City backs subsidy for buried electrical cables

Summary#

Montréal city council adopted the bylaw Règlement modifiant le Règlement sur la subvention à la modification du raccordement du service électrique de certains bâtiments (S-6.01) on September 21, 2026. It amends the City’s existing electrical-connection subsidy bylaw to cover work linked to cable-burying projects in parts of Verdun and Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles. City staff say the goal is to have the City pay the full cost of the covered conversions, so affected owners pay nothing.

  • The covered areas include boulevard LaSalle between 2e avenue and rue de l’Église, and parts of rue Notre-Dame Est, rue Sainte-Anne, 2e avenue and 9e avenue.
  • The subsidy is for modifications to buildings’ electrical connections, not the full cost of burying the street’s electrical and telecommunications cables.
  • The City’s Commission des services électriques de Montréal (CSEM) is to notify affected owners after the bylaw’s adoption and after civil works; owners can then arrange the connection work.

What it means for you#

  • Owners of affected buildings: A subsidy is planned for required electrical-connection work related to the cable-burying projects. City staff say the aim is to cover the full conversion cost. The exact eligibility rules and payment process are not available in the supplied material.
  • Other residents: The decision does not set a new tax or fee in the supplied material. It does require additional City spending.

Money#

The City requires an additional $1,403,000, taxes included.

  • The expense will be charged to the PEP (Programme d’élimination des poteaux) subsidy account.
  • The subsidies are expected to be paid in 2027 and 2028, after civil works.

What is unclear#

  • The full amended bylaw text is not included, so the exact eligibility rules, subsidy limits and covered costs cannot be verified.
  • The material does not explain how owners apply, what documents they need, or how a disputed or denied subsidy would be handled.
  • No publicly available information.

Case for#

  • A possible argument for the decision is that owners should not have to pay to adapt their electrical connections when public cable-burying work requires the changes.
  • City staff say burying the cables will improve the public realm and the area’s appearance, and make the network more resilient to weather-related vulnerabilities.

Case against#

  • One concern is the added $1,403,000 public cost, while the supplied material does not show the subsidy limits or how the final costs will be checked.
  • It is unclear how the City will handle costs that exceed the amount budgeted or cases where an owner’s connection work is not covered.