Residents of Outremont have upheld a bylaw that restricts where houses of worship can be established on one of the borough's major commercial streets—and one of the last places for prayer houses to be built in the area.
About 56 per cent of voters, or 1,561 people, voted yes, with 1,202 voting no. Out of a possible 4,452 residents eligible, over 60 per cent came out to vote.
Outremont mayor Marie Cinq-Mars has said the bylaw would be put in place to protect space for businesses on Bernard Ave.
The Hassidic community makes up about 25 per cent of Outremont residents, and many religious leaders call the ban discriminatory, unconstitutional, and stops them from opening new synagogues within walking distance of their homes.