MONTREAL — Restaurants in Montreal’s Ville-Marie borough are welcoming lower terrace fees this summer, as the city prepares for the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
The City of Montreal says about 85 per cent of businesses in the borough will see lower terrace fees under a revised permit fee system for terrace space announced about a month ago.
In the central business district — roughly the core downtown area bounded by Sherbrooke, Notre-Dame, Saint-Urbain, and Drummond streets — the rate is set at $12 per square metre.
In the rest of Ville-Marie outside the central business district, businesses with terraces will pay $6 per square metre for their terrace space each season through 2030.
A Ville-Marie restaurateur called the change a meaningful signal of support, while also welcoming clearer communication from city officials.
A restaurant owner in another Montréal neighbourhood said the reductions should be extended citywide, particularly during major events like the Grand Prix, when outdoor terraces are a key source of revenue.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2026.
The Canadian Press
Keep it Factual
Add CityNews Halifax as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.
