Peel Street terraces given green light to reinstall tents after Grand Prix weekend fiasco

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante confirmed Thursday morning that Peel Street businesses with terraces will be able to reinstall their tents.

Plante held a press conference in Downtown Montreal and said she wants the city to remain as a popular destination for the public.

“The communication is crucial here, but we will not negotiate on security. The best way to avoid security issues is prevention,” said Plante. “We know the owners, we talk to them. If we can improve communication between inspection of the SIM and the permit delivered by the borrower, because this is where there was a major, major glitch that turned out to have to affect our reputation.”

In a press release, Plante said that the terraces were “abruptly closed by the Service de sécurité incendie (SIM) inspectors last Friday during Grand-Prix weekend.”

They won’t need to move the terraces, as the city is removing parking spots to help them respect the three meters needed from them to the buildings. They had been missing 58 centimeters total to be within the regulations.

Although the terraces reopened Saturday without tents, a solution was found between the SIM, restaurant and merchants owners on Peel Street, the Ville-Marie borough and the city of Montreal.

Several meetings and discussions were held this week, including Mayor Plante going to meet the merchants herself on Peel Street late Tuesday afternoon.

Two fire safety workers with the SIM were suspended on Monday pending an internal administrative investigation.

“The abrupt way in which the terraces were closed last Friday is unjustifiable and in no way reflects the way in which we should support our traders, particularly during the Grand Prix weekend, which is a major breath of fresh air for restaurateurs,” said Plante. “We are pleased to confirm that the terraces on Peel Street will be able to reopen with their marquees thanks to the greater space available on the street.”

Terraces will have to comply with fire safety standards, the highway code, and the rules around major construction worksites, including the current project that’s repairing the century-old drinking water and sewage infrastructure on Sainte-Catherine Street West.

According to a press release, additional measures will also be put in place to facilitate traffic in the area, access to public transport, deliveries and to ensure better signage.

“This event must serve as an example that must never be repeated,” said Plante.

Also, an internal investigation is currently ongoing within SIM to identify the exact circumstances and timeline of events that led to the closure of the terraces last Friday.

“While the SIM investigation continues, we are determined to ensure that the terraces reopen as soon as possible, and we hope that many Montrealers and tourists will take advantage of the hundreds of terraces and pedestrian streets throughout the city,” said Luc Rabouin, the executive committee chair of the City of Montreal.

Ensemble Montréal says ‘too little, too late’

Official Opposition leader Aref Salem said the Grand-Prix terrace controversy is not an isolated incident and wants the situation to be further investigated.

“Our party reiterates its demand that the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM) and the borough of Ville-Marie be summoned to the city council to provide explanations,” said Salem.