The city of St. Lambert is accusing the city of Montreal of acting in bad faith in brushing away a potential solution to the ongoing problem of concert noise coming from Jean-Drapeau Park.
For years, the music from concerts and summer festivals on Ile Ste. Helene has raised hackles in the south shore suburb, which lies directly across the river.
St. Lambert's mayor, Alain Depatie, says during its legal proceedings against Montreal, it has obtained documents suggesting plans for the proposed new concert bowl at the park be changed, to have the concert stage facing the northeast, out toward the Jacques-Cartier bridge, as a way to mitigate the noise pollution in St. Lambert.
The original plans for the concert venue, unveiled in 2015, had the stage placed at the north end, facing south — apparently, because mayor Denis Coderre and his executive committee wanted to make sure people could see the Montreal skyline behind the stage.
"The mayor of Montreal who, I will remind you, is also the president of the Montreal Metropolitan Community, placed esthetics above the well-being of people," said St. Lambert mayor Alain Depatie in a statement. "That's unacceptable!"
Depatie also suggests he's willing to talk to Montreal officials to discuss his residents' concerns before the case goes to court, but he adds in his past dealing with Montreal, his reception has been indifferent, at best.
"[Denis Coderre] is not concerned at all," Depatie says. "Every time we ask questions, [the city doesn't] want to explain the mitigation measures that they're going to implement for that new amphitheatre. We want a discussion, but they don't want to talk to us because there's a legal matter."
Depatie says he doesn't want to see the project cancelled — concert venues bring money and people to the region, he says — but he wants the best deal for his residents, many of whom say they can hear the din of concerts across the river, even if their doors and windows are closed.
"Citizens of St. Lambert have often been called intolerant because of all this," Despatie said. "But evidence suggests clearly that residents' quality of life is significantly impacted when there are events happening — practically the entire summer. Moreover, the recently obtained documents show there's a lack of transparence and cooperation on the part of representatives of the city of Montreal and the Société du Parc Jean-Drapeau, and seems to confirm, for the moment, that the legal avenue is the one we should take."