Quebec, Montreal invest $3.5 million in social intervention in Quartier des spectacles

Quebec, Montreal, and other partners are set to provide more than $3M in financial support to enhance social intervention services in the Place des Arts area.

The province of Quebec, the City of Montreal, and other local partners are set to provide more than $3.5 million in financial support to enhance social intervention services in the Place des Arts area downtown.

The Minister responsible for Social Solidarity and Community Action, Chantal Rouleau, made the announcement during a press conference on Monday.

“Providing a safe and respectful space for everyone, regardless of their circumstances, is how we build a metropolis that is humane, inclusive, and proud of its diversity,” she said.

The initiative aims to promote better coexistence in the Place des Arts area and enable everyone who frequents the sector to have a “healthy, safe and inclusive” experience.

It is being led by the Société de développement social de Ville-Marie and supported by the Quartier des spectacles partnership.

Four teams of psychosocial workers are expected to start patrolling the area, day and night.

In addition to existing services, this new presence aims to provide better support for individuals in vulnerable situations and enhance coordination efforts on the ground, according to officials.

“The deployment of these four new psychosocial intervention brigades is a great demonstration of what we can achieve,” said Robert Beaudry, with the City of Montreal. “This measure is in addition to the many others that our administration is implementing in the greater city centre to increase the sense of security of all the people who live, work, or benefit from it.”