From left to right: MTL 24/24 spokesperson Johanie Bouffard, Les SMAQ executive director Jon Weisz, and Plateau-Mont-Royal mayor Cathy Wong at today’s press conference at Quai des Brumes
MTL 24/24 welcomes today’s announcement by the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough regarding its new draft noise bylaw. For the organization, this represents a significant step forward in a long-standing issue that has undermined the coexistence of residential areas, cultural venues, and nightlife stakeholders.
This revision follows a public consultation held last summer, in which more than 14,000 people participated, as well as collaborative efforts with various community partners, including MTL 24/24. The new framework aims to better address concerns raised regarding the preliminary version of the bylaw, while proposing an approach better suited to the realities of mixed-use neighborhoods and Montreal’s nightlife.
The bylaw replaces a framework dating back to 1977, which relied on subjective criteria and largely left complaint management to the police. It now introduces more objective standards and an approach focused on support, mediation, and the intervention of specialized actors, such as Les Veilleurs and borough agents. Under this logic, sanctions are no longer the systematic response, and establishments will benefit from more tailored support.
For MTL 24/24, this reform is a step in the right direction. It modernizes a framework that had become inadequate and promotes a more constructive management of coexistence issues.
“Plateau-Mont-Royal is home to many of Montreal’s most iconic venues, but it has also been the epicenter of noise-related neighborhood conflicts that have led to numerous closures. The new bylaw is a welcome step toward a more proactive, modern, and balanced framework,” stated Martin Chartrand, General Director of MTL 24/24.
MTL 24/24 also wishes to highlight the work of Mayor Cathy Wong and her team, as well as the role given to community partners in conflict prevention and mediation.
“We welcome the shift in focus toward support and dialogue rather than sanctions, as well as the integration of community partners, such as Les SMAQ and Les Veilleurs, into conflict mediation. We remain ready to contribute to the implementation of this new approach and see it as a positive example that could inspire other boroughs,” added Mr. Chartrand.
However, MTL 24/24 emphasizes that this regulatory progress, significant as it may be, cannot alone address all the challenges facing Montreal’s nightlife stakeholders. To sustainably consolidate this ecosystem, structural interventions are also needed—adapted to the economic, real estate, and urban realities of these environments—along with concrete actions to support the development of nighttime cultural offerings.
This reform should therefore be understood as an important step in the right direction. It must be part of a broader commitment to the sustainability, influence, and development of Montreal’s nighttime ecosystem, notably through better support, increased guidance, and recognition of the collectives, artists, event organizers, and venue operators who contribute fully to Montreal life.
MTL 24/24 hopes that this advancement will inspire similar initiatives in other boroughs of the city and remains ready and open to working with the municipal administration on these matters.