Achi news desk-
On the busiest Friday night of the year, in the heart of the F1 Grand Prix action in downtown Montreal, the restaurant was told to kick customers off its balcony and close.
In a tearful Instagram post, Groupe Ferreira’s director of operations, Sandra Ferreira, explained how members of the Service de securite incendie de Montreal (SIM) told her that Ferreira Café Terras on Peel Street was not up to code and had to be emptied. and close or the whole restaurant will close.
“They wait until Friday at 21:00 for the Grand Prix to arrive, while we have a full restaurant, and in front of everyone, they ask us to get everyone to leave the terrace,” Ferreira said. “As if we are at 9:00 p.m. and busy.”
She said she was able to find and produce permits for her ventilation system and emails saying the terrace was permitted, but officials told her she had to close the terrace or the restaurant.
She said in her video that the cafe and other restaurants and bars have been working for months to hold a grand prix event on Peel Street, but it’s with construction on set. Catherine Street and Phil, “it took months to get special permission to get our balcony on Phil.”
“Ultimately, after talking to many officials, the city told us we were fine,” she said. “I find it so cruel that I waited two or three weeks until I came to tell me this while the restaurant was full.”
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante’s office said it was “shocked” to hear Pereira’s announcement and that SIM crews had confirmed all terraces on Peel Street were now in compliance and could reopen Saturday.
“The responsibility of the Service de sécurité incendie is to ensure the safety of citizens and visitors,” spokeswoman Catherine Cadotte said. “The SIM must conduct a constant dialogue and continue to look for solutions that will ensure the safety and vitality of the businesses we all love.”
Montreal opposition Ensemble Montreal councilor Abdelhak Sari was quick to criticize Mayor Valerie Plante’s leadership in her borough of Ville-Marie.
“Where is the consultation with all the stakeholders that the mayor talks about?” He wrote in X.
Ferreira later posted on Instagram that the tent surrounding the outdoor tables had been removed.
Not Montreal firefighters
The Montreal Firefighters Association (Association des Pompiers de Montreal) said on Saturday that it was “exasperated and deeply disappointed to see its members wrongfully and forcefully taken by various restaurant owners who were forced to close their patio.”
The association stated that its members have nothing to do with the SIM interventions.
“The confusion stems from the fact that this spectacular operation, called Sentinelle, was carried out by prevention officers, civilian employees who, unfortunately, wear uniforms similar to those of firefighters,” said firefighters union president Chris Ross.
While the union said that its members are not involved in the closing of terraces in the city center, “the firefighters cannot remain insensitive to the presence of significant violations.”
“In the past, Montreal has experienced tragic events attributed to this type of offense,” said the union’s press release. “In the association’s opinion, society cannot afford to be lax, especially during periods of heavy human activity, with the risk of causing destructive events, even tragedies.”
Ferreira later posted an apology on her Instagram to the Montreal firefighters, saying that they were the fire prevention agents she encountered and was angry with.
More to come.
