Source: Montreal Gazette, Xtra

The main street through Montreal's gay village is closed to traffic, and open to strollers and cafe tables all summer long photo: by Ralph Higgins for Xtra

Montreal's gay village is more vibrant this year than ever before since the city closed St Catherine St -- the main artery of the Village -- to automobile traffic. From June 20 to September 2, over a dozen blocks have been converted to one giant pedestrian mall, Xtra reports.

Creation of the pedestrian-friendly, no-car zone has been a resounding success so far, Montreal Gazette reports.

The Village is filled with shoppers, buskers, painters and people as they stroll through the streets. Crowds of queer men and women shop, greet each other on the street or meet for a drink or dinner.

Even the naysayers -- those who were opposed to closing the street -- have changed their tune as the street-side terraces stay packed from Wednesday to Saturday night and merchants  dance to the tune of ringing cash registers.

"Some businesses were complaining in the beginning, but now their lips are zipped," Gilles St. Hilaire, who works cleaning streets for the Gay Village merchants' association told the Montreal Gazette.

The stretch of Ste. Catherine St.between Berri St. and Papineau Ave.. is closed to vehicular traffic, and terraces extend beyond the sidewalks - making for one big café society.

"It's amazing: all the people from the Jazz Festival, Just For Laughs and the Francofolies come here after the shows," St. Hilaire said.

The financial impact on all businesses is not yet clear, but a glance at the Village's 45 bars, restaurants and cafés suggests the project is a success. Filled to capacity, patios spill over sidewalks and onto the bustling streets as diners eat, drink, chat and watch the smiling passers-by.

"It has worked out well, the street is neat, tidy and there are no rowdy people," said Sam Tharani of the Espressonet Café. "In one month, I've sold more beer than I would normally in three months."

The proposal to make part of the Village a pedestrian-only space originated with Bernard Plante, the general director of Société de développement commercial du village (SDC du village), and with strong support from the mayor of the Ville-Marie district, Benoît Labonté. Plante spoke with Xtra.ca recently about how and why this new project came to life.

The Village has been closed to traffic before, explains Plante. The strip was closed for a few days at the beginning of the Outgames in 2006 and again last year for several weekends during special events. The positive reaction following those events and the worldwide trend towards more environmentally-friendly spaces led to the closure of the street for 75 days this year. In addition to cutting back on pollution, the increased pedestrian traffic will lead to business profits for the entire area, Plante suggests.

Some critics have claimed that closing the street merely routes the traffic pollution elsewhere, and Plante admits that it is a pilot project with plenty of testing yet to be done. A full assessment is set to be undertaken later this year.

Area residents have expressed concern over noise increases, so no music is permitted outside. But inside the bars, the dance floors are alive and the decibel level rises as the evening progresses. Queer Montrealers love to party and the summer of 2008 has just begun on St Catherine.

To add to the party scene, two special events highlighting the gay community are fast approaching: the Divers/ Cité festival July 29 to Aug. 3 and the Pride Celebrations from Aug. 14 to Aug. 17, culminating in the huge Pride Parade.

Divers/Cité parties, dances and concerts, both indoors and out, will take place in the Gay Village and the adjacent Émilie Gamelin Park.

Célébrations LGBTA - which stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and All (denoting straight friends) - took over running the parade from Divers/Cité last year and is promising that this year's event, titled Here Comes the Circus, will be family-friendly.

What was once a political march and an expression of gay pride following raids and arrests at gay establishments in 1970s has mellowed over the years, organizers say.

The parade has turned into a carnival celebration that often features gay and lesbian couples and their children marching down the street, in addition to floats and bands.

"Things have been toned down and we do have rules and regulations against nudity," said Jean-Sébastien Boud-reault, vice-president of Célébrations LGBTA.

Full article: Gay Village is in full party mode - and loving it | Montreal Gazette
Montreal's gay village becomes more people friendly | Xtra.ca