The city of Montreal will allow Les Forges de Montreal, a non-profit organization that promotes the blacksmith trade, to stay in the heritage building they’ve been renting for almost 15 years.
In February 2016, the city sent Les Forges an eviction notice that argued the organization was not fulfilling a clause in its contract.
READ MORE: Blacksmith organization’s future still in limbo after meeting with city
The clause called for Les Forges to invest almost $1 million into the building, but the organization was only able to invest about half of the money.
The city has now dropped that clause – but it wasn’t without a fight.
READ MORE: Les Forges de Montréal, city to meet over blacksmith group’s future in heritage building
After gathering about 6,000 signatures, they presented a petition to Montreal city hall to allow the group to remain in the building.
“It’s been 18 months of darkness with no explanation, no clarity of nothing,” Matthieu Colette from Les Forges said at the time.
READ MORE: Les Forges de Montréal, blacksmiths face eviction by the city
“It is now possible to imagine constructive conversations around the terms of a new lease and the potential of a long term collaboration with the City,” Les Forges said in a statement.
“This state of affairs now clears the way for new discussions with the Service des immeubles of the
City of Montreal.”
VIDEO: Les Forges de Montréal is facing eviction from a heritage building rented from the city. As Global’s Gloria Henriquez reports, the fight isn’t over yet. (Aug. 24)
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