Le Cocktail bar co-owner Luc Généreux says he’s feeling less stressed than he was earlier this week about conditions in the Village.
“Yesterday and the day before it was already a lot better,” he said outside his bar, “so things are improving.”
Monday he told Global News that he would close his terrasse because he feared for the safety of his clients, echoing complaints from other merchants and residents that the area had become dangerous and dirty with lots of drug use.
“I heard a lot of people as well who were actually victims of acts of violence,” explained resident Christian Généreux, who has no relation to Luc Généreux.
But on Thursday when the City of Montreal announced a Collective Intervention Strategy to tackle safety and social issues with plans to revitalize the area, Luc Généreux decided to reopen his terrasse with fingers crossed.
“From now and the next two weeks we’ll see,” he said as he prepared to welcome customers.
During a news briefing to announce the strategy, Mayor Valérie Plante said the city and stakeholders in the Village have been working on the plan for a year.
“The first element in the strategy is safety,” she told journalists. “How do we make sure that we feel safe in this area.”
Other priorities include creating a working committee to implement the plan, ensuring that the area retains a distinct identity and revamping Ste-Catherine Street East.
According to Plante some elements of the plan are already in the works.
“There are 40 extra police officers that (have been) circulating in the area (for a) few months,” she pointed out.
The mayor added that they have also beefed up their civilian mobile mediation and social intervention teams to support vulnerable members of the population.
Those who live and work in the area believe the plan is a good start.
“Let’s hope that this was not just a PR event,” said Christian Généreux. “And that we’ll see those actions quickly.”
They are also hoping that enough resources will be poured into psycho-social support as well as housing over the long term.
Merchants also want redesign plans for Ste-Catherine Street East to include strategies to make the Village appealing, not just in summer.
“They need to create a village that’s nice and attractive and dynamic and unique all year long,” Gabriell Rondy, head of the Village Commercial Development Corporation.
Luc Généreux is hopeful and is now waiting to see if his clients share his optimism.
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