A group of Chinatown residents in Montreal has created an association to demand more accountability and change from all three levels of government to address persistent concerns in their neighbourhood.
Drug trafficking, vandalism, violence and public nuisance are among the chief issues needing to be addressed, the residents say.
“We see the merchants of drugs going in bikes in front of us,” said resident Marie-José LeBlanc. “They are dealing with people on the street in front of us. It’s become a natural thing. This has to stop.
“We feel that what we have suffered, we are not heard about our complaints. We don’t see improvement also for the people in the street. They need some help.”
READ MORE: Montreal’s Chinatown continues to be concerned over criminal activity
The residents launched an initiative called “Chinatown: our home, our voice.” It hopes to build relationships with, and seek action from, elected officials, Montreal police as well as community and business associations.
“The reality is we need our elected officials that we elected and voted in place to come and see us and say ‘hey, this is what’s going on in the neighbourhood,” said Phil Chu. “Excuse my language — it’s going to heck and nothing’s being done about it.
“We’ve been in the media how many times now? We’ve lost count of how many times in the media. Municipal, provincial, nor federal government – our elected officials have not reached out to us once yet.”
Vincent Lupien, a commercial property owner, says it’s all about safety in the neighbourhood.
“We need an organization that’s going to speak on our behalf to the elected officials, to the police, and to explain to them that we have rights,” Lupien told CityNews. “And what we want to do is simply live in peace in our own neighbourhood.”
Drug dealing in ‘broad daylight’
The residents say drugs are a big issue.
“We need to be harder on things that are criminal acts and we are very soft on crime and it’s increasing,” Lupien said. “So basically dealing of drugs with complete impunity and broad daylight at all moments of the day actually, day and night, that’s got to stop.”
“I think that the main problem is the drugs,” added Bill Wong, the director general of the Montreal Chinatown Development Council. “We have to get rid of the drug dealers. Once that is out, I think we solve 80 per cent of the problems.”
Chinatown residents need their voices to be heard, says Chu, hence the name of the initiative.
“By putting ourselves together, we have a single united voice to the government saying, ‘hey, there’s over 2,500 of us, we need to be heard, you can’t just make up these policies and impose them upon us and expect us just to live with it,’” he said.
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Despite the closure of the homeless shelter at the Complexe Guy-Favreau last fall and an increased police presence in Chinatown, the association says criminal activities continue.
They cite several recent examples including a fire set on the daycare centre Le Petit Palais, another fire set in front of the gas line of a private home, and a recent home intrusion by a naked man holding a knife.
“We are just witnesses and that’s very hard for us to see that and how we can live with that,” LeBlanc said. “We try to teach us to cohabitate. This is the only solution they give us.”