Place Jacques-Cartier restaurant owners threaten injunction against city
Planned redesign of Old Montreal square raises safety, financial concerns for business owners
Restaurant owners along Place Jacques-Cartier are asking for a one-on-one meeting with Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre over the installation of a centralized patio, commonly known in Quebec as a terrasse, as part of the city's 375th birthday.
- Place Jacques-Cartier gets $5M makeover
- Calèche drivers fight to get back on streets as ban goes into effect
Owners are concerned with the plans since the terrasse would be closer to the centre of the square and further away from the restaurants.
If Coderre doesn't reconsider the plans, then a group of about 14 restaurant owners are threatening legal action and considering filing an injunction.
The city will pay for the cost of building the new centralized terrasse, and restaurant owners will rent out their sections at the same cost they currently pay to rent the spaces outside their individual restaurants.
Sacha Bertola, owner of Le Fripon French bistro in the square, says the makeover is an issue of safety and hygiene since waiting staff will have to weave through pedestrians.
"We want the best for our clients and our business," Bertola said.
It's also a matter of losing business. His bistro's terrasse fits about 70 tables, but he says he will lose 30 tables and thousands of dollars with the new patio.
"We're all against this project for diverse reasons," Bertola said.
Bertola said he was inspired by calèche drivers who filed an injunction against the city over a one-year moratorium on horses-drawn carriages. A Quebec Superior Court judge granted a nine-day injunction — ordering the city to lift the ban.