Plateau residents reject synagogue expansion

A synagogue in Montreal's Mile End neighbourhood has seen its plan for expansion rejected by residents in a referendum Sunday.

The Gate David Hasidic congregation on Hutchison street wants to update its aging facility, but its plans drew the ire of residents who forced a community referendum on the issue.

The majority, 53.4 per cent, voted against the synagogue's plans Sunday, with 243 votes against and 212 votes for the synagogue.

The renovation plans include a 400 square foot extension at the back of the synagogue's current building. The synagogue has tiny bathrooms, a dirty unused balcony and a cloakroom so small, people hang up their coats in a prayer room instead.

Opponents in the neighbourhood fought the project, collecting enough signatures to force Sunday's referendum,

Pierre Lacerte, who writes a blog that is often critical of accommodations for religious groups, led the fight against the synagogue's expansion, citing concerns a bigger prayer space could lead to more traffic in the residential area.

Lacerte also said synagogues on the street have been receiving exemptions from zoning bylaws for years and "people are fed up to see that nothing happens after years of complaints."

Mayer Feig, a member of the Gate David Synagogue for 16 years, said the whole community was disappointed with the referendum results.

"Unfortunately, the lies and the misinformation that the opponents put out - we just couldn't overcome that," Feig said, adding that the expansion plans were "100 per cent within the law."

He said the renovations will be put on hold until the community can meet with the city to re-evaluate its plans.

Feig, however, said some good did come out of the fight.

"I've met a lot of non-Jewish friends supportive of our community...who reached out to us and I think good things are going to come of it," he said.