“I live with syringes, excrement, smells …”, lists Josée Côté, more tired than frustrated.
Manager of a pharmacy located on Boulevard Saint-Laurent, between rue Ontario and Boulevard de Maisonneuve, Ms. Côté says that she collects syringes every morning in front of her business.
In addition, she regularly sees her emergency exits blocked by people who sleep or consume drugs. Not to mention the many display flights, sometimes armed.
Josée Côté notes that the social climate has deteriorated since the opening of trade in the district in November 2023.
“When you cross the street, you arrive in the Spectacles district. It’s beautiful, it’s clean, it’s interesting. But we, there is no one who wants to settle here, ”she says.
Staff retention is also increasingly complicated.
“The lack of employees in the evening, it kills us. We had to reduce our opening hours from 9 p.m. to 7 p.m. so that our employees can leave earlier. They are afraid of being on the sidewalk when it is black in the evening or when there are fewer activities, ”she explains.
Josée Côté East the manager and technician chief of the David St-Jean Gagnon pharmacy.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Violette Cantin
Successive fires
Merchants, who agree that the social fabric of the sector has stretched from the pandemic, note that the situation has degenerated even more since April 7. A fire razed the 1595, boulevard Saint-Laurent, which has already housed the high-end restaurant Le Bouillon Bilk.
The fire has moved the adjacent buildings enough to make one of them sentenced to demolition. The sidewalk and the street are currently hampered to protect access to the ruins and the site.
In the middle, the ruins of the burned building. On the left, a building whose demolition is imminent. On the right, the Pista coffee, closed since April.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Violette Cantin
Squatters have invested in the condemned building. “There are excrement, syringes, urine and even sometimes condoms,” explains Grégoire Merlaut, the co -owner of the Pamplemousse bar and Pista coffee, which are both on this section.
He had surveillance cameras and safety grids in the coffee windows, which has still not reopened since the fire on April 7.
“In the two weeks following the disaster, we were the victim of 12 flights by break -in,” said Mr. Merlaut. One has the impression of being caught in a spider web
he deplores.
Grégoire Merlaut poses in front of his two businesses.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Violette Cantin
Merchants do not blame people in homelessness in the neighborhood, often struggling with consumption and mental health problems.
Part of them are even customers of the pharmacy managed by Josée Côté, who knows them well and helps them.
But traders want an increased police presence and more support from the municipal authorities.
Mr. Merlaut had to have gates at the windows of his coffee, victim of numerous break -in flights since April.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Violette Cantin
Same story with local residents. “It’s going less and less well, there is an escalation of incidents. From the start of the evening, I fear for my safety and that of my guests, when I have, ”explains Stéphane Couture.
He is a resident and a member of the board of directors of the Urban Bloc union, a building of nearly 70 dwellings located a stone’s throw from Boulevard Saint-Laurent.
Last year, residents had secure fences installed to limit access to the doors, often blocked by squatters. It all cost $ 24,000.
Protective grids had to be placed by residents of a building to ensure their safety.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Violette Cantin
“I want us to be proud”
The city of Montreal did not follow up on our interview request.
By email, the relationist Hugo Bourgouin writes: “The district of Ville-Marie is aware of the concerns linked to the feeling of security in the sector. A field tour was also carried out with the commander of the district 21 post, earlier this year, in order to well identify the issues. »»
The 1599, boul. Saint-Laurent must be demolished about a week after the construction holidays. Correction merchants claim that many squatters take refuge in it.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Violette Cantin
An answer that does not satisfy merchants.
“We are an entrepreneur, we do not tend to let ourselves be put down, but let’s say that we often have the impression of being an island of normality in a generalized chaos,” says Grégoire Merlaut.
And Josée Côté adds: “I was born here. I love my city. I want us to be proud. But there, I am not very proud. »»
