An important step leading to the adoption of a Nightlife Policy in Montreal has been postponed. Depending on what The duty has learned, the municipal commission responsible for developing this months-awaited policy needs more time to do its work.
The commission on economic and urban development and housing has just canceled the public presentation of its recommendations to encourage nightlife, which was scheduled for Wednesday, April 10 at 1 p.m. This commission of the City of Montreal has received around fifty submissions from organizations, experts and citizens since the start of 2024.
The Nightlife Policy, promised since 2017 by the party of Mayor Valérie Plante, raises great expectations: conflicts have multiplied in recent years between performance halls (or bars) and citizens annoyed by the noise in full night.
The City is proposing to create “nighttime vitality zones” where establishments could open their doors all night. These zones would be located in the city center or in peripheral areas, for example in disused industrial buildings. The City also wishes to support performance halls, create a “one-stop shop for nightlife” and promote mediation in areas where noise is likely to disturb citizens.
Concern on the ground
The postponement of the highly anticipated session of April 10, announced during the day on Thursday, worries organizations which have long called for a change in direction to stimulate nightlife.
“It’s all a bit demoralizing. The City of Ottawa has done this faster and better than Montreal until now. They are already looking for a nightlife commissioner,” reacted Mathieu Grondin, from the organization MTL 24/24 — which lost its funding from the City for the year 2024.
He notes that all Montreal circles — Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Montreal, Culture Montreal, Quartier des spectacles, performance halls — are impatiently awaiting the Nightlife Policy. “Everyone is in unison, it’s up to politicians to do the work we’ve been waiting for for three years,” says Mathieu Grondin.
“We have postponed the adoption of the recommendations to allow us a more in-depth analysis”, indicated to the Duty Kaïla Munro, district councilor in Verdun and president of the commission on economic and urban development and housing.
“There have been many briefs and opinions filed and we wish to review everything carefully. We will postpone the adoption session until the end of April,” she said in an email.
Privately, sources familiar with the matter indicate that the City wants to take the pulse of the boroughs on the subject of nightlife. Clearly, developing such a policy represents quite a challenge. There is no unanimity between boroughs and even within Projet Montréal, the mayor’s party.
At Valérie Plante’s office, we ensure that the nightlife policy remains an undeniable priority. The mayor and her team want to take the time to do things in the right order, it is said.