by Timothy Edward, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
Following yesterday’s Quebec Court of Appeal decision against the longstanding Montreal music venue, la Tulipe announced on their website today that they are essentially being forced to close. The decision requires the venue to stop emitting any noise from their sound system.
This is the culmination of years of lawsuits and police intervention brought about by Pierre-Yves Beaudoin, who owns the adjacent building — which was mistakenly zoned as residential by the City of Montreal before it was sold to him in 2016. Between legal fees, sound-proofing costs and the pandemic, the venue has been decimated financially.
“It is with sadness, disappointment and incomprehension that we received yesterday the judgment of the Quebec Court of Appeal requiring us to stop emitting noise from sound equipment at la Tulipe.
“We are now asking the decision-making bodies of the City of Montreal and the Minister of Culture and Communications of Quebec to take a stand and implement measures to rectify the situation, thus affirming the essential role of live performance, song, music, and artists, in a city with an international reputation like Montreal. Because this decision, in the end, forces artists to keep quiet.”