Villeray group plans its defence of Nunavik House’s move

A group of residents from Villeray spent the steamy hot evening of Sept. 1 discussing how to move the project to renovate a former Chinese hospital on St. Denis St. into a new patient boarding home for Nunavimmiut receiving health care in Montreal. (PHOTO BY SARAH ROGERS)

MONTREAL – The Montreal borough of Villeray will have to decide Sept. 7 to either lift or renew a moratorium which now prevents a vacant hospital on St. Denis from being converted into a 150-bed patient residence for Nunavimmiut receiving medical care in the city.

And members of a committee from Villerary hope to clear the project’s way.

At a meeting of this group on Sept. 1 at a local community centre, many questioned the borough’s decision to freeze zoning, calling it a “misplaced reaction.”

“A moratorium is an exceptional move,” said Genevieve Beaudet, a member of the group. “We’re not talking about something that is dangerous for residents. This is a way to welcome a very interesting and rich culture.”

But the moratorium was supposed to last four months, which means borough council will have to decide to leave it in place or renew it at their Sept. 7 meeting.

As long as the moratorium on zoning stands, the renovation of the proposed facility won’t get the municipal permits needed for its construction.

“I’ve heard that council is planning on renewing it,” said a resident at the Sept. 1 meeting to to Elsie Lefebvre, municipal district councillor for Villeray. “So what can we do, as citizens, to make you change your mind?”

A moratorium is unusual, Lefebvre responded, but that it was the only option the council had to stall the project in order to learn more about it.

“I’ve never been opposed to this project. Access to health care is a primordial right,” she said. “But information has been very, very limited. We’re still waiting.”

Montreal’s health agency has been tight-lipped about the proposed move from early on, finally bowing to criticism and holding a public presentation on their renovation plans for the former Chinese hospital in June.

Even then, Lefebvre said, the question period was limited and two letters from the borough to health officials have gone unanswered.

“The agency didn’t think to share (information) with the municipal council or the community,” she said.

That, she said, has created bad feelings among residents and Montreal Inuit, which will take time to repair.

“It’s okay to put pressure on us, but some of that should be directed to the health agency,” Lefebvre said.

Much of that pressure has been related to comments made by Villeray residents and the borough’s mayor in their initial reaction to the project.

Mayor Anie Samson said the borough had enough social problems to deal with without having to worry about new visitors who would take advantage of the “action” a city offers.

This stance was aggravated by a flier distributed in residents’ mailbox warning that the new patient residence would attract crime and drugs to the neighbourhood.

Allison Irqumia was the only member of the Inuit community present at the meeting, representing the Association of Montreal Inuit.

She, like many others, said she still wants to hear an apology directly from the mayor.

“Inuit are very hurt by being viewed as drinks and drug addicts,” Irqumia said. “I think it’s important that (Samson) show she’s not biased…that she’s not turning this into a political issue.”

Marisa Celli, a spokesperson for the mayor, said the borough has made a number of apologies.

“Despite the fact that (Samson) has made apologies, it hasn’t seemed to come out in the media,” said Celli. “We apologize profusely for any misunderstanding and we hope we can work together to rectify this.”

The community group plans to present a petition to the Villeray borough council on Sept. 7 in support of the facility.

Since the petition was posted earlier this summer, it has gathered more than 630 signatures and the support of many more, including local politician Justin Trudeau.

A Villeray group in favour of seeing a project to renovate a former hospital into a new patient residence for Nunavimmiut met Sept. 1 to prepare for a Sept. 7 borough council meeting. (PHOTO BY JANE GEORGE)