Thirteen community organizations, including a food bank, in Ahuntsic-Cartierville in Montreal, have until 5 p.m. this Friday to vacate their premises, in the middle of the holiday season.
The Montreal School Services Center, owner of the building, has been renting these premises to them for around twenty years. He now says he wants to take them back to set up his own francization center.
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A move would pose major logistical challenges for the Nutrition and Community Action Service (SNAC), which would be forced to move refrigerators and freezers and ensure compliance of its future facilities with government standards.
Photo : - / Ivanoh Demers
In addition to a food bank, the building houses an organization that offers services for people experiencing addiction, homelessness and mental health problems. There is also a daycare.
The targeted organizations have been trying for several weeks, even months, to prevent this expulsion. They say they have nowhere to go. They still cannot find other affordable premises.
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Haroun Bouazzi, QS deputy for Maurice-Richard
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Many elected officials denounce this eviction decision, including Haroun Bouazzi, member of Quebec in solidarity with the constituency, who fears the loss of neighborhood social and community net
.
He sees a real disaster for the 25,000 people who benefit from their essential services each year
. He directly calls on the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government to help obtain this reprieve.
In interview at First the infoHaroun Bouazzi explains that he submitted a complete file to the government to understand the urgency of the situation, but he only received one response of infinite flatness
placing the responsibility on the Montreal School Services Center, saying it was powerless.
We now find ourselves with state-funded organizations that are in court because the School Service Center is taking them to court […] It’s a dramatic situation.
The argument put forward by the Montreal School Services Center and invoking the desire to provide francization courses does not hold up, according to Mr. Bouazzi. Francization courses are already offered in this community center, he notes.
The elected representative also tried to obtain a reprieve of three years
for these organizations. The same request was made by the district mayor of Ahuntsic-Cartierville and the federal MP, Mélanie Joly.
Another building will soon be built in the same district as part of the Louvain Ecodistrict project. The complex will have 800 to 1,000 housing units, including cooperatives. The reprieve could allow the 13 organizations to settle there once construction is finished.
All community organizations will have a place together in a new community center, but we must give ourselves time to build it
argues for her part Émilie Thuillier, mayor of the Ahuntsic-Cartierville district.
In the meantime, elected officials are asking the Quebec government to offer funding to the School Service Center so that it can rent premises more appropriate for francization that meet the criteria.
For now, the eviction order can be executed at any time. Mr. Bouazzi, who says he is not giving up, is banking on solidarity to make the Legault government see reason, which, according to him, has the power to impose a saving reprieve.
