Construction sites in downtown Montreal can be a busy scene during the week — but on weekends, it’s a different story.
On Saturday, three different construction sites on Bishop Street, Sherbrooke Street and Peel Street were at a standstill with no one present to conduct work.
READ MORE: Bishop Street merchants gearing up for court fight over lengthy construction work
Restaurateurs on Bishop Street between Sainte-Catherine Street West and De Maisonneuve Boulevard are feeling frustrated as major work has shut down a section of the road and has made it difficult for pedestrians to navigate.
“It’s extremely frustrating when I have to work seven days a week and they take days off,” said Carlo Zahabi, owner of Le Gourmet Burger. “We definitely want them to double and triple their efforts, and we don’t see that.”
His fellow restaurant owners on Bishop Street are also upset about the lack of work on weekends.
“I don’t see them working as passionately as we are,” said Olivier Laflamme, owner of Craft Grilled Cheese. “We put energy, but they don’t put the same energy as we are.”
Others are critical of the total number of construction zones across the city.
“We have way too many sites,” Montreal city councillor Craig Sauvé (Sud-Ouest) said. “Frankly, they could be … organized more efficiently.”
In addition, Zahabi says he’s had to deal with other annoyances due to the construction, including dust and dirt, noise and vibration.
“You’re killing businesses,” Zahabi said. “You’re killing people feeding off this business — they’re living from this business.”
City of Montreal officials told Global News construction does indeed take place on weekends, but it depends on the specific nature of the work.
They also said that if a construction site operates seven days a week, that would make the contracts more expensive.