To ensure mobility and safety on the streets of Pierrefonds-Roxboro, the Borough recently appointed an inspector dedicated to the enforcement of regulations concerning temporary occupation of the public domain. More specifically, his mandate is to ensure that citizens and contractors are aware of and have the necessary permits to occupy the public highway in our neighbourhoods to preserve safety in our community.

Through this proactive and awareness-raising approach, the Borough wishes to better control activities requiring permits, and for which it has been observed that few workers comply, thus creating obstacles that adversely affect safety and traffic in the neighbourhood. 

Here are some frequent examples observed by residents and our inspector on the public domain, to name a few: 

• Vehicles or machinery left on the street during roofing, tree trimming or other work; 
• Materials delivered to the street, such as gravel or loose soil, during excavation, paving or landscaping work; 
• Containers left on sidewalks during construction, demolition or renovation work; 
• Long trailers encroaching on several parking spaces during prolonged deliveries.

By the summer of 2023, a student dedicated to inspecting the public domain had helped raise awareness of the need for a permit, resulting in the distribution of several hundred information notices to contractors. 

To date, for the 2024 summer season, our public domain inspector has carried out close to a hundred awareness-raising interventions. These interventions have resulted in the issuance of several dozen permits to contractors and residents.

The inspector is a professional whose first mandate is to validate compliance with permits in terms of surface area and length of occupancy. 

Secondly, he is mandated to intercept occupancies without permits. The enforcement officer’s role is to educate, raise awareness and work with contractors and owners to remedy non-compliance. For example, in the event of non-compliance, he offers to accompany offenders in their permit applications process, taking care to explain the measures required to comply with Ville de Montréal regulations. 

The inspector also has the power to issue statements of offence, when required, in the event of non-compliance with regulations or persistent non-compliance. 

As part of his role, the inspector is also in a position to monitor the extent of worksites that could impede the smooth flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic. To do this, he or she works closely with other departments, including the traffic team, which is responsible for examining requests to ensure compliance with traffic signs and the coordination of major worksites.

Before carrying out any work around your property, or if you need to hire a contractor who is an expert in his field, make sure you ask him to take the necessary steps to comply, otherwise he will be liable to a fine.

All requests for a permit to temporarily occupy the public domain must be made online via the montreal.ca website. To do so, the citizen or entrepreneur must create a free account, in just a few seconds.

To find out more about temporary public domain occupation permits and the costs involved, click here.