During Montreal’s Pride Festival in August, some businesses on Sainte-Catherine Street in The Village received notification from the city that their terrace plants were too tall, following an inspection.
Local business owners feel that the timing was particularly inconvenient, as it fell during one of the busiest weeks of the year.
“I said to myself, ‘This is ridiculous’ receiving such an email during the gay pride,” said Luc Généreux, co-owner of Bar Le Cocktail.
The inspection occurred on Aug. 8, while the Pride Festival ran from Aug. 1 to Aug. 11.
“The place was very busy because we have drag queen shows and karaoke and this is very popular,” said Généreux. “The downside of it is the terrace is always empty because of all the problems on the street.”
Généreux explained that he added the plants to make the bar more inviting, especially given the challenges in the neighbourhood, such as addiction issues and homelessness.
He says he was shocked when he received the email from the city.
“I find it shocking…how come they’re not able to do anything that works for those people that need help on the street, but they have resources to deal with small things like this,” said Généreux.
The email sent by the city on Aug.16 indicates that the terrace does not fully comply with the regulations. The plants exceed the maximum height requirement of 1.07 metres.
“They sent me a couple of pictures of the one on the corners and this one, the tree here, which is high but pretty slim. So I don’t really see a security [threat] I don’t really see that,” Généreux noted.
While the city will permit the setup for the remainder of the year, Bar Le Cocktail will need to make the necessary adjustments starting next year.
Généreux says his business isn’t the only one facing difficulties. Just down the street, the District Video Lounge received a similar notice.
“My first thought was, how come they don’t do much to help us in The Village but they have time, they have staff, they have resources to inspect the terraces and inspect and check things that are not so important,” said Généreux.
This latest incident follows criticism the city faced earlier in the summer when it shut down terraces on Peel Street during the Grand Prix weekend in June.
As a result, the city suspended two fire safety workers from the Montreal fire department.
A statement from the Société de développement commercial du Village reads in part, “Certain regulations, such as the height of plants, absolutely need to be reconsidered, especially in a neighborhood where vegetation helps improve customers’ sense of safety on the terraces.”
CityNews reached out to the city of Montreal for comment but has not yet heard back.
“Change the law, change the rules. Let us make something attractive,” said Généreux.