The United Nations Biodiversity Conference, known as COP 15, is the largest event and police operation Montreal has seen in decades.
It will bring world leaders and thousands of participants to the city. For those who live in Montreal, it will also bring a healthy serving of traffic disruptions and heightened police presence, officials warned during a technical briefing regarding the event’s security planning.
The event will take place from Dec. 1 to 19 but more than two months of traffic closures will begin as early as Nov. 7.
That’s when a giant fence is going to be installed around Palais des congrès.
The installation and dismounting of the fence will require several streets to close but not all at the same time.
The streets affected are Viger, St-Antoine, St-Urbain and Jean-Paul Riopelle.
It’ll take 20 days to install the fence.
When the event kicks off in December, the same streets will only have one lane open.
Montreal police will be there to redirect traffic.
Police forces at all levels along with the City of Montreal are cooperating to plan the event.
The Place d’Armes station adjacent to the venue will be closed for the duration of the event. Meanwhile, more police officers will be deployed to monitor the Champ de Mars and Square-Victoria stations.
Underground access to Palais des congrès will be closed during the event, Adams explained.
Officials warn more disruptions could be announced soon.
“We have to take in all security considerations. There might be other security measures that will come in the next couple of weeks,” Adams says.
Protests are expected throughout the event but specialized teams will be available for assistance to maintain order and safety during the event.