The city of Montreal says it’s bringing a new “mentality and approach” to cleanliness in the city, vowing to prioritize the issue while also calling on residents to play their part.
Executive committee chair Claude Pinard announced a new spring cleanliness plan on Monday, saying the goal is to boost the city’s appeal and restore Montrealers’ pride in their city.
Under the plan, the city’s cleaning crews will begin work this week — two weeks earlier than previous years — and continue working later into the year.
“We’re mobilizing teams earlier, faster and for longer periods,” Pinard said, noting how the melting snow has already exposed the usual waste and filth that accumulated through the winter.
The city says nearly 50 mechanical sweepers and watering trucks will be deployed as of Tuesday, weather permitting, and sidewalk washers and vacuum cleaners will all be in service by April 1.
The city is also increasing funding to local business development associations to clean up vacant storefronts and launching new “social brigades” to support boroughs in dealing with homeless encampments.
Pinard mentioned downtown and Chinatown as two examples of “iconic” areas in need of cleaning to be more welcoming and feel safer for residents.
The new plan means street-cleaning crews will be on the ground 25 per cent longer than usual, Pinard said, but the city doesn’t intend to increase the number of blue-collar workers assigned to the work.
“It doesn’t mean more blue-collar workers, it means more efficiency and time put toward cleanliness,” Pinard said. “It’s a matter of rearranging (their) work and making sure we focus on what we need to focus on.”
Montreal blue-collar union president Jean-Pierre Lauzon, who was present for the announcement amid contract negotiations, said he understands the city’s goal but questioned the details.
“They want to take blue-collar workers assigned elsewhere and put them on cleanliness,” Lauzon said. “It’s fine to reassign people, but there’s going to be a shortage somewhere else, like in road maintenance or the water infrastructure.”
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada had promised during last fall’s municipal election campaign to clean up the city.
Speaking at last week’s executive committee meeting, Martinez Ferrada, who is in South Korea this week, called on Montrealers to do their part in keeping the city clean.
“A culture of cleanliness isn’t just the city’s responsibility, it belongs to all partners — including the boroughs, the centre city and the residents themselves,” the mayor said.
Pinard echoed the sentiment Monday.
“It’s a collective effort,” he said. “Everyone needs to pitch in.”
Parc La Fontaine garbage bin project called off
Pinard also announced the city is cancelling a pilot project that would have removed garbage bins from Parc La Fontaine and replaced them with large recycling bins near its entrances.
The project had been planned under the previous Projet Montréal administration.
“That isn’t the vision we sold to Montreal voters,” Pinard told reporters when asked why the project is being called off.
“We promised a return to basic services to ensure a clean and safe city,” he added. “We don’t believe the pilot project will allow us to achieve that goal.”
According to Radio-Canada, which first reported the project Monday, the bins were expected to be removed by this summer — including in the dog park — and replaced with large recycling bins on adjacent streets.
Pinard said his Ensemble Montréal administration only learned of the idea last week and called it off on Monday “to make sure we have the time to look at different solutions.”
Parks Canada had tried a similar pilot project along the Lachine Canal in 2024 but quickly returned bins to the site after facing backlash.
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