‘Feverish optimism’ as borough commits to revitalizing Montreal’s Chinatown

Montreal's Ville-Marie borough has announced a renewed commitment to revitalizing the city's Chinatown, initiating immediate action with a dedicated cleaning crew and the formation of a local alliance. This move aims to tackle pressing issues that have impacted the neighborhood's residents and businesses.

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The keyword is action, so we’re taking action now.

Crews will work around the clock, seven days a week, to clean the area. Claude Pinard, Montreal executive committee chair and councillor for the Saint-Jacques district, stated that while some efforts have been made by the Société de développement commercial, more comprehensive action is required. "The keyword is action, so we’re taking action now," Pinard said, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

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In the summertime, there’s a lot more activities, illegal activities. I see it all the time, drug dealers, prostitution. I hear stories that scare me. That’s why, to me, the number one issue at the moment has got to be security.

Beyond immediate cleaning, Ville-Marie is launching a process to develop an urban economic and social development plan for Chinatown. This plan will be guided by a newly created local alliance, which is set to hold its first meeting before the end of the month. City officials indicate that these measures directly respond to priorities identified by residents and community organizations over recent years, addressing concerns about increased homelessness, drug use, graffiti, and vandalism.

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It’s the first time any councillor who represents Chinatown has come down to express his view on how we’re going to make these changes here in terms of security, in terms of development for the residents, for the business people.

Bryant Chang, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Montreal, welcomed the commitment but stressed that it is only a starting point. He highlighted security as the paramount issue, citing frequent illegal activities. Long-time resident Bill Wong expressed a "wait-and-see" approach, noting past unfulfilled promises from politicians but finding encouragement in the current councillor's engagement. Vincent Lupien, a local resident and landlord, described the prevailing sentiment as "feverish optimism," believing the administration is on the right track despite acknowledging that a full revitalization will take several years.

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There’s so much potential here.