Designation: Nightlife Establishment and Hub
Do you represent a performance venue or a cultural or commercial group? If you meet certain conditions, you could get a designation that lets you extend your business hours and receive support from the city.
Description
Under Montréal’s new Nightlife Policy, the city is giving certain establishments the opportunity to be designated as sites that can extend their business hours and adjust them at their discretion.
Interested institutions and groups can submit their interest before June 1 or October 1.
Types of designation
- Cultural venues holding the “performance venue” occupancy permit.
- Extending business hours is possible at all times.
- Area in which several cultural and commercial establishments are located, represented by a group such as a commercial development corporation (SDC).
- The target area does not need to span the entire area administered by the group. For example, it can be a street section.
- Business hours can be extended only for authorized cultural events.
Mutual commitments
Commitment of the establishments and hubs
In addition to other conditions, establishments and hubs must:
⦁ Contribute to the identity and attractiveness of the area in which they are located.
⦁ Commit to undertaking an integrated good neighbourly initiative to promote harmonious cohabitation with their living environment, particularly with local residents.
⦁ Undertake to apply safe and responsible nightlife practices.
Safe and responsible nightlife practices
These practices, adapted to each community, aim to promote harmonious cohabitation with neighbours and offer a safe environment. They will be specified gradually, as the Nightlife Policy is implemented in conjunction with consultation workshops.
They concern the following elements:
- Evaluation of noise-related nuisance risks
- Active management of the public address system
- Modification of the building and facilities to mitigate sound emergence
- Awareness promotion with teams and clients and prevention efforts aimed at auditory health
- Awareness promotion related to drug and alcohol consumption
- Access to non-alcoholic beverages
- Prevention of violence and harassment, notably of a sexual nature
- Measures to promote a feeling of safety among staff and the public
- Infrastructures for people with limited mobility
- Relations with neighbours
- Management of outdoor queues and temporary exits
- Management of outdoor infrastructures (noise, cleanliness, degradation, etc.)
- Responsible management of residual materials
- Local procurement
- Reduction of food waste
Commitment of the city
By designating an establishment or a hub, the city undertakes to provide it with support, which can take various forms. For example:
- Facilitate the process of securing an exemption related to business hours.
- Adapt regulations to better reflect the impacts generated by its activities (noise, zoning, nuisances, etc.)
- Finance actions that promote cohabitation, the presentation of safe activities, the management of mischief and the prevention of violence and harassment.
- Encourage the implementation of innovative high-potential projects.
- Recognize and promote its exemplarity.
Steps to receiving the designation
Step 1: Submit a notice of intention
You must first express your interest by sending us a notice of intention.
Required information and documents
- Name of your establishment and Québec enterprise number (NEQ)
- Your “performance venue” occupancy certificate
- Letter of intention (maximum 500 words, 2 pages) signed by the management of the establishment, showing:
- Your interest in becoming a designated nightlife establishment
- Your commitment to establishing safe and responsible nightlife practices
- The initiatives in which your establishment is participating or which your establishment is implementing to ensure communication and cohesive actions with other stakeholders in your area of activity, including local residents and community organizations
- History of complaints concerning your establishment in the last year, issued by the borough, the SPVM morality squad, or the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ)
- If applicable, actions undertaken to address those complaints
- Name of your group and Québec enterprise number (NEQ)
- Area targeted by the designation application
- Number of economic and cultural stakeholders in the group occupying the target area
- Resolution of the group’s board of directors attesting to its willingness to take steps to receive the nightlife hub designation for the target area
- Letter of intention (maximum 500 words, 2 pages) demonstrating the group’s interest in securing the nightlife hub designation for the target area, specifying the following elements:
Your commitment and that of your members to establishing safe and responsible nightlife practices - Initiatives in which your group is participating or which your group is implementing to ensure communication and the cohesiveness of actions with other stakeholders in the target area, including local residents and community organizations
- Letter of intention (maximum 500 words, 2 pages) demonstrating the group’s interest in securing the nightlife hub designation for the target area, specifying the following elements:
- To the best of your knowledge, the history of complaints in the last year concerning members in the target area, issued by the borough, the SPVM morality squad or the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ)
- If applicable, actions undertaken to address those complaints
Step 2: Submitting a complete application
Once your application has been approved, you’ll receive personalized support to help you submit your application.
If necessary, a meeting will be arranged to explore the support you may need to fulfill your commitments.
Review of applications
Applications will be reviewed by a joint committee made up of leading municipal experts concerned and relevant external organizations:
Ville de Montréal
- Borough targeted
- Service de la culture
- Service du développement économique
- Service de la diversité et de l’inclusion social
- Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM)
- Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM)
External organizations
- 2 people from the cultural and business communities
- These people will be chosen for each file to avoid conflicts of interest.
Schedule
Abridged schedule: First cohort (May 1, 2025)
Thanks to an accelerated process, the first establishments and night-time vitality hubs will be able to be designated from May 1, 2025. This first cohort concerns of applications received before January 20, 2025.
Application responses: First cohort
- Response from review committee: February 5, 2025
- Submission of application file: Before March 10, 2025
- Review committee response: April 9, 2025
- Borough council motion: April or May 2025
2025 schedule: New applications
For the current year, new applications can be submitted before June 1 or October 1.
Regular calendar: Starting in 2026
Three application periods are scheduled each year: February 1, June 1 and October 1.
Application review: Beginning June 2025
- We will inform you of the review committee’s decision no later than 30 business days after we have received your letter of intent.
- Once you receive a positive decision, you will have 6 months to submit your complete application.
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