After long debates, the Montreal city council gave the green light on Tuesday to a proposed contract worth nearly 160 million over ten years to the Proamima organization for the management of the municipal animal shelter which should see the light of day in 2026 But several elected officials refused to endorse the project, deemed too costly, which could commit the city for up to 20 years at a potential cost of $450 million.
After more than a decade of procrastination, the City proposed to the municipal council to enter into a mutual agreement with the NPO Proanima Montréal so that the organization could take charge of the animal shelter project in the east of the city. city. The mandate provides that Proanima Montréal will take care of stray or abandoned animals, provide veterinary care to animals and offer sterilization services for a period of ten years, with the possibility of renewal for an additional ten years.
Proanima Montréal will also have to acquire a building to accommodate the shelter. The contract provides, however, that in the event of termination of the contract or default in mortgage payment, the City may take possession of the building.
The ten-year contract at a cost of 157.9 million – in addition to contingency costs of $5,000 -, with a possibility of a ten-year renewal of 251 million, sparked lively debates in the municipal council. LaSalle borough councilor Richard Deschamps denounced the scale of the project and the duration of the contract submitted. The elected official recalled that under the administration of Gérald Tremblay in 2011, he had piloted the initial project which was estimated at 23 million. “We are going to commit the City and the citizens for twenty years with this decision that we are being asked to take quickly,” he lamented. “I would never vote for that. I would feel like I was betraying my citizens. »
According to him, the Plante administration should have presented other options to elected officials, such as taking charge of the file by the City as is the case in Calgary, rather than entrusting its management to a third party. He said he felt rushed by the administration which required elected officials to decide with “a knife to their throat” without being able to make improvements to the project in order to reduce its costs. However, he was unable to get the study of the file postponed to a later date.
The responsibility of the City
Ensemble Montréal, which forms the opposition, tabled several amendments. The opposition party notably obtained that the costs imposed on the boroughs remained stable over the ten years of the contract. The leader of the opposition, Aref Salem, also questioned the possible creation of a second animal refuge to serve the west of the territory, a commitment which remains vague. “We must ensure a certain territorial equity,” he stressed. For the moment, the administration does not know where the shelter will be located, limiting itself to saying that it will be in the east of Montreal. Ultimately, it aims to open a second animal center for the western territory. However, it is committed to territorial equity so that all districts can benefit from animal services.
The person responsible for consultation with the boroughs on the executive committee and mayor of Lachine, Maja Vodanovic, came to the defense of the project she is piloting. She argued that the current animal management model relied on public donations made to the SPCA which has contracts in several boroughs. “For too many years, it has been loyal donors who have, in fact, contributed to something for which the City was responsible. It’s time to be responsible and pay the right price. This is what we do,” she explained.
The elected official indicated that with the draft contract, the City would pay a price that is comparable to that of other Canadian cities such as Calgary. The central city will cover all of the capital costs for the project and the boroughs will assume 50% of the operating costs, she noted. “Yes, it’s more expensive. But for too long, we benefited from subsidies from the SPCA. But now it’s over. We must take our responsibilities,” she repeated, affirming that it was a “good deal”.
The elected representatives of Ensemble Montréal voted in favor of the draft contract, but the mayor of Saint-Laurent, Alan DeSousa, admitted to doing so “while holding his nose” for the well-being of the animals. The elected officials of Équipe LaSalle, including Richard Deschamps, Anjou councilor Andrée Hénault, as well as independent councilor Serge Sasseville, registered their dissent.
A saga
Over the last decade, several municipal pound projects were developed before being subsequently abandoned. The administration believes this time is the right one.
Announced in 2011 by Mayor Gérald Tremblay following a shocking report from the show Investigation on the treatment of animals in Berger blanc, a first project for a municipal pound had been developed. The City had decided on the construction of an animal center on the Angrignon Park site at a cost of 23 million. The following year, the Coderre administration opted instead for a site in Saint-Michel before the bill climbed to 46 million in 2018.
The file continued to progress and, last April, the Plante administration revealed its intention to conclude an agreement with Proanima, an NPO founded in 2012 which already offers animal management services in several municipalities on the South Shore, including Longueuil, Boucherville, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
Montreal estimates the number of cats at 353,000 and the number of dogs at 115,000 on its territory. One in two Montreal households has at least one pet, according to the City.
Currently, the boroughs have contracts with four different suppliers, including the SPCA which has wanted to withdraw from municipal animal services for several years.