Quartier Latin bars open till 6 a.m. for Nuit Blanche

Where Mayor Denis Coderre failed in his quest to keep the party going all night long, Montreal’s Quartier Latin has succeeded, for one night, at least.

Nine bars from the downtown sector centred around lower StDenis St. applied for and received special permission to stay open until 6 a.m. during the all-night party known as Nuit Blanche that starts on Saturday, Feb. 27, part of the annual Montréal en lumière winter festival.

The bars applied en masse and received a special derogation from the Quebec Liquor Board, which allows the modification of opening hours during cultural festivals, under exceptional circumstances. Only the nine bars of the Quartier Latin applied for and were granted the late-night permit. The bars are the Pub Quartier Latin, Bistro à Jojo, Saint-Bock Brasserie artisanale, Saint-Houblon, En cachette, Cinko, Café Hookah Lounge, Patrick’s Pub Irlandais and L’Île noire.

In June 2014, the liquor board quashed a bid by Coderre’s administration to extend the hours of 19 Montreal bars on Crescent St. and in the Quartier Latin until 6 a.m., as part of a pilot project that would run for four weekends. Coderre had championed the project, saying it would boost tourism and business.

The liquor board was scathing in its refusal, saying Montreal did little planning and no research into the effect on public health or impact on “public tranquility.”

Mothers Against Drunk Driving applauded the decision, but bar owners who signed up said it was a missed opportunity to bring more people and tourists into the downtown core. Coderre stressed that the idea of the project was to test the concept and see if it was feasible.

Regular closing time for Montreal bars remains 3 a.m.