Clean-up, culture and crisis intervention: Montreal’s plan to reinvigorate The Village

A public forum on life in The Village in Montreal found most want a cleaner, greener, more pedestrian-friendly neighbourhood, with some citing homelessness and public intoxication as major areas of concern.

The over 1,400-respondent survey is fueling the city's plan to breathe new life into the historic neighbourhood, an area hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mayor Valerie Plante will officially reveal her strategy on Thursday, but a copy of the action plan was obtained early by Noovo Info.

"Based on an in-depth analysis of all the data collected, it was possible to identify six major issues related to the sector: security, public space, identity, socio-economic vitality, vivre-ensemble (coexistence) and culture," the plan reads.

The report details concerns that are only amplified by the approaching Pride festivities in August, when the Village becomes a hub for tourists and locals alike.

Here are some of the changes promised by Montreal that are either in progress or on the way:

TACKLING SOCIAL ISSUES

Just under 32 per cent of survey respondents said "homelessness, trafficking and substance abuse, as well as the presence of people suffering from mental health problems, make Ste-Catherine Street East an inhospitable place to live," according to the report.

Earlier this month, the city beefed up police presence in the Village and at Place Émilie-Gamelin, a hotspot of Montreal’s homelessness crisis.

Psychosocial workers with the intervention group EMMIS have also been assigned to the sector to support the population.

In addition, Montreal will fund two "intervention teams" targeting the area, one specializing in intercultural relations and the other in sexual violence prevention.

"When questioned about the main solution to be prioritized to improve the

the situation in the sector, a majority of respondents mentioned the need for action, above all else, on social issues such as homelessness, drug addiction, sanitation and crime," the report states.

CONSTRUCTION AND CLEANLINESS

Also chief among Montreal's promises is repair work along Ste-Catherine's Street East, with consultations scheduled between 2023 and 2024.

"In the medium term, work on the aqueduct, sewer and redevelopment of Sainte-Catherine Street East will revitalize the Village sector," the report states, noting that work will be divided into segments to ease disruptions.

The city said it's weighing how to make the area more pedestrian-friendly as well.

"Should all or part of Ste-Catherine Street East be pedestrianized? How do we use the street, considered a refuge for people experiencing homelessness, as a lever for integration into the urban fabric?" the report continues.

About 94 per cent of survey respondents said sidewalks should be widened; 74 per cent said Ste-Catherine's lacks greenery; and 62 per cent said there isn't enough room for pedestrians.

Montreal will also create a so-called "cleanliness brigade" to help tidy up the streets (65 per cent of survey respondents said they found the neighbourhood "dirty" or "very dirty").

KEEPING UP THE CULTURE

The city also pledges to fund more cultural events and attractions in the area, while keeping the neighbourhood's founding demographic -- the LGBTQ2S community -- at heart.

"Over the years, the LGBTQ2S communities have built the Village.

Now it's time to showcase it together," reads a statement included in the report from Ville-Marie councillor Robert Beaudry.

Among these projects includes the creation of a "tribute to LGBTQ2S struggles and a place for commemoration, awareness-raising cultural expression and community support to be defined with community partners."

PROTEST SCHEDULED

Despite the city's promises, which have yet to be officially unveiled, community members will hold a protest next month demanding concrete action to help keep their neighbourhood alive.

"Unfortunately, the situation has deteriorated to such an extent that today, even shopkeepers are threatening to close their terraces -- a first," a post on the event's Facebook page reads.

The protest, called "J'aime mon village" (I love my village), takes place on July 4.