On Thursday evening, Montrealers gathered near Mount-Royal and Papineau avenues to protest the closure of the iconic venue La Tulipe. This came just hours after the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough amended a noise bylaw at the centre of a heated debate about loud noises in the community.
Videos circulating on social media captured the scene around 9 p.m., showing a peaceful (and noisy) crowd standing up for one of Montreal’s cultural icons. Protestors can be seen holding signs, dancing, chanting, and beating drums as they blocked off the street in the heart of the Plateau.
The century-old club recently announced it would close its doors after the Quebec Court of Appeal overturned a previous ruling that allowed it to stay open. The decision was made due to a noise bylaw that bans any sound from a venue that can be heard next door. The venue’s operators had no choice but to suspend all performances, causing an outcry in the community.
On Thursday afternoon, the borough council made some changes to the controversial bylaw, now allowing showrooms, bars, and cultural venues to make noise, as long as they don’t exceed certain decibel levels and avoid “excessive noise.”
Although some neighbours are still worried, councillors say the amendment is meant to protect cultural spots like La Tulipe from closing due to noise complaints, CTV News reports.
On Friday, 100 musicians, comedians, and other cultural figures signed an open letter denouncing the court’s decision to silence La Tulipe.
Published in La Presse on September 27, they argue that the decision threatens La Tulipe and sets a dangerous precedent for other cultural institutions in the city.
The letter points out that La Tulipe isn’t just another venue—it’s a historic landmark that has hosted countless local and international artists and provided an accessible cultural space for Montrealers for over a century.
The signatories stressed the importance of having a concert hall like La Tulipe, right in the heart of the city, where people can easily drop by and enjoy live performances without needing to travel to outlying areas. They urged the City of Montreal to step in and correct what they see as a mistake, expressing hope that “the discontent of a handful of individuals” won’t decide the fate of this “collective jewel.”
The letter was backed by some of Quebec’s biggest names in music, including Robert Charlebois, Ariane Moffatt, and Cœur de Pirate.
Earlier in the week, Claude Larivée, the president and co-founder of Tribu, the company that owns La Tulipe, told CBC that the situation had been a “nightmare,” noting that the initial judgment “forbids us from having amplified sound in a designated heritage space which can only be used a performance hall.”
He added, “We are owners of walls whose sole purpose is concerts and we can’t have concerts.”
