MONTREAL – Calèches drivers are gathering outside of Montreal city hall Tuesday to protest mayor Denis Coderre‘s decision to ban the industry for one year.
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They are also seeking an injunction against the city to allow them to continue working.
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Coderre made the announcement last Wednesday, ordering the moratorium to study the health and safety of the animals.
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“I’ve been doing this for 25 years – so this is all my life,” calèche driver Danny Seguin told Global News, adding he has no idea what he’ll do next.
The decision was made after several incidents over the past year that showed the animals working in sweltering conditions during the summer.
There were also three accidents: one where a horse collapsed after tripping on a metal plate on Peel and Notre-Dame streets, another when a mare was spooked and got caught as it tried to jump over a bench in the Old Port, and most recently, a horse was hit by a car in Griffintown.
Animal lovers have often questioned whether calèches are safe for horses, arguing the job of dragging tourists through streets full of traffic and cars is inhumane.
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“Horse-drawn carriages are not a charming way for tourists to discover Old Montreal,” said Nicholas Gilman, Executive Director of the Montreal SPCA.
“They are a subsidized form of animal cruelty, attracting negative reviews regarding our beautiful city.”
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