Video of collapsed horse in Old Montreal renews calls for ban on calèches
'It's absolutely upsetting,' anti-calèche activist says of latest incident
The collapse of a calèche horse in Old Montreal over the holiday weekend has raised questions about the effectiveness of new regulations aimed at making the industry safer — and renewed calls for an outright ban on the controversial tourist attraction.
The incident happened on Monday afternoon in front of throngs of tourists near the historic Notre-Dame Basilica.
Diane Villeneuve was in the area with a colleague when she saw the animal fall to the ground — still harnessed to its carriage.
"The horse's front legs gave out, and the animal's head and jaw hit the ground hard," said Villeneuve, who recorded a video of calèche drivers trying to help the horse.
She says they worked for about 10 minutes to get the animal back on its feet. It's not clear what caused the horse to collapse.
Villeneuve's video of the incident has been widely shared on Facebook.
Mayor Denis Coderre tried to ban the practice before the 2016 summer season, but a Quebec Superior Court justice slapped an injunction on the proposed municipal regulation.
Coderre decided not to challenge the decision, instead introducing new regulations this year aimed at making the industry safer for horses.
The new bylaw includes provisions about the treatment and well-being of the horses, but also targets drivers, subjecting them to training.
New regulations give city power to act, Coderre says
On Tuesday, Coderre told reporters he asked for a veterinary report into the incident, which he described as "shocking."
"I'm going to wait for the [full report], but what I've been learning is there was some extreme fatigue," he said.
If it turns out that the horse's owner acted improperly, the new bylaw will give the city tools to take action, he said.
"At the end of the day, we need to make sure that the horses are not suffering," he said.
Industry is 'inhumane,' Plante says
Anti-calèche activists seized on the incident, saying it offered further evidence that an outright ban is necessary.
"The horse is down for a long time, looked completely still, and why did it collapse while standing? It's absolutely upsetting," said Anne Streeter, a member of the Anti-Calèche Defence Coalition.
Valérie Plante, Projet Montréal's candidate for mayor in the November municipal election, called the incident revolting.
"Let's pull the plug on this inhumane and unsafe industry," Plante said in a message posted to Facebook.
With files from Lauren McCallum and Radio-Canada