Closed terraces in Montreal | A SIM employee was suspended

A Montreal Fire Safety Service (SIM) employee was suspended after the Peel Street grandstands were closed Friday night, in the middle of Grand Prix weekend. The SIM also launched an administrative investigation.

This was confirmed by Luc Rabouin, President of the Executive Council of the City of Montreal and responsible for economic development, at a press conference on Monday afternoon following a meeting with Peel Street traders.

“Management (of SIM) has decided to conduct an internal administrative investigation (Monday morning) to investigate the incident. Management has decided to suspend an employee,” he announced.

On Friday evening, SIM staff forced the closure of the terraces on Peel Street, in the middle of the Grand Prix weekend, the busiest time of the year, arguing in particular that the distance between the shops and the marquees – which allowed the terraces to remain open despite the rainy weather – was not compliant.

“It’s a shock for (the retailers and their customers. The) image of Montreal has been damaged,” he said.

Despite the suspension of an employee and the opening of an investigation, neither the city nor the SIM can determine the circumstances and steps that led to the closure of the terraces.

“I am not in a position to draw any conclusions (except): ‘Something serious happened,'” Rabouin said.

A few hours earlier, Mr Rabouin had met with the restaurateurs on Peel Street and asked them to give the sector 24 hours to carry out the necessary checks for the reinstallation of the marquees. After this delay, the city will have had “all the discussions” to determine what needs to be arranged – “perhaps differently”, he admits – so that the return of the marquees can take place “in a safe manner”.

“We agree that the suspension was a mistake,” replied Julien Hénault-Ratelle, city councillor and opposition spokesperson for economic development. His party, Ensemble Montréal, is also demanding that an analysis of Friday evening’s events be carried out “publicly” in the city council.