N.D.G. merchants fuming over parking meters they say hurt their business

Merchants along a stretch of Sherbrooke Street in Montreal’s Notre-dame-de-Grace neighbourhood are frustrated, saying changes to parking regulations are hurting their business.

“I’ve had two clients come in today to say that they weren’t allowed to pay,” said Evelyn Couture, the co-owner at pet grooming and supply store Dog Haus.

Couture was on the line with 311 Thursday, trying to get answers from the city.

Drivers can’t park in front of her store during business hours, because it’s a delivery zone from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and then it’s a bus lane until 6:30 p.m.

And yet – the city installed parking meters along the street.

“Why would they install the parking meters if you’re not allowed to park in front of them and pay for them?” asked Couture.

That stretch of Sherbrooke, from Grand Boulevard to the Hampton Avenue, was one of the last commercial arteries in Montreal where parking was free.

In the spring, the borough announced it would install parking meters, but following public backlash, it reduced the number of meters planned to about 250, nearly half of the 447 originally planned.

Couture worries clients will find shopping there too much of a hassle.

“The street is struggling as it is and this isn’t helpful. It’s quite detrimental. I know for sure that I’m going to choose a place that I can just go to a parking lot versus going downtown,” she said.

Scotiabank teller Alan Lipinski said clients are used to popping in for a quick banking service, but if they don’t feed the meter, they get slapped with a ticket.

“A lot of complaints in general,” he said. “They take 10, 15 minutes and they come outside and $92, down the drain just like that.”

At Ophtalmo Veterinaire, a veterinary clinic specializing in eye care, the owners have expressed their frustration over the parking meters with signs out front accusing the city of a cash grab.

Clients come from all over Quebec, said receptionist Louise Provost, adding it’s hard to find free parking on side streets and it’s become a problem for employees too.

“My biggest issue is all the employees,” she said. “Most of them don’t come from the area. we are going to be here eight, ten, 12 hours to pay for the meter. It’s a big issue for the budget. And for the citizens that live on Sherbrooke Street, if they drive a car, where do they park?”

The Côte‑des‑Neiges-Notre‑Dame‑de‑Grâce borough said the goal of the parking meters is “improving parking turnover and encouraging greater respect for parking regulations.”

“We knew this project would generate strong opinions, which is why we spent the past several months meeting with residents and merchants and listening to their concerns. Those conversations directly shaped the final project.” said city councillor for Snowdon, Sonny Moroz, in a statement.

Provost, however, doesn’t believe their concerns were heard.

“There should have been more negotiation, at least before it was already a done deal,” she said.

Couture agreed.

“They say there was consultation. It was after the fact. They had a couple meetings, so that’s really frustrating. I pay a lot of business tax. I don’t even know what I’m getting for it, I really don’t,” she said.

The borough said it has asked local business association Biz NDG to continue engaging with merchants and monitoring the impacts.

“We recognize that not everyone agrees with the final outcome, and we respect that,” said Moroz. “While no solution satisfies everyone, we believe we found a balanced approach that supports both the commercial vitality of Sherbrooke West and the needs of the surrounding community.”