Imagine Monkland street festival takes over NDG
The new, three-day Imagine Monkland street festival kicks off Friday evening, breathing new life into a Notre-Dame-de-Grâce tradition that was loved by some and despised by others.
This year, the organizers promise the event will be tamer than years gone by, with fewer blocks closed to vehicle traffic, quieter music that ends at 10 p.m. and increased security.
"Some people want to see more action. Some people want to see less," said Pascal Salzman, a Monkland Village business owner who presides over Biz NDG — a local business association that has been offering support to the festival's host organization, NDG Arts Week.
"It's hard to find a middle ground sometimes, but I think we have done a good job of addressing a lot of those concerns."
The event is being touted as family friendly with fun for adults and kids alike. Monkland Village merchants will host a street market amid an eclectic mix of concerts, DJs, a parade, live painting demonstrations, food trucks and non-profit organization kiosks.
"The mission statement of the weekend is to highlight some of the great local aspects of not only the businesses, but local bands and local artists," Salzman said.
Starting at 5 p.m. Friday, four blocks of Monkland Avenue, between Harvard and Girouard avenues, will be closed to vehicle traffic.
There will be traditional Quebec music in honour of the La Fête nationale on Sunday before the event wraps at 7 p.m. The road will reopen to traffic until Monday morning.
The complete schedule can be found online.
Previous festivals drew ire
René Bernal, a spokesperson for the festival, said there has been an ongoing effort to include residents in the planning of this event while working closely with borough officials to minimize the issues previous festivals have generated.
"So far, it has been a very positive reaction from everybody in the neighbourhood," he said.
Previous street festivals in Monkland Village were loaded with large crowds and loud music that ran late into the night.
Residents complained about not being able to sleep at night, relax during the day, park their cars, drive or use public transportation because some six or seven blocks of Monkland were closed to traffic.
The borough stepped in, establishing a bylaw in early 2017 that put strict restrictions on street festivals, such as allowable hours, noise levels and electric generator usage.
Monkland Village Productions, the company behind the Flavours of Monkland and Grand Prix festivals, decided to not host any events in 2017.
The new organizers are "much more culturally sensitive to the community around Monkland Avenue and the community of NDG," says Coun. Peter McQueen.
It's a smaller-scale event hosted on a holiday weekend when kids aren't in school, he said, and the music will be quieter.
"We will let the community go visit it, check it out, tell us what you think. We're going to have a public consultation in the months ahead."
Merchants positive about changes
Nicolina Servello, who owns a food styling studio and two restaurants on Monkland, was involved in planning previous festivals and has been helping plan Imagine Monkland.
Servello said participating in one three-day Monkland street festival provided her with the exposure and financing she needed to establish her fist brick and mortar location in the district.
"It's not just about making a dollar," she said. "It really truly is about showcasing the beauty of our neighbourhood and the talent we have within."
