Popular Saint-Laurent venue The Diving Bell closing after increase in noise complaints: owners
Montreal's Diving Bell Social Club, a popular event space on The Main, will shut its doors in December after repeated complaints from neighbours over noise, the bar's owners say.
The space is managed by co-owners Evan Johnston and Austin Wrinch. They say they're looking for a new space – one that's more accessible (the current location is only reachable by three flights of stairs) and further away from people's homes.
"We feel like we could do better and have a more stable footing," said Wrinch in an interview with CTV News on Sunday.
The Diving Bell has held concerts, comedy, and drag shows at Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Duluth Avenue for five years.
Owners say the venue has come a long way since their now-landlord showed them the space, located on the top floor of a building occupied by a handful of other bars.
"He brought us upstairs, showed us a room that was pretty much just a storage space and said, 'Hey, do you want to do something up here?'" said Johnston. "Against our better judgement, we said, 'This is a great idea.'"
"We took some time, pulled all the garbage out, and started a place called The Diving Bell."
In the years that followed, like many other businesses on The Main, they had to work around COVID-19 lockdowns. Wrinch says business hasn't been the same since.
Saint-Laurent is one of Montreal's most popular boulevards, known for its shops and bars offering some of the city's best eats, music, and nightlife. Densely-packed apartment buildings line the streets adjacent to the action.
"When we had the ability to run shows here again, I think some people had moved (into the neighbourhood), and that's when the complaints started. I think they were used to a little more peace and quiet," he said. "We're experiencing tension from our neighbours based on what our business is about."
"I think this phenomenon is becoming more common," said Tasha Morizio, executive director of the Business Association for Saint-Laurent Boulevard.
Morizio says she's aware of several bars and event spaces on the strip which have received increased noise complaints from neighbours.
"Not just bar owners, but even when it comes to our festivals on the street, we've had people come to tell us, 'We moved in last year, and we didn't realize these street festivals were going to be so noisy,'" she said.
Morizio says the city could do more to mediate between people who work and live near The Main. For example, she said, the difference between a fine and a warning for a noise complaint comes down to the discretion of the police officer responding to it.
She says venue permits should include relative noise allowances to clarify what is and isn't too loud.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.