'It will not happen again,' Montreal mayor wants answers after terraces closed on Grand Prix weekend
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante would like a post-mortem by Monday after fire department officials told a number of restaurants to close their terraces on Peel Street during Grand Prix Friday night.
Plante said in a news conference on Sunday that she understands that the fire department (SIM) has a job to do, but she is concerned about the tone that was set on one of the biggest weekends of the year for downtown businesses.
"Of course we will never compromise with security and the firefighters did their work in terms of making sure that there is nothing that goes against the security of citizens and visitors," she said. "That being said, where I'm disappointed and I'm definitely looking for more answer is how it was done on Friday."
On Friday, during one of the busiest nights of the year for restaurants and bars, during Grand Prix weekend, officers from the Montreal fire department (SIM) ordered some bars to close their terraces for code violations.
Ferreira Café was one such establishment and owner Sandra Ferreira posted a tear-filled message about the ordeal on her Instagram that was viewed and liked tens of thousands of times.
Plante wants to know the timeline of what happened in the days and weeks leading up to Friday.
"Also, I want to have a conversation with the business owners, restaurant owners as well this week with the fire department," said Plante. "If there are things they don't agree on, we need to find solutions because we've done it before."
"This will not happen again. It did not happen before and it will not happen again."
The fire department told CTV News that Ferreira Café was aware of its non-compliance more than a week prior to their arrival. The issue, the SIM said, was the width of the tent surrounding the terrace.
-- with reporting from CTV News Montreal journalist Max Harrold.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Shameful': Monument honouring fallen soldiers included names of living veterans
Veterans are asking for answers after discovering that two sculptures in Ontario honouring fallen soldiers include the names of many people who are very much alive.
'If it ain't broke don't fix it': U.S. ambassador warns Canada against cutting Mexico out of trilateral trade deal
Cutting Mexico out of the current North American free trade deal 'may not be the best path to take,' says U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen.
Canada's air force took video of object shot down over Yukon, updated image released
The Canadian military has released more details and an updated image of the unidentified object shot down over Canada's Yukon territory in February 2023.
Cookie inflation: How much more is your holiday baking costing you this year?
Estimate how much more your Christmas cookies will cost to bake this year compared to the past five years using Statistics Canada's monthly average retail price data.
Smash and grab: Canada sees a spike in jewelry store robberies
Many cities across Canada are seeing a spike in jewelry store robberies in recent months.
Invasive species could be hiding in your Christmas decor. Here's how to stop the spread
Make sure to look through your holiday decorations, as Christmas trees, wreaths, and other natural decor can have invasive insects, eggs, and plants that pose a threat to local ecosystems and the economy.
This watch was carved from a meteorite that hit Earth a million years ago
A new watch from design duo Toledano & Chan has been carved from a meteorite that slammed into Earth around one million years ago.
Police find bag carried by gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, say he likely fled NYC on bus
Investigators found a backpack in Central Park that was carried by the shooter, police said Friday, following a massive sweep to find it in a vast area with lakes and ponds, meadows, playgrounds and a densely wooded section called 'The Ramble.'
A police photographer recounts the harrowing day of the Polytechnique massacre
Montreal crime scene photographer Harold Rosenberg witnessed a lot of horror over his 30 years on the job, though nothing of the magnitude of what he captured with his lens at the Polytechnique on Dec. 6, 1989. He described the day of the Montreal massacre to CTV Quebec Bureau Chief Genevieve Beauchemin.