Store owners, hospital preparing for closures, protests linked to COP15

Posted December 6, 2022 5:25 pm.

Last Updated December 6, 2022 6:45 pm.

Business owners near the Palais des Congrès are worried their revenue will take a hit this month, fearing their usual clientele are avoiding the craze and the closures related to COP15.

Officials from 196 countries are expected to attend the international conference on biological diversity, which is taking place in Montreal until Dec. 19.

COP15 requires a massive security operation, with a metal barricade lining the perimeter of the conference area.

All levels of security officials are on site, including the UN, RCMP, Sûreté du Québec and Montreal police.

The nearby bustling subway station Place d’Armes has been closed for the entirety of the event.

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That’s a big concern for Geneviève Loignon, the owner of café and market La Finca.

“It’s pretty hard to deal with it because we don’t really know what’s going to happen,” said Loignon. “We don’t know if the amount of security will stop people to come in. So what we saw in the last two weeks, it was really, really calm, more than usual, because no one wants to come downtown.

“The amount of security that is in the area, for the last month, it’s been really, really intense.”

Geneviève Loignon, the owner of café and market La Finca. (Credit: CityNews/Alyssia Rubertucci)

It’s not uncommon for La Finca to be packed with people, even with lineups outside the door. That hasn’t been the case since the beginning of COP15.

“I didn’t slept well Sunday night because I was like, ‘oh, what’s going to be this week?” said Loignon. “But yeah, let’s cross fingers that people will come and try our coffee.”

The feeling is different inside the COP15 venue, where business owners say they’re getting a breath of life.

“It’s different from the pandemic. And now we are coming out of it,” said Michael Foo, the owner of Noobox. “But it’s a plus. You know, it’s a pleasure to see so many people from many places emerging here for the convention.”

Michael Foo, owner of Noobox. (Credit: CityNews/Alyssia Rubertucci)

CHUM prepares action plan

At the nearby CHUM hospital, plans are in place for all sorts of scenarios. The worst case scenario, they say, is if their accesses are blocked by protesters during the week.

“The main concern is really the demonstrations that occur, if they occur, around our perimeters,” said Irène Marcheterre, the director of communications at the CHUM. “And this is our main priority, to make sure that the patients who need to come here, they have access.”

The hospital and others are putting together an action plan for the possible demonstrations.

“We are trying to work around it, but I think it’s good actually that people are raising their voice and everything,” said Loignon. “So yeah, we are just trying to make sure like it’s going to be secure for us too.”