City stands pat as merchants, opposition decry Jean-Talon project
Ensemble Montréal criticizes ‘illusion of consulting’ from Plante administration
The municipal opposition slammed Mayor Valérie Plante’s administration Wednesday for turning a parking lot at Jean-Talon Market into a public square without adequate consultation.
During a news conference in the market, Ensemble Montréal Leader Lionel Perez accused the administration of dogmatism, and warned the project could kill the open-air farmers’ market.
The project will eliminate 10 parking spots and make the west side of the market less accessible to people with disabilities, since more drivers will have to park in the SAQ’s underground parking lot, which is accessible only by stairs, Perez said.
“This is the trademark of the Plante administration: they give the illusion of consulting, but in the end they impose their projects,” he said.
Perez compared the parking lot renovation to the pilot project to close Mount Royal to through traffic and the destruction of a popular softball field in Jeanne-Mance Park, saying in each case, consultations were only planned after the decisions had been made.
Merchant Lino Birri said he has amassed 12,000 signatures for a petition against the planned square at Casgrain and Shamrock Aves., which he said would destroy his business. Birri said if the city doesn’t back down, he will go to court to apply for an injunction.
The Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie borough responded Wednesday afternoon at a separate news conference, saying it had held 14 different public consultation activities about new development projects on Shamrock Ave. since 2016. Josée Bédard, the borough’s director, said that 2,000 people had participated in these consultations.
Bédard and Cristina D’Arienzo, who works in business development for the Little Italy neighbourhood, said they had spoken with merchants about plans for the square and told them it would replace parking spaces.
Birri said he learned of the plan in April, when it was too late to participate in making a decision.
“They don’t want the market to stay like this. They want it to become a tourist market,” Birri said.
The parking spaces replaced by the square represent two per cent of the total number of parking spots at the market, Bédard said.
“When we’re talking about 10 parking spaces, I don’t think that’s enough to change the purpose of the whole market,” said Bédard.
Jacqueline Guerin, who sells fruits and vegetables close to Casgrain Ave., said she participated in a survey and signalled her support for the project. She’s hopeful the plan to create a public square will drive more customers to her corner of the market and encourage them to buy.
“This could bring advantages and disadvantages, but there are always disadvantages,” Guerin said.
André Plouffe, a fruit and vegetable seller, objected to the borough’s description of the consultations, saying that far fewer people than they claim participated.
Businesses in and around the market are under threat of closing, Plouffe said, because not enough people come to the market to buy food in large quantities.
“Some people come here and want to read a book,” he said, “but we’re in the business of selling produce.”