Montreal bars might soon be allowed to stay open later, if Mayor Denis Coderre has his way.
“We had a pilot project that I wanted; they said no. Now, I have the capacity to do it,” Coderre said.
It’s all because the provincial government passed a new law Thursday that gives the city of Montreal special metropolis status. Montreal will have more autonomy in a number of areas.
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“What it changes, is that we have more tools to work within housing, in economic development,” Coderre said.
The municipal government will be allowed to develop major residential and commercial projects on its own. They will have a greater role in welcoming new immigrants. They’ll even be able to provide some business tax credits.
The new law cuts down on a lot of red tape – it also comes with a significant amount of money. The province has set aside $50 million in an economic development fund for the metropolis. There’s also an additional $83 million annual grant for cultural projects.
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“We did what we said we would accomplish and we’re very proud,” said Martin Coiteux, the municipal affairs minister.
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The new law comes into effect just before Montreal’s municipal elections. Coiteux, who is also a Montreal MNA, said the timing is not part of an ulterior motive to get the mayor re-elected.
“We worked this summer in parliamentary commission for us to be able to do it in the first week of our parliamentary session, so this is where we are, but we’ve been working on this for years,” he said.
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The minister said he would have preferred to pass this bill last spring. At that time, the government gave Quebec City special status as the capital. They also gave more powers to other municipalities and allowed them to get rid of referendums.
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