Montreal city officials have cut funding to a nightlife organization, MTL 24/24, despite discussions surrounding a 24-hour nightlife zone in the city. Co-founder, Mathieu Grondin, discovered the annual funding cut through a two-line email. MTL 24/24 stated in a press release that it has been forced to lay off employees, terminate freelancers’ contracts, and cancel its annual Montreal Night Summit as a result of the cuts. The organization describes the summit as an opportunity to “reclaim nightlife from the economic, social and cultural disaster caused by the COVID-19 virus”. The event typically brings together nightlife experts and policymakers to “share best practices,” but will not be going ahead this year.
Grondin queried Luc Rabouin, the executive committee vice-president about the decision. The response was that Montreal does not fund organizations but events, and the event submitted by Grondin’s organization did not meet the necessary criteria. Last Monday, protesters gathered outside Montreal City Hall in response to the budget cuts. In an Instagram statement, the organization claimed that the Plante administration is “dropping the ball on nightlife,” and that it has no choice but to “bring the party to City Hall.”
Julien Hénault-Ratelle, the opposition Ensemble Montréal spokesperson for economic development, stated that the city has not delivered an official nightlife policy despite promising to do so seven years ago, adding that the cut to MTL 24/24’s funding was “really disappointing.” According to RA, on 24 January, the city requested MTL 24/24 to refile its funding application. However, City of Montreal press secretary Catherine Cadotte told the publication that “despite the budget cuts, the city remains committed to supporting nightlife.”
Discussions around creating a 24-hour nightlife zone are ongoing, with a 24-hour trial event set to take place in February. The local government is in talks about the possibility of establishing the zone in Montreal’s downtown and Quartier Latin districts. Last year, MTL 24/24 hosted Canada’s first 36-hour NON-STOP party. Following the event, Grondin stated that gentrification, loss of space, inflation, and lack of affordability presented barriers to the city’s nightlife industry. The previous year’s summit focused on the importance of preserving and protecting cultural nightlife sites
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