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Montreal Gazette
26-05-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Montreal ‘proud of our pedestrian streets,' Luc Rabouin says
Montreal's summer pedestrian streets are back for 2025, with some already open for the season. This year's slate is almost identical to the 2024 project, with no new additions, though Plaza St-Hubert will remain open to cars after its pedestrianization plan was scrapped in February. Last September, the city committed to fund summer pedestrian streets for three more years, cementing a framework that keeps cars off some commercial streets with the support of local commercial development corporations (CDCs). While the city dropped the Plaza St-Hubert plan after 60 per cent of local business owners voted against it, Plateau-Mont-Royal borough mayor Luc Rabouin maintained that the remaining streets still enjoy widespread support. 'No commercial street tried pedestrianization and didn't decide to redo it, except for one,' said Rabouin, who also sits on the city's executive committee. He called Plaza St-Hubert 'the exception that proves the rule.' Four years after the project began, 'we are now proud of our pedestrian streets,' Rabouin said. 'We're no longer asking ourselves whether it works or not. It works.' Nine streets are slated for pedestrianization this summer: Mont-Royal Ave. between St-Laurent Blvd. and St-Denis St. from May 26 until Oct. 16 and between St-Denis St. and De Lorimier Ave. from May 26 until Sept. 4. Duluth Ave. E. between St-Laurent Blvd. and St-Hubert St. from June 16 to Oct. 16. Wellington St. between 6th Ave. and Regina St. from June 2 to Sept. 19. Ste-Catherine St. E. between St-Hubert St. and Papineau Ave. and a short stretch of St-Christophe St. between Ste-Catherine St. E. and 1278 St-Christophe St. from May 15 to Oct. 14. St-Denis St. between Sherbrooke and Ste-Catherine Sts. from June 14 to Sept. 15. Émery St. between Sanguinet and St-Denis Sts. from June 14 to Sept. 15. Ontario St. E. between Pie-IX Blvd. and Darling St. from June 16 to Sept. 12. Bernard Ave. W. between Wiseman St. and Bloomfield St. from May 24 to Sept. 21. De Castelnau St. E. between St-Denis St. and de Gaspé Ave. from May 12 to Nov. 7. 'A pedestrian street is a lot more attractive than a street with constant intense traffic,' Rabouin said at a Villeray press conference held on the recently pedestrianized de Castelnau St. E. That street will see its temporary pedestrianization last the longest, running into November. 'You'll be able to celebrate Halloween with us,' said Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension borough mayor Laurence Lavigne. Villeray CDC general director Louis Vaillancourt was optimistic, telling The Gazette the 2024 rendition of the project had boosted business for the merchants he represents. 'This is a lot of fun for the citizens, but my mission is to make money for my people,' he said. Claire, who manages the de Castelnau St. Épicerie Loco, a boutique grocery store, was also happy pedestrianization would return. She declined to provide her last name. The store takes advantage of the pedestrian street to offer tastings to passersby, she said. 'There are a lot of events in the street, so people are passing by, they see that the door is open, they do the tastings, it attracts a lot of people,' she said. 'We're very happy with that.' Restaurant owner Rabih Rouhana, who runs Comptoir Sainte-Cécile, said he is expecting to see an increase in customers. Restaurants tend to benefit the most from pedestrian projects, said Sébastien Ridoin, the general director of Montreal's CDC association. 'Obviously terrasses on the streets help them,' he said. But the projects only work when businesses are onside, Rabouin said, adding he was under no illusion that summer pedestrian streets work in every instance. 'It's not a recipe that we should apply to every commercial street. It's a recipe that works in certain cases.' In the short term, permanent pedestrianization remains out of reach, he said. 'We are always ready to discuss the most ambitious thing we can do,' Rabouin said, but most business owners want the pedestrianization to remain temporary. This story was originally published May 26, 2025 at 5:02 PM.
CTV News
26-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
8 Montreal streets to be pedestrianized this summer
Thousands were in The Village in Montreal on Aug. 12, 2023 as the MTL Pride festivities lead up to the annual parade. (Daniel J. Rowe/CTV News) Eight Montreal streets are slated to be pedestrianized this summer, city officials announced on Monday. This means that over seven kilometres of asphalt will be car-free this summer, making over 1,300 local businesses accessible for pedestrians. The following streets will be blocked off to cars: Street Span Start End Mont-Royal Saint-Laurent to De Lorimier May 26 Sept. 4 Wellington 6th to Regina June 2 Sept. 19 Sainte-Catherine Saint-Cristophe to Papineau May 15 Oct. 14 Saint-Denis Sherbrooke to Saint-Catherine June 14 Sept. 15 Duluth Saint-Laurent to Saint-Hubert June 16 Oct. 16 Ontario Pie-IX to Darling June 16 Sept. 12 Bernard Wiseman to Bloomfield May 24 Sept. 21 Castelnau Saint-Denis to De Gaspe May 12 Nov. 7 Other arteries may be created in neighbourhoods throughout the city, based on each borough's plans. Place-du-Marché-Nord Street near the Jean-Talon Market, for example, will be pedestrianized on June 5, while Notre-Dame-de-Grâce's (NDG) Monkland Street between Melrose and Girouard will be car-free on the Aug. 21-24 weekend. 'Pedestrian streets have become staples of Montreal summers, in addition to making our city shine internationally,' said Projet Montréal Leader Luc Rabouin, who is on the economic development file on the executive committee. 'They are the beating heart of Montreal, enhancing the summer season and offering a comfortable, friendly and attractive street experience.'
