, but she can now accommodate far fewer spectators than expected.
“It’s a shame that there are always complications for cultural events at night. Public demand is great, but there are few venues. And the obstacles are numerous. »