Mayor Bruno Marchand believes that the issues of homelessness and the work pointed out by the owner of the District are not the only reasons behind the closure of the Saint-Roch establishment, announced this week for the end of December.
“Shops, unfortunately, are closing. That’s not what we want. It is not always linked to the same issues. What Mr. McNeil said is that there are lots of issues. He didn’t just talk about homelessness,” stressed Mayor Marchand, a few days after the announcement made by Louis McNeil. Its establishment on rue Saint-Joseph will close its doors on December 31.
Among the reasons given, the owner mentioned the “hazards of the neighborhood” and the city’s work nearby. On this subject, Mr. Marchand clarified that there has been no major work on Saint-Joseph. “There was work at the corner of Caron. I understand that this can cause [des désagréments]but that’s not the main problem.”
The mayor emphasizes that several businesses are opening in Saint-Roch and that many are doing well. “It remains a priority to ensure that this neighborhood regains its letters of nobility and we are going to tackle that.”
Roaming
Regarding the homelessness situation, Répit Basse-Ville had to open the doors of its two shelters earlier this year and expand its opening hours. Demand for this type of night accommodation has in fact doubled in Quebec. This is no surprise to the mayor. “We already knew that. Last year’s experiences showed us that.”
The CIUSSS is now calling for tenders for a new place that could accommodate people during the day, revealed Mr. Marchand. “We have lots of interesting projects. It remains a complicated situation, but there is a lot of good news.”