Montreal’s nightlife faces fines and closures amid noise disputes as mayoral candidates promise reforms to protect the city’s culture.
Bars Face Pressure as Complaints Escalate
In Montreal’s Plateau district, the Champs Sports Bar on Saint-Laurent Boulevard became a community hub — a space known for trivia nights, karaoke, and 2SLGBTQ+ events. But since 2022, that same bar has been at the centre of repeated noise complaints from a neighbouring building that was once a commercial property. The complaints triggered police visits, city inspections, civil court action, and an investigation by Quebec’s liquor board, the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux.
After the Régie ruled Champs lacked a dance permit, the bar was fined $3,000, forced to close for five days, and told to install soundproofing. The owners spent over $30,000 in legal fees and another $14,000 on renovations before regaining permission to host dance nights — now limited to weekends.
Costly Crackdown Highlights Broader Pattern
City records show that between January and August 2025, 3,280 noise-related calls were made to Montreal’s 311 service — a sharp increase from prior years. The majority came from the Plateau and Ville-Marie boroughs, where nightlife and new residential developments coexist uneasily.
Other venues have faced similar consequences. La Tulipe, a century-old concert hall, shut down after a neighbour’s lawsuit over noise. Although Montreal created a soundproofing fund for performance venues, bars such as Champs are excluded.
Pamela Bernstein, who helps manage Champs, said the system is “unnecessarily complicated.” She believes the changing character of the neighbourhood — where artists and hospitality workers have been priced out — has made residents less tolerant of nightlife sounds.
Noise Policy Becomes an Election Flashpoint
As Montreal heads toward a municipal election, the handling of nightlife regulation has become a defining issue.
Transition Montréal, led by councillor Craig Sauvé, proposes appointing a “night mayor” and forming a council to mediate disputes. The party also wants to expand the soundproofing fund and restrict police involvement to safety matters.
Projet Montréal, under Luc Rabouin, says it would harmonize noise regulations with the city’s nightlife policy. Ensemble Montréal, led by Soraya Martinez Ferrada, plans to create a specialized unit to handle complaints through mediation before imposing fines.
All parties acknowledge that Montreal’s cultural vitality depends on balancing residents’ peace with the economic and creative value of nightlife.
Venues Warn of Economic and Cultural Loss
Jon Weisz, executive director of Les SMAQ, an association of small music venues, said the issue has become urgent. “We’re part of the economy and part of Montreal’s vibrancy,” he said. “No one in the nightlife space is trying to annoy their neighbours.”
A recent report found Montreal’s nightlife generates 34,000 jobs and $2.3 billion in economic activity. Yet proposed borough bylaws could impose fines of up to $10,000 for a first offence, threatening smaller venues.
Kiva Tanya Stimac, co-founder of Casa del Popolo and the Suoni Per Il Popolo Festival, warned that such fines could “close one of our venues immediately.” She urged the city to protect “spaces where creativity can happen.”
Calls Grow for a Balanced Approach
Urban studies professor Will Straw of McGill University said Montreal lags behind other global nightlife cities such as London, Melbourne, and San Francisco — all of which have adopted “agent of change” rules protecting venues from complaints by new residents.
“Noise complaints are the single biggest factor behind closures,” Straw said. “We haven’t developed strong policies to protect nightlife, and it’s creating a sense of crisis unique to Montreal.”
Bernstein agrees. “If you move into an area known for nightlife, there should be a reasonable tolerance for sound,” she said.
How the Election Could Shape the Future
Montreal’s next city government will decide whether nightlife is treated as a nuisance or as an essential part of urban culture. Proposals on the table include increased funding for soundproofing, clearer decibel limits, and mediation-based enforcement.
For venues like Champs, these reforms could determine survival. The bar’s return to weekend dancing is a small victory — but the larger battle over how Montreal balances sound and silence is just beginning.
