Brendan Kelly: Does permitting bars to sell alcohol late into the night actually improve Montreal's nightlife?

The city administration is finally set to reveal its nightlife policy, seven years after Mayor Valérie Plante initially promised it.

The good news is that Ericka Alneus, the Projet Montréal councillor for the Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie’s Étienne-Desmarteau district and the party’s lead on nightlife issues, announced on Friday that the policy is expected to be released in September.

A key aspect of the policy under discussion is the potential creation of zones around the city where clubs and venues could remain open past 3 a.m. and continue serving alcohol.

While this may appeal to rave and electronic music event promoters, it’s uncertain if most venue operators are on board with this idea.

Sergio Da Silva, owner of Turbo Haüs, a prominent alternative-music venue on St-Denis Street, stated that even if his venue is included in one of these extended-hour zones, he won’t be keeping the doors open past 3 a.m.

“Our customers aren’t really an after-hours crowd,” said Da Silva. “People are fixated on this 24-hour (drinking) concept as if it’s some magic solution, and maybe for some, it is. They’ve been asking for it forever. But in terms of drawing people to bars and venues, the reality is, dude, no one has any money. That’s the bottom line. So staying open later isn’t going to change that.”

Da Silva emphasized that noise complaints are a much more urgent issue. Venues like his face fines if neighbors complain about live music, a problem he says the Plante administration has yet to address.

Alneus mentioned that the upcoming policy would include provisions to address noise issues, though she didn’t share specifics.

Alneus believes that zones allowing all-night drinking could benefit the city.

“We see potential with these types of zones,” Alneus said during an interview at the café of the hip arts venue Société des arts technologiques (SAT). “But no one is obligated to participate.

We want to offer this opportunity not only to venues but also to art galleries or small businesses that want to stay open later in what we call ‘une zone de vitalité nocturne’ … The idea is to offer diverse nightlife options, and we can do it in the Montreal way.”

Alneus also highlighted the potential economic impact.

“One-fifth of our tourists come for our nightlife,” she noted.

But do they really come for nightlife after 3 a.m.?

“Well, some people do come for those types of events,” Alneus responded.

Isn’t that primarily for rave and electronic dance music culture?

“I don’t think it’s just rave culture,” Alneus said.

She also believes it will improve safety, as not everyone will leave clubs at the same time.

“We want to ensure things are done safely,” Alneus added. “If clubs close at 3, 4, 5, or 6 a.m., it’s easier to manage the flow of people.”

Jenny Thibault, director-general of the SAT, likely has more experience with all-night events than anyone else in the city.

“We’re the kingpins of all-night events,” she said with a laugh.

During the recent Mutek electronic music festival, the SAT hosted three all-night events, with alcohol served until early morning, and everything went smoothly, she said.

“People who listen to electronic music only go out very late at night,” said Thibault.

“For electronic shows, people typically arrive at midnight or one in the morning.

So ending at 3 a.m. makes it hard for us to generate revenue from the bar. And the DJs who come from New York and Berlin are used to playing until 6 a.m. That’s their prime time. Also, people consume less drugs and more alcohol, so it makes venue management easier. And if they leave at 6, they can take the métro.”

Thibault is eager to see what the city’s long-awaited nightlife policy will include. She hopes for concrete measures to support nightlife players like the SAT, noting that obtaining permits is currently too complicated and time-consuming.

“If there are too many complications and problems, we’ll just stay home and watch Netflix,” Thibault remarked.

Many in the small venue scene, including Da Silva, feel the city hasn’t done much to support them during Plante’s administration. When I mentioned to Alneus that these club owners believe her administration has neglected them, she assured me that help is coming.

“I understand some people wished we could’ve moved faster (with our nightlife policy),” said Alneus. “But I want to emphasize my commitment to making sure it works.”

However, the reality is that the city has never truly supported the small clubs, which many of us see as the heart and soul of Montreal’s celebrated indie rock scene.

“Maybe that was true in the past, but now we have someone from our administration who is showing up,” said Alneus. “I’m here! If there’s one thing people can tell you, I’m on those streets.”