Saint-Roch

Critics say city neglect degrading Jardin Jean-Paul L’Allier

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Pressure is mounting on the administration of Mayor Bruno Marchand to act immediately to address the serious deterioration of Jardin Jean-Paul L’Allier in Saint-Roch.

A report in Le Soleil last week on the state of the public garden sparked a torrent of criticism and accusations the park’s decline is a symptom of the neglect of the Saint-Roch district by city hall.

Named in 2017 for the late former mayor who led the effort to revitalize the Saint- Roch district, the park is in decrepit condition 30 years after it was opened.

The waterfall no longer works, nor the fountains in the pool; graffiti marks most surfaces; gardens and lawns are badly maintained and lighting is inadequate in the area.

The decline of the park has been a festering issue for the Saint-Roch neighbourhood council. President Thomas Brady told the QCT the topic has come up several times at meetings in recent months. He said Pierre-Luc Lachance, the city councillor for Saint-Roch–Saint-Sauveur and executive committee member, was in attendance at meetings when the state of the garden was discussed.

“We are aware of the concerns about the park. Its condition does not create a sense of welcome. The occasional problems here and there, the cohabitation issues and consumer waste make people less inclined to go there,” he said.

Brady said the council would be meeting after the summer break to come up with a formal request to the city to take action.

The QCT requested a response from the city and received this reply from Cédrik Verreault, a spokesperson for the mayor: “There’s no doubt the Jardin Jean-Paul L’Allier is a central, even emblematic, location in Saint-Roch. However, after more than 30 years, some of its infrastructure, such as the fountain, needs to be replaced. And it’s only right to co-ordinate this work with the other major investments planned in the area, which will, among other things, help restore the garden to its former splendour.

“In the meantime, we are already working with the neighbourhood council, organizations and merchants to develop a broader vision for beautifying and revitalizing our city centre. We will announce the prioritized actions in the fall.”

The “other major investments planned in the area” is a reference to the tramway project. Jardin Jean-Paul L’Allier is slated to be a major station on the tramway route, the point where the train would enter a tunnel to climb to Upper Town.

The garden, formerly called Jardin Saint-Roch, is considered a symbol of L’Allier’s efforts during his 16 years as mayor to revitalize what had become a rundown neighbourhood, featuring a block-long mall that covered some distinctive architecture.

Le Soleil contacted L’Allier’s widow, Johanne Mongeau, for her reaction to the decline of the garden. “It’s an honour that the city has given him by naming it after him, and now it’s almost a pity. It’s embarrassing to say that it bears his name. Jean-Paul doesn’t deserve this,” she told the newspaper. “It’s a respect that we owe him, and for now, we can’t say that it lives up to the respect he deserves.”

Opposition and Québec d’Abord Leader Claude Villeneuve convened a press conference at the park on July 23. He said, “The state of the garden is a symbol of the Marchand administration’s abandonment of Saint-Roch.” Villeneuve said the tramway work is still years away, so the city should act now. “I’m calling for mobilization. I want the city to do its job. I call on the administration; if the mayor isn’t interested in this part of the city, let the administration take care of it.”

Another of Marchand’s mayoral rivals, Leadership Québec chief and former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister Sam Hamad, issued a statement saying: “What I see today in the Jean-Paul-L’Allier garden is a symbol of abandonment. The heart of Saint-Roch is beating slowly, and the March- and administration is looking the other way. When such an emblematic place for our city deteriorates to this extent, it is more than just a lack of maintenance: it is a clear signal that the city has lost sight of what makes our neighbourhoods so rich.”