Peter Triassi Montreal has high hopes for Montreal, as well as the rest of the world when it comes to beating and rising back up from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The City of Montreal has started to resurrect its downtown district after months of closures, social distancing, and travel restrictions, plus the crippling economic fallout brought about by the global health crisis. According to Peter Triassi, no less than Mayor Valérie Plante announced a $400,000 investment, which will be for the setting up of new urban space and organization and hosting of cultural activities in the downtown area, even as the pandemic continues.
This is the support the city is willing to give to business owners as offices have become empty, and the number of tourists has dwindled. Montreal locals and officials are hopeful that opening more places, such as the public squares framed by the St. Lawrence River and Atwater, Papineau, and Sherbrooke streets, will provide more space for people to move around but still follow social distancing protocols.
Among the fixtures that the City of Montreal has installed are seven public terraces, which would hopefully attract natives and tourists to the downtown area during the warmer months of summer. As for activities, there will be several culture-centric events that range from live music and circus acts to theatre performances and cabaret. There will be around 200 surprise pop-up performances in the area that would cater to people of varying tastes.
It was Michel Leblanc, the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, who mentioned that over 75% of business owners who answered a survey are very concerned about the economy of the downtown area. And based on anecdotal information, the chamber estimates that around only 5% of workers have come back to work downtown.
Peter Triassi also adds that Yves Lalumière, president of Tourisme Montréal, is concerned about how Quebecers from other regions can be enticed to visit the city as well.
The $400,000 investment is the most recent in a series of measures taken by the City of Montreal to revive business in and around the area. Back in June, Mayor Plante announced a recovery plan that was comprised of 20 measures, which the city will implement in the next six months.
Peter Triassi mentions that all things considered, it looks like business owners in downtown Montreal have a lot of good things to look forward to in the coming months.
