Montreal suspends mediation with Sanimax over odour problems in RDP
Posted September 22, 2026 9:11 am.
The City of Montreal announced that it has suspended mediation with Sanimax to resolve odour problems coming from the agri-food plant in the Rivière-des-Prairies borough and asked the Quebec government take over the case.
In a press release Monday, the City said it made the decision to withdraw from the mediation efforts it began two years ago due to the lack of progress.
The Sanimax plant in Rivière-des-Prairies processes animal by-products and refuse from slaughterhouses.
The municipal administration and Sanimax entered into discussions following a provincial government decree in July 2024 to establish a special intervention zone for a period of three years to allow the company to comply with environmental standards.
The Superior Court of Quebec had ordered Sanimax to bring its plant up to the environmental code in a decision in March 2024.
“Given the lack of foreseeable progress and the imminent expiration of the decree’s effect, representatives of the City of Montreal are suspending the City’s participation in the mediation,” the City said.
The City also asked the province to order the company to immediately begin building garages for trucks carrying raw materials it uses like animal and meat byproducts which have caused odour problems in the neighbourhood.
The municipal government says it will enforce air and water quality regulations and penalize or take legal action against the company as needed.
