MONTREAL - The cornerstone of Montreal's Quartier des Spectacles is sure to provide critics of Quebec's construction industry with plenty of fresh ammunition.
It turns out the mortar between the granite paving stones beside Place des Arts is already eroding, just two years after the project was finished.
The city says that it picked the best option based on extensive laboratory testing, but that under real-world conditions the mortar just cannot hold up to the near-constant water flow from the square's fountains, in addition to street cleaning and the environmental stress of winter.
Cote des Neiges Councillor Helen Fotopulos is not impressed.
"At this point yes I'm angry, yes I'm not happy with it," she said.
"But as a responsible representative of the people, at this point we have to find a solution."
Work to replace the mortar with a new high-silicone formulation will begin in April and last a month, and more work is expected to be done next year.
The budget for the patch job is $644,000, and councillors are hoping it will last for years to come.
As for the quality of the workmanship, Fotopulos has promised to inspect the 'regrouting' job as if it were her own bathroom.
