Montreal Businesses Reopen After Evacuation Order, But Tenants Remain Displaced
In a sudden reversal, businesses located in a Monkland Avenue building in Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (N.D.G.) neighborhood have been granted permission to reopen, just one day after city officials ordered a complete evacuation over serious safety concerns. However, the approximately 15 apartment units above these establishments remain inaccessible, leaving dozens of residents, including seniors, infants, and young families, locked out of their homes.
Conflicting Messages Create Confusion for Business Owners
The operators of ground-floor businesses—Ye Olde Orchard Pub, Rockaberry Café, Taverne Monkland, and Aliments Naturels Fleur Sauvage—were initially told by the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce on Thursday morning that they would have to close indefinitely. This directive came as part of an emergency evacuation order affecting the entire building.
"We got a message for the first time late last night from the landlord, saying sorry for the confusion … the businesses can open, but the tenants can’t come back," said Joe Pilotte, operator of Ye Olde Orchard Pub, in an interview on Friday afternoon. This late-night communication created significant uncertainty for business owners who had already begun preparing for an extended closure.
Structural Issues Prompt Immediate Evacuation
The root cause of the emergency evacuation is a structural issue with the building, according to Côte-Des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-De-Grâce borough mayor Sonny Moroz. "An engineer’s report recommended evacuation. As soon as our inspection teams receive that engineering report recommending evacuation, we moved immediately to protect residents from a structural issue that was brought up," Moroz explained in an interview on Friday.
The mayor emphasized the borough's legal obligation to act decisively when public safety is at risk. "Safety has to come first. Where there’s a clear risk to people, the borough has an obligation, legally, to act as quickly (as possible), and we did so decisively as soon as we were made aware," Moroz stated.
Tenants Face Hardship During Coldest Weekend of 2026
As the coldest weekend of 2026 approaches, displaced tenants find themselves in particularly difficult circumstances. They are currently staying in various lodgings provided by the city, but the timing of the evacuation adds an extra layer of hardship. The situation has been developing since last Thursday, when tenants began reporting multiple safety issues within the building.
Tobias Goulem, who rents an apartment upstairs, reported noticing a sulphur-like smell that prompted residents to contact city authorities. Firefighters subsequently entered the building to investigate the concerning odor. According to residents, Énergir—the natural gas distributor—shut off gas service to the building following these investigations, leaving residents without heat once again.
The building remains fenced off in the N.D.G. area as authorities continue to assess the structural concerns that prompted the evacuation. While business operators can now resume operations, the future remains uncertain for the displaced residents who await further information about when—or if—they can return to their homes.
