A few hundred people responded Thursday evening to the call launched by citizens on social networks to support the La Tulipe cabaret, which announced its closure this week. The citizen gathering called “Le beau boucan in support of La Tulipe” kept its promise to make noise on Avenue Papineau.
Around 7 p.m., the sounds of pots and pans and trumpets began to be heard, while the cars driving around honked loudly. The small group that was there was quickly joined by other citizens, artists or bar owners, who absolutely wanted to show their support for La Tulipe.
Musicians also came in large numbers, a small improvised brass band started playing right in front of the cabaret, while the crowd gathered around them, widening the circle of supporters by welcoming the curious from the avenue of Mount Royal who have deviated from their path.
Jean-François came with his alto saxophone. “It’s important to be here,” he told us. Other cultural venues like this have closed in the past for the same reasons, this needs to stop. Le Divan Orange, Les Bobards… Les Foufounes also receive complaints regularly. What are we going to do? It’s sure it’s noisy, but it’s the city! »
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
André-Pierre Duchamp, resident of Plateau Mont-Royal
André-Pierre Duchamp, a construction worker, was present since the start of the demonstration. Visibly moved, this resident of Plateau Mont-Royal “for 50 years” still cannot believe that “one person is capable of silencing culture”. He made a friendly appeal to all those from the suburbs who have supported La Tulipe over the years.
The Montreal City Police Service (SPVM) had deployed teams of officers on site in the event of an overflow. No incidents were reported, but given the high number of demonstrators, access to Papineau Avenue – via Mont-Royal Avenue – was closed.
Just opposite, the owner of Sandhu restaurant, Ajmer Sandhu, looks at the scene with desolation. He owned La Tulipe from 2000 to 2014. According to him, the City’s error in allowing the zoning change was fatal. He deplores the steps taken by Pierre-Yves Beaudoin. “Noise is part of urban life,” he believes.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Two musicians in the crowd gathered in front of the cabaret, Thursday evening
The founder of the percussion group Terrato, Joe Mephisto, gave a real cry from the heart before inviting his approximately 20 colleagues to loudly play samba-reggae on their drums.
“We play at La Tulipe, the majority of our contracts are here, it can’t close because of a complaint, we need that to live. We can’t erase the arts from here, it doesn’t look good, it’s part of neighborhood life. That’s 111 years of supporting artists! »
“We are all vulnerable”
Singer-songwriter and actor Émile Proulx-Cloutier also came for a visit. “It reassures me to see that there are so many people,” he told us.
It testifies to the importance of the place, but also to its fragility. The logic that one person can change the destiny of a theater and a city makes no sense.
Émile Proulx-Cloutier, singer-songwriter and actor
This argument was echoed by several people to whom The Press spoke, in particular the bar owners of the Plateau, who came in large numbers to support the owners of La Tulipe.
Among them, Sergio Da Silva, owner of the Turbo Haüs bar. “We are all vulnerable,” he told us. I myself received a warning from the City because of a complaint filed by a citizen. Look around you: there are families here, elderly people. These people understand that we live in the city and that these cultural places must exist. »
The modification of the noise by-law on Thursday, by the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, which exempts bars, theaters and performance halls from the famous article 9 of the noise by-law, is a step in the right direction, according to him , but he still wonders how complaints will be handled from now on.
Municipal councilor Chantal Rossi, culture spokesperson for the official opposition, was also present to “denounce what is happening”.
” If [Luc] Rabouin [le maire du Plateau-Mont-Royal] had made this modification to the regulations in 2021, when he admitted the rounding error [de faire passer le zonage de commercial à résidentiel à la demande de Pierre-Yves Beaudoin]we wouldn’t be here to talk about it. It’s late… We are losing a cultural institution. We now hope to save the others. »
The owner at the origin of the complaint, Pierre-Yves Beaudoin, was apparently not at home Thursday evening. Despite everything, the demonstrators present did not hesitate to make as much noise as possible. We could even read on a sign: “Pierre-Yves Beaudoin: move out, and be patient!” »
In their call to support La Tulipe, the citizens who took the initiative to organize this “peaceful” demonstration still wrote:
“For party crasher Pierre-Yves Beaudoin, who has been complaining for several years about the noise emitted on show evenings, even though he acquired the building and changed its commercial vocation to residential due to an administrative error, maybe close your windows, our love for heritage and La Tulipe may be strong enough to bother you while drinking your little chamomile herbal tea. »