In 2020, during the first pandemic summer, Montreal’s Projet Montréal administration, led by mayor Valérie Plante, closed a two-kilometre stretch of Mont-Royal Avenue to motorists for a few months. The idea was simple: get people out shopping and socializing while also respecting physical distancing guidelines.
The pilot project faced criticism from business owners concerned that removing cars would deter driving clients and complicate deliveries. But once merchants saw the street fill with milling crowds, they were convinced. The pandemic initiative became an annual event. By 2023, the avenue’s commercial vacancy rate plummeted from 14.5 percent in 2018 to 5.6 percent. A few years earlier, in 2021, the pedestrianization of Wellington Street in the Verdun borough had increased foot traffic and shoppers by 17 percent. A once-drab strip is now lined with restaurants, bars, and cafes. On Fridays, hundreds gather to dance salsa and bachata.
