Parc-Ex merchants losing business thanks to construction

Parc-Extension business owners are struggling to get customers into their stores due to major construction on Jarry Street.

Jarry Street is closed between Bloomfield and Querbes avenues for at least six weeks while the city rips it up for sewer work.

That leaves stores on the north side of the street fenced in and hard to access, and many merchants say it's costing them the majority of their business.

"Before it was very good busy, you know. I had a lot of customers," said dépanneur owner Musammad Shefiq.

"Now it's like, dead. Usually I have 100 customers, now I have 20 customers. I lose a lot of money."

He's run the store for 14 years, but said he's had to lay off stay this week for the first time because of how few customers are coming in.

"No bus, no cars, no parking," Shefiq said.

Angie Sarrieu owns a mattress store in the area. On Thursday she said she hadn't seen any customers in her store since Monday.

"They haven't done work in 100 years. I understand, but that's not my responsibility. I don't work for the City of Montreal," said Sarrieu.

Some business owners are asking for compensation from the city for the money they've lost. Christopher Kebreau said his pharmacy has become a ghost town since construction began.

"Right now we're not getting any money in so it's unfair to them and we have to pay taxes as usual like everyone," he said.