Our support

Thanks to Catherine Sévigny, City Counselor, Borough Ville-Marie, who had supported this project, and also to Jean Perron, then General Manager of the Commercial Development Group in Old Montréal

Following is the answer from the Old Port of Montréal Corporation
refusing our project on September 29, 2006

On June 20, 2006, we sent a dog park project to the Old Port Corporation, which could be installed on their territory. Basically, we were asking the permission to use the unused parcel of land with no grass on it, in front of Marché Bonsecours, between the fence already in place and the railroad. In order to add to the idea of a regular dog park, we were suggesting to put in place a «Dog Nursery» to be use by families who come to enjoy the Old Montréal with their dog but are unable to go to IMAX or to a restaurant with their pet. This way, no one would have to rush back home to take the dog out. He would get plenty of exercise at the park. This new service would have also created a few jobs.

We did not ask any financing support from the Old Port, only the use of this unused parcel of land. City Counselor Catherine Sévigny, and the then General Manager of Old Montréal Commercial Development Group, Jean Perron, approved our project with enthusiasm and were ready to look at some ways to help us financially if the Old Port would have accepted the idea. The biggest expense would have been to install a fence on the three remaining sides of this parcel of land. Unfortunately, on September 29, 2006, the Old Port of Montréal Corporation rejected our proposition.

When we first met with Pierre Fortin of the Old Port of Montréal Corporation to give him our written project, we asked him if it would be possible to consider using the land on the west side of the blue bridge, which we familiary called «the island». This idea was categorically denied, pretexting some future projects. He also expresed some doubts about the site we were proposting in front of Marché Bonsecours because of the coming Tramway. To date, in June 2009, we still have not seen the beginning of those projects…

Following is the original proposition we sent to the Old Port in 2006, which is also available in pdf format here: PropositionVieuxPort.pdf (in French).