Over 100 merchants and residents took to the streets in Montreal’s Saint-Henri neighbourhood Tuesday night, calling for the relocation of the Maison Benoît Labre supervised consumption site.
Protesters say the facility has contributed to worsening safety concerns in the neighbourhood.
“We’re being robbed. It’s become a safety issue,” organizer Herman Alves said.
Another protest organizer, Mario Napolitano, said the demonstration was aimed at putting pressure on officials to move the site.
“The message to the mayor is: ‘you have to do better Soraya,’” he said.
Just up the street outside Lionel-Groulx metro station, hundreds of counter-protesters gathered in support of Maison Benoît Labre, arguing the issues raised by demonstrators are part of a broader homelessness and addiction crisis.
Alex Berthelot, a counter-protest organizer, said people struggling to afford basic necessities are not being affected by the facility itself.
“They’re protesting for their immediate concerns, but they fail to see the systemic issues,” he said.
A former client of Maison Benoît Labre, Alejandro, also spoke in support of the facility.
“These are people who don’t know what they’re doing. They’re a little confused, but in time they’ll realize that everyone needs their place,” he said.
Police formed a line between the two groups as the demonstrations continued, with counter-protesters coming to confront the demonstrators.
The contention over Maison Benoît Labre has been ongoing since it opened in 2024.
Under Quebec rules, supervised consumption sites cannot operate within 150 metres of schools and daycares.
The facility is currently located within that restricted zone and will have to relocate by 2029.
“Why wait three years? If they have to go, they have to go. It’s the law that’s obliging them to go,” Alves said.
Maison Benoît Labre told CityNews it turns away one out of every two people who seek its services.
In a statement, the organization said the situation “illustrates the scale of the needs in the community and the necessity of strengthening housing, health, and long-term care resources throughout Montreal.”
The facility said that while it understands residents’ concerns, neighbourhood safety and quality of life are equally important to them as providing the support needed for people in highly vulnerable situations.
“Needs continue to grow and far exceed available resources,” the statement reads.
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada has been calling on the province to provide more resources for the city’s response to homelessness since taking office.
She reiterated that position while commenting on Tuesday’s protest.
“I really do hope that we’re not in a society where we have to choose between the safety of our kid and the safety of a person that lives in the street,” the mayor told reporters.
Napolitano said he expects the mayor to respond to the concerns raised by residents and merchants.
“We voted for you. We wanted you to come in, you came in,” Napolitano said. “Now you need to do what needs to be done.”
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