Summary#
Montréal city council adopted five 2026 contracts with Services d'entretien Alphanet inc. to run cleanliness crews in 19 boroughs, with an option to extend for one year. City staff say the contracts are meant to supplement city crews and improve cleanliness in busy or hard-to-reach areas.
- The contracts cover Ville-Marie ($1,378,908.54); Le Plateau-Mont-Royal ($952,080.92); Le Sud-Ouest and Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce ($1,302,734.82); Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie and Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension ($726,994.97); and the 12 remaining boroughs ($748,068.99). All amounts include taxes.
- Alphanet must hire the crews and supervisors, supply tools and vehicles, and manage their work. Crews will remove litter and posters, sweep sidewalks, remove weeds and collect the city’s ashtrays.
- The public call for tenders received three bids; Alphanet was the only compliant bidder. Each contract is for 2026, with a one-year extension option.
What it means for you#
- Residents: City staff say the crews will add manual cleaning in assigned public areas. Deployment is scheduled to begin March 16, 2026.
- Workers: Alphanet, not the city, must hire the brigadiers and supervisors. The contract requires a minimum brigadier wage of $16.50 an hour, before social charges.
- Taxpayers: The city pays the full cost. The decision does not change residents’ taxes or create a new benefit.
Money#
The five contracts cost $5,108,788.24 for one year, including taxes.
- The city pays 100% of that amount. The decision summary says the city negotiated with the only technically compliant bidder to fit its budget.
- The cost of using the one-year extension option is not stated.
What is unclear#
- The materials do not say whether the city will use the extension option, or how much it would cost.
- The decision sets out borough coverage but not the exact routes or areas where crews will work.
Case for#
- City staff say regular city crews are not enough to maintain similar cleanliness in busy areas without these contracts.
- The contracts add manual cleaning where mechanized equipment may have difficulty reaching.
- The awarded amounts are below the city’s estimates for each lot.
Case against#
- Only one of the three bidders was compliant, so there was limited competition among bids the city could accept.
- The extension option could add costs, but its price is not given in the materials.