Montebello charges landowners renting land to campers during Rockfest

For the first time in 10 years, the municipality of Montebello, Que., is taking a cut of what residents charge campers during Amnesia Rockfest.

More than 200,000 music fans are expected to descend on Montebello June 18–21. Every year, some residents rent out their land to people who want to camp in the area — but starting this year, they'll have to pay for permits to be able to do that.

Charles Huneault and his wife, Stephanie Bélanger, contract out their farmland to Rockfest to house the festival's official campground.

But although Rockfest has rented the couple's property to serve as campgrounds for next weekend's event, Huneault and Bélanger said organizers told them they are still responsible for paying for the permit.

Huneault said the permits required will cost them more than $5,000 for this year's four nights of camping.

"Because the contract [with Rockfest] was signed two years ago, we can't reopen the contract. So of course we're really frustrated," Bélanger said.

"It's bad, bad news for us. It's too expensive for all the properties. We pay too much tax now, [and now] we pay again," Huneault said.

'It takes around two weeks to restore the municipality'

The new charge for camping permits is a way for the municipality to cover clean-up costs, policing and portable toilet rentals, according to Guy Roy, Montebello's building and environmental inspector.

"It's really expensive, because the event becomes bigger year after year," Roy said.

"It takes around two weeks to restore the municipality after the event."

The costs add up to about $30,000 each year, Roy said, and the municipality hopes the permits for camping and selling food will cover that tab. However, some landowners said Rockfest should be footing the bill.

"They should… collect at least a dollar per ticket. Rockfest is not even paying a cent to the village. We are assuming … all the expenses," Bélanger said.

Rockfest founder and president Alex Martel said Montebello's lawmakers made a political decision to adopt the new permit system as a way to improve the festival experience.

"The city wanted to find ways to accommodate all the festival-goers better and welcome them and offer them more toilets, and more of everything, to make the experience better," Martel said.

"I think it's a good thing because it helps the city, so I think everyone wins in the end," Martel added. "These landowners make so much money by renting their land, either to us or to festival-goers directly, so it's really nothing compared to what they make."