If you’ve been following the news over the past few days, you’ll know that, just as the nearly two-long makeover of St. Laurent Boulevard comes to an end, Gaz Métropolitain has announced that it wants to rip up the newly-rebuilt street in 40 different places to make emergency repairs to its underground gas lines. Plateau borough mayor Helen Fotopoulos has declared herself furious at the company for failing to make its repairs last year, when the street was already under excavation and other utility companies, including Bell and Videotron, did work on their own lines. According to Fotopoulos, Gaz Métro was even offered the chance to perform work last year, but it declined. Yesterday, Mayor Gérald Tremblay also chastised Gaz Métro but said that there was nothing the city could do to prevent the work, which the gas company has deemed urgent.
Today, Gaz Métro offered an apology and promised to pay the full costs of repairing the Main’s new sidewalks after it digs them up. Work should be finished by the end of May, but many merchants along the beleaguered boulevard worry that, after a difficult two years, this last-minute round of construction could put them under for good. More from La Presse:
«On pensait que, le soleil revenu, les affaires pourraient reprendre rondement, mais là, on a une prise de Gaz Métro juste devant le restaurant, alors c’est décourageant.»
Thierry Rouyé, chef cuisinier du restaurant La Porte, au 3627, boulevard Saint-Laurent, est consterné. Les travaux de 31 millions effectués sur l’artère ont débuté en octobre 2006. Il pensait que le temps était enfin venu de jouir financièrement des rénovations. Quand il a appris par courrier que Gaz Métro allait casser une partie du trottoir et de la chaussée tout neufs devant sa porte, il n’en revenait pas.
«C’est dur, dit aussi Mario Oliveira, copropriétaire du café Méliès. On espère que les clients vont être solidaires des commerçants. C’est inacceptable, car Gaz Métro est au courant depuis 2004 que des travaux s’en viennent. Plusieurs commerces ont fermé depuis 2006. Mon chiffre d’affaires a baissé de 40% à cause des travaux.»
M. Oliveira, aussi secrétaire de la Société de développement du boulevard Saint-Laurent, va demander à Gaz Métro une aide pour relancer le boulevard quand l’entreprise aura achevé son travail, fin mai.
(…)Gaz Métro reconnaît ses torts. L’entreprise s’excuse et mettra tout en oeuvre pour que les travaux soient exécutés rapidement et sans trop de conséquences pour les citoyens, les commerçants, les autobus et les automobilistes. Elle s’engage à payer tous les pots cassés, ce que la Ville lui a demandé, et à aider les commerçants, comme elle l’a déjà fait.
Photo: Alain Roberge, La Presse
5 comments
This news make me really sad. I loved the Main since I first arrived here, and seeing it go through all this has been terrible.
It’s a metaphor and not a nice one!
It is a terrible blow to independent merchants. I fear this could kill some of them and open the way to more homogenised corporate chains, with their deep pockets. Sure hope not.
It’s all so depressing. I really was looking forward to the new sidewalks and crowded streets. Crowded with people, not more lame Quebec contractors who park their equipment and work 10 hours a week. They’ve already killed or driven away several major businesses on the main (Mondo Frites, Ripples, Welch’s and probably a few others). Gaz Metro should be forced to pay all the businesses on the main an equivalent to the sales they would be losing.
st-laurent is probably not all that far away from becoming another du parc & laurier