The push to make Verdun's Wellington Street pedestrian-only year round
CBC
One of Montreal's trendiest and most vibrant streets also happens to be the centre of Robin Simond's universe.
He lives on Wellington Street in the city's Verdun borough. Just steps away from his home, he runs a small grocery store there that bears his name. In recent years, Wellington has become an obvious choice whenever the city rolls out a small list of areas that will become pedestrian-only during the summer.
As a resident and business owner, Simond is torn.
"I really love it and I'm for it. I think it's a green way, and the way of the future maybe," said Simond, the owner of Chez Robin, before stressing that blocking off access to cars deals a punishing blow to many businesses's bottom lines, including his.
"It's just really hard for businesses. We lose all this business in the summer and then we have to fight really hard to get it back during the winter, and then we lose it again."
Simond says he loses between 20 and 25 per cent of his revenue once cars are no longer able to drive through Wellington. That's a significant chunk, especially since many shops are already feeling the squeeze of rising commercial rents.
But for some residents, the summer pedestrianization of Wellington doesn't go far enough.
Through a municipal process called "the right of initiative," Chris Bitsakis launched a petition to make Wellington Street pedestrian-only year round. The petition was open from mid-May and closed on Tuesday with about 3,300 signatures.
He needed 3,031 signatures to trigger a public consultation process.
"I think it's an incredibly important thing for the urban environment, for our health and for everyone's well-being in the city," he said.
"Given that so many of us in Verdun walk, bike and take transit, I think it's important that we have a main commercial street serve them primarily."
In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for the Verdun borough said even if a public consultation for the pedestrianization of Wellington Street does take place, the borough will have the final say on the matter.
The borough also said that closing off Wellington to car traffic in 2022 cost a little more than $935,000, with 65 per cent of that money from the city of Montreal.
Permanently making Wellington pedestrian-only requires a plan for snow clearing and facilitating access for emergency vehicles.
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