The Plante administration will unveil its proposed new nightlife policy on Tuesday, which aims in particular to create “24-hour zones”, where establishments will be able to sell alcohol after 3 a.m. The City also wishes to modify the noise regulations, which are currently very unfavorable to bar owners when only one complaint concerns them.
The president of the executive committee and mayor of the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, Luc Rabouin, should make the announcement in the morning, he who has been leading the nightlife issue for several years. On his initiative, the City of Montreal authorized a few pilot projects last year to test the sale of alcohol after 3 a.m.
According to our information, most of these events took place without a hitch, which now leads the municipal administration to open the door to the creation of zones open 24 hours a day. The bars and performance halls located there could, for example, stay open all night and sell alcohol. These future sectors have not yet been chosen in the territory. However, Mayor Valérie Plante has already mentioned the opening of establishments all night in the Latin Quarter, when she presented, two weeks ago, her plan to revitalize this corner of the city center.
Outside of these “24-hour zones”, promoters could still organize events that last until dawn by requesting the required authorizations. Obtaining an exemption in order to sell alcohol after 3 a.m., however, is currently very complex. Long administrative procedures are necessary. Montreal is now seeking to simplify this procedure with its new nightlife policy, the draft of which will be presented on Tuesday.
Consultations will subsequently be held on this subject starting next month. The new policy will be officially presented to the general public on February 13. Its adoption could occur by the end of summer, has learned The duty.
Long-standing request
The noise regulations will also be reviewed. The standards to be respected will no longer be uniform. They will differ depending on the sector and type of establishment.
Several actors in the nightlife scene have been very critical in the last weeks of the current regulations. Many of them have in fact received fines or warnings in recent months, often due to complaints coming from a single resident who lives in the neighborhood. This is the case of the Society of Technological Arts [SAT]the Grenade or even the Türbo Haus, all located in places that have always been frequented by night owls.
The District Video Lounge, which is located in the heart of the Gay Village, announced on Sunday that it would have to close its doors for four days following a decision by the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux. The co-owner of the place, Danny Jobin, evokes the zeal of a neighbor, who alone has filed at least thirty complaints with the City for noise pollution since the opening of the bar 7 years ago.
“He doesn’t let us go. Unfortunately, even if he is the only one to complain, the current regulations are to his advantage. We, the bar owners, currently have no recourse. In the summer, I have to tell my customers on the terrace to turn down the sound so as not to get in trouble with that citizen. However, there are “bachelorettes” who shout in the street all the time and who make a lot more noise than my bar. At some point, if you don’t want noise, don’t come and live in the Village,” says Danny Jobin.
The general director of the Village Commercial Development Corporation, Gabrielle Rondy, is well aware of the District Video Lounge issue. For her, it is urgent that the City modify its noise regulations, especially since several bars in the area have faced the same type of problem.
“We already have big cohabitation problems [avec les personnes itinérantes] in the village. If bars have to close for two, three or four days because of noise complaints, that just discourages people from coming even more,” she argues.