Residents of private Montreal seniors’ home gather for a documentary screening a week after evading eviction

Montreal seniors who were set to be evicted from Mont-Carmel, a private residence (RPA), held a meeting Tuesday evening, one week after announcing that 47 residents would not be evicted. They gathered with friends at the Écomusée du fier monde to watch the documentary, “Evicted: seniors strike back,” directed by Noémi Mercier. 

 The 45-minute film features interviews with many of the residents, their lawyer and building owner Henry Zariyev, who purchased the property in December 2021. The screening comes on the heels of a major win for the residents, who received a letter from Zariyev on March 12 announcing his decision to not evict them and maintain all related services. 

“I’m very happy to be here indeed because this is another gathering around the cause of Mont Carmel,” said Constance Vaudrin, a resident and part of the Save the Mont-Carmel Committee. “I’m going to enjoy this evening because there’s a lot of solidarity there.” 

The event was organized by the Comité logement Ville-Marie [housing committee of Ville-Marie] who has been helping mobilize the Mont-Carmel residents against the eviction. The committee hopes that this can inspire other people facing the same issue. 

“We feel it’s a very good example for other people that when you fight for your rights, you can win,” said Eric Michaud, coordinator of the Comité logement Ville-Marie. “It’s very dramatic for a lot of people and when you lose your apartment [because] right now in Montreal it’s very difficult to find another one at a price you can pay.”

Grassroots support 

According to Vaudrin, the community’s support has been “terrific.” 

“I’m happy to see the people who continue to support us,” said Normand Brault, Mont Carmel committee member who has lived there for 8 years. “We’re fighting our battle from within, but with fantastic support from many people and groups.”

Some of the residents at Mont-Carmel are nuns, members of the Auxiliary Sisters in Montreal, of which only a handful remain. They spent their whole lives “fighting for the most vulnerable of our society,” said director Noemi Mercier. 

“They get to this age where you would hope for them that they could enjoy some peace and quiet… And then they have to fight for themselves,” she said. “They’re actually having to apply all the lessons of their activism to their own situation so it’s at once enraging, but it’s, but it’s also so inspiring.”

‘Unstoppable’ 

The residents don’t think that this win is enough. The Françoise David law currently protects seniors from eviction, but the scope is limited to people 70 and over and they must prove they’ve been living in their home for at least 10 years. 

The residents are advocating for legislative change to enshrine their rights. They are pushing for the creation of a “consortium” that will protect seniors said Suzanne Loiselle, a resident and part of the Save the Mont-Carmel Committee 

“[In RPA] the letter P is important because it stands for private,”said Loiselle. “The objective is that one day Mont-Carmel and other residences will exit the private speculative market.”  

Last year, The CAQ government rejected Bill 198 proposed by Quebec Solidaire (QS) called, “An Act to amend the Civil Code in order to ensure greater protection for senior tenants against repossession or eviction.” The aim was to broaden protections to people aged 65 and over who have been living in their home for at least five years. At the time, Housing Minister Marie-France Duranceau argued that Bill-31 offered protections from evictions regardless of age. 

Signs are pointing to a change of plans from Minster Duranceau. A planning document sent to QS recently indicated that the CAQ plans to discuss Bill 198 at the National Assembly in the coming weeks. 

“The documentary should remind people that what’s happening in Mont Carmel is happening elsewhere,” said Vaudrin. “You don’t move around people like elders, there’s no respect there.”