Mixed reviews for Montreal's new nightlife plan

On Wednesday, the City of Montreal announced its new policy on nightlife, which is supposed to pave the way for loosening opening hours, and allow for all-night events.

Critics say, however, the plan is vague, and filled with bureaucracy

"What we're announcing is that we are adopting a policy that gives orientation on how we're going to apply the nightlife in Montreal." said Ericka Alneus, the councillor responsible for culture and heritage at the city's executive committee

The policy states that Montreal's priority will focus on cultural establishments, such as concert venues and other stage activities.

Alneus said the city will create direct lines of communications with local business groups who express the need for nightlife hubs, in the Plateau or the Village for example.

The communities, Alneus explained, will provide the plans.

While the city will take care of analyzing feasibility through feedback from citizens, security concerns and noise issues.

"They were in spite of a lot of issues and we want to make sure to secure them and to protect them," explained Alneus.

For people involved in nightlife business, this announcement comes way short of what was expected.

For example, bars and restaurants are not concerned by the plan.

And as for concert halls, they will still depend on legislation regarding noise.

Concert venues, for example, were at the mercy of newly arrived neighbours who would file noise complaints based on regulations that vary across the city's 19 boroughs.

The recent closing of La Tulipe cabaret following a strict interpretation by the courts sent a shockwave through the industry.

Promoters say they wish the city would have announced a modification on noise bylaws, as a starter.

"I was expecting something to help us to protect us as a venue and I don't feel that there's been something to do about it," said Jake Warren, who operates the Verre Bouteille on Mont-Royal, a bar that doubles as a concert hall.

Xavier Auclair, who now runs the Club Soda on St-Laurent Boulevard said the city's initiatives aren't helpful without modifications of existing bylaws.

"I think working on the laws and the bylaws would be the best because that's the thing that's going to protect us against, you know, playing against neighbors," said Auclair.

The city is also offering a new grant that will help a majority of concert halls in the city to soundproof their venue.

Montreal budgeted $2.5 million to subsidize soundproofing to all venues of 3,000 seats or less. Until now, the grant was only available to small venues of 400 seats or less

That's good news for Olivier Corbeil, who runs the popular concert venues Le Ritz on Jean-Talon, and the Fairmount Theater on Park Avenue.

"First of all, we got the soundproofing grant for two of our venues, which was that the city helped us with, which helped us greatly because we had sound complaints and we had troubles," said Corbeil.

As for bars and restaurants waiting for a chance to stay open all night, they will have to wait until the city is satisfied with the initial step of its nightlife plan.