Montreal plans to introduce 24-hour nightlife district
The announcement follows two-years of trials and pilot projects
Montreal wants to establish a 24-hour nightlife district, according to an announcement made by Luc Rabouin, chair of the city's Executive Committee, during a recent council meeting.
Officials have confirmed the area will be close to downtown, and adjustments to existing bylaws are set to be unveiled early 2024. These would include changes to regulations around music and noise.
Although the exact location has yet to be specified, several bars around St-Laurent Boulevard were given permission to serve alcohol all night as part of a pilot last February, with some operating until 8AM at that time. This was just one stage in a wider testing period, during which various approaches to non-stop 'nightlife' have been trialled over the course of two years, determining which would be most effective and least disruptive.
RA reports Radio-Canada has also been teasing listeners with suggestions the Latin Quarter is set to receive an extension to operating hours well beyond the current 3AM curfew. However, in an interview, Mathieu Grondin, General Director of MTL 24/24, a non-profit working for more liberal nightlife in the city, suggested other areas may have more suitable infrastructure.
"The creation of the first 24-hour district is an innovative way of offering residents and visitors a full range of services available at all times," a spokesperson from the Ville de Montréal told RA. "Several other measures are planned in the upcoming policy. The goal is to make neighbourhoods more welcoming to night-time cultural and economic activities, while at the same time having measures in place to protect quality of life."
The plan is expected to be officially announced this month, and implemented in the spring.
In 2021, New York proposed the creation of several 24 hour nightlife districts, partly inspired by similar policies in Berlin and Amsterdam. Last month, one of the city's most respected venues, Nowadays, unveiled a new Saturday-Sunday event series, Nonstop, which will run for 24 hours.
