Montreal tourism starting to feel the pinch of student protests

MONTREAL – Don’t expect a Festival des casseroles to be added to Montreal’s long-running comedy, jazz and film festival circuit any time soon.

With the city’s summer festival season only days away, businesses are crossing their fingers that negotiations between student leaders and the Quebec government, which resume Monday, will bring an end to the 16-week crisis and return the province to its fun-loving self.

Yves-Thomas Dorval, president of the Quebec Employers’ Council, said the nightly marches and pot-banging have had an impact mainly in the downtown core, where merchants and restaurants have noticed a drop in customers.

“I’m not claiming there is chaos, but things are down and there has been significant impact,” he said.

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Hotel bookings and ticket sales for shows are also down – exact numbers for which won’t be available for another week, he said. Traffic tie-ups are affecting the delivery of goods.

“There has been an economic slowdown since 2008, so it can’t be just that,” he said. “It’s clear that something (else) is happening.”

Tourism Minister Nicole Ménard said she’s concerned that Quebec’s hard-earned reputation as a warm and welcoming place will be damaged and deplored the idea that people’s livelihoods could be affected by the disruptions as businesses lay off staff for lack of customers.

She said the government will do all it can to reach a solution, and admitted Bill 78 ended up widening the protest demographic and sparked a nightly ritual featuring people in several neighbourhoods banging on pots and pans.

“At least it’s peaceful and festive,” she said, adding that if the courts end up asking the government to change the law, which many claim violates rights, the government will.

Mayor Gérald Tremblay met privately Sunday with the Montreal Chamber of Commerce to discuss the impact of the strike that began in opposition to tuition fee hikes but has expanded to include people expressing displeasure with everything from Bill 78 to police brutality.

Dorval said an end to the crisis could happen if both sides negotiate until they find a solution and student leaders recommend the resulting agreement to their association members.

Then, he said, the city will have to deal with the long-term effects, such as a drop in conference bookings, which happen months in advance.