It’s time to restore Montreal
In a recent column (“Who will be the mayor to end this city’s mess?” Dec. 1), The Gazette’s Henry Aubin cites Andrew Molson, the chairman of the Molson Coors Brewing Co., calling Montreal’s business climate “unhealthy.” Aubin concludes that there is a pressing need to restore lustre to Montreal.
With the 2013 municipal election only 11 months away, let me say I agree.
Montreal has lost its lustre because we stopped investing in our greatest asset: the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of Montrealers.
While city hall has spent billions on necessary infrastructure repairs, a smaller amount has gone into promoting Montreal and making its neighbourhoods, streets and sidewalks nicer and friendlier. We have lost our competitive marketing edge to shopping malls and supercentres like the Dix30 in Brossard.
The unco-ordinated construction work around the city over the past few years has made it easier to cross a bridge into Laval onto the South Shore rather than navigate around the orange cones. We have encouraged the exodus of families from Montreal by not providing enough homes and services.
Destinations like St. Laurent Blvd., Masson St., Monkland Ave. or the Marché Jean Talon offer unique shopping experiences that are second to none. Although these areas have some of the same stores you will find in any shopping centre, they also have many of the mom-and-pop shops that have flourished over the years and are as special as the neighbourhoods around them.
We need to step back and rediscover how beautiful Montreal is, and then showcase that beauty. The city has always been known for its great restaurants, but we need to do more to promote them. The Montreal restaurant industry has evolved to the point where our chefs and entrepreneurs are mentioned with the world’s best. We all sense a tingle of excitement when Chuck Hughes competes and wins on Iron Chef America.
You cannot get a Moishe’s steak, a Schwartz’s smoked meat sandwich or Grumman taco in a shopping mall.
Business taxes in Montreal have continually increased, but are we providing the services that are necessary to help businesses flourish? Without healthy businesses, can neighbourhoods flourish? Without jobs, can we keep young families in Montreal?
We need to do a lot of little things right. We spend billions on infrastructure, and yet we can’t seem to create appropriate green spaces or local parks.
We dig up whole streets, and yet we have no plan to make sidewalks more secure and walkable.
Without the political will to preen, promote and showcase a unique business climate in Montreal, we are destined to see municipalities in the offisland 450 area code flourish, while we here on Montreal Island spin our wheels.
Invest in ourselves — and the return will be rewarding.