Mobilized for the past year in a common front to resolve the complex issues facing the Village and Place Émilie-Gamelin sector, the City of Montreal and its partners reiterate their commitment to pursue the implementation of concrete actions in this vital downtown area.
Aware of the major challenges facing the area and the ongoing work that needs to be done, the multiparty crisis unit, set up by the Ville de Montréal last year, is taking stock of the actions taken to reinforce safety, improve intervention for the most vulnerable and support the economic and cultural vitality of the Village and Place Émilie-Gamelin.
Bringing together the City of Montreal, the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (CCSMTL), the Borough of Ville-Marie, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM), the Service de la diversité et de l'inclusion sociale (SDIS) and the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), this cell represents an unprecedented alliance of partners that will remain active, reflecting the concrete actions that have been put in place and will continue.
Concrete results in a complex situation
A number of concrete results have emerged from this mobilization, despite the fact that the situation remains difficult in the target sector. The mobilization of all partners remains necessary, and the actions implemented over the past year will be maintained. These measures have led to the following achievements:
- The Équipe mobile de médiation en intervention sociale (EMMIS) received 1,489 requests for immediate social intervention from SPVM neighbourhood stations, partners or merchants in the Ville-Marie borough;
- EMMIS carried out 11,185 social interventions in the Ville-Marie borough;
- The SPVM accumulated thousands of hours of presence, which led to numerous referrals and accompaniment of people in vulnerable situations to assistance services;
- Investigation teams, the Groupe d'intervention local (GIL) and the Module d'action par projet (MAP) carried out operations to reduce drug-related crime;
- CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal mapped services for partners to strengthen and facilitate coordination and linkages.
Unprecedented mobilization continues
The various actions put in place by the crisis unit remain in place, and some will be enhanced. Social cohabitation efforts have been stepped up, police presence has been increased and major investments have been made in the Village. As the needs are numerous, the scope of our actions could be extended to other areas.
Last year, concrete actions were rapidly put in place. The list of actions includes :- The addition of an EMMIS night team, the presence of a duo of social workers dedicated to Place Émilie-Gamelin and another duo for the Village and Quartier latin sectors;
- The introduction of an EMMIS telephone line dedicated to businesses, as well as visits to businesses;
- An additional $2 million to the Ville-Marie borough's cleanliness budget, renewed in 2024;
- SPVM's reinforced presence in the area through dedicated resources from neighbourhood stations 21 and 22, the Équipe de concertation communautaire et de rapprochement (ECCR), the Équipe mobile d'intervention en urgence psychosociale (ESUP), the Équipe mobile de référence et d'intervention en itinérance (EMRII) and support teams;
- A team of special constables patrols the Berri-UQAM metro station, and the SPVM devotes special attention to this station, as well as to Beaudry and Papineau.
- The deployment of a collective intervention strategy for the Village, including, among other things, the rehabilitation of Sainte-Catherine Street East, the creation of a socio-economic initiatives fund and support for the creation of an LGBTQ+ community center;
- The CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'île-de-Montréal, in collaboration with the SPVM, has set up coordination mechanisms, added workers and provided ongoing support in the field with mixed teams;
- Faced with the need to intervene in the metro network, EMMIS deployed its very first team dedicated to the Montreal metro in January 2024. Determined to pursue social cohabitation efforts in the metro, EMMIS will deploy a 2nd duo in March.
Quotes
"Faced with the crisis of vulnerability affecting the sense of security of the population and businesses in the area, we brought together all our partners to pool concrete, concerted action. One year on, all the measures put in place have demonstrated their necessity and will be maintained. We're moving in the right direction, but the work is not over. We are facing complex situations that require concrete responses from all partners, and our mobilization efforts will continue to improve our actions and increase their impact. We remain determined, as do our partners, to pursue our efforts to make the Village and the Émilie-Gamelin sector pleasant, attractive, dynamic and safe living environments."Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montréal
"Ensuring the safety and protection of all populations, especially the most vulnerable, is our raison d'être. The SPVM has invested a great deal of effort and resources in the Village to help improve the situation. The issues are complex, however, and the combined expertise of our partners is essential to the solution. We are receiving positive feedback on the ground, from residents and shopkeepers alike, but we are aware that there is still work to be done. And this work we must pursue collectively."
Fady Dagher, Director, SPVM
"The CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal remains active and committed to its role with vulnerable populations. In addition to actively supporting initiatives in the Village and Place Émilie-Gamelin areas, our specialized teams are on the ground to respond to people with health problems. They also ensure that anyone wishing to benefit from health and social services in this area has easy access to them."
Vincent Lehouillier, President and CEO of CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal
