Outremont's Hasidic community is planning to contest Sunday's referendum in favour of a bylaw that bans new temples and other places of worship on Bernard Ave.

The vote was not very close, with 1,561 people voting in favour of the ban, and 1,202 people voting against.

The borough's mayor and most councillors argued the ban was necessary to protect businesses

But Jewish leaders like Abraham Ekstein said it was a straightforward attack against a religious minority.

"The reason why we have a Charter of Rights in this country is to protect the rights of minorities just like in this case," said Ekstein.

Sixty percent of eligible voters took part in the referendum, but Montreal's only Hasidic councillor, Mindy Pollak, thought the vote itself was irresponsible.

"The citizens were faced with an impossible choice. They had to choose between their commercial arteries, their local stores, and places of worship. That was an impossible choice to put before the residents and unfair," said Pollak.

There are four synagogues in the borough, and they are very well-attended.

With a growing Jewish population in the area, the Hasidic population felt the bylaws targeting places of worship singled them out.

"What is certainly not right and not okay is to have a bylaw which targets a community," said Ekstein.

Outremont borough mayor Marie Cinq-Mars said the referendum was fair.

"We already have some places of worship there [on Bernard and Laurier], but people expressed themselves so we don't want more," said Cinq-Mars.

"When you look at other boroughs, they did that in the Southwest, they did that in St. Lambert. It's not only in Outremont."

Constitutional lawyer Julius Grey believes the Hasidic community of Outremont has a case, regardless of the popular vote.

"The majority vote is of no importance as long as there is a violation of the Charter, so what one would have to show is that there is a practical impediment to them worshipping," said Grey.

"If there is such a practical impediment than the referendum doesn't have strength."

Pollak said there may be one positive outcome of the divisive debate: it's getting people to talk.

"I still want there to be more dialogue between the communities, the citizens, and we want to help work toward that," said Pollak.