Borough to install lift for food distribution

Summary#

Montréal city council adopted a position supporting authorization for the borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension to install a type B materials lift at Centre Ogilvy, 7405 avenue Champagneur. The agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting; this city council decision does not itself authorize the work. City staff say the goal is to make it easier to move food for a community organization.

  • The proposed work includes installing the lift, modifying existing stairs, partial interior changes, and related safety and construction work.
  • The lift is for Cuisines et vie collectives Saint-Roch, whose kitchen is on the building’s second floor. The building also houses a fire station, so it has mixed responsibilities requiring agglomeration authorization.
  • The borough has issued a public call for tenders for the construction work, but the construction contract may be awarded only after authorization.

What it means for you#

  • Cuisines et vie collectives Saint-Roch: If the work is authorized and completed, the materials lift is intended to help move food from its second-floor kitchen. City staff say the organization distributes food to more than 150 families three times a week.
  • Borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension: The borough would carry out the project and, if authorization is obtained, bear the project’s expenses without sharing them with the agglomeration.
  • People using Centre Ogilvy: The work is planned to include measures for safety and to allow the building to remain occupied during construction. The lift is a materials lift, not a passenger elevator.
  • General public: No direct change to public rights, taxes, or eligibility for services is stated.

Money#

The decision summary gives no project cost; it says no financial intervention is required for this council decision.

  • If the work is authorized, the borough would bear all project expenses, without cost-sharing with the agglomeration.
  • The summary says the borough has already awarded three professional-services contracts, but gives no amounts. It gives no construction contract amount or number of bids.

What is unclear#

  • No publicly available information on the bids received, which bid was selected, or the expected construction cost.
  • The work is planned to start in summer 2026, but the materials give no completion date.
  • The summary says the work will respect the building’s heritage character, but does not describe how that will be assessed.

Case for#

  • City staff say employees currently carry food up and down 34 stairs several times a day. A materials lift could make that transport easier.
  • The proposed work is focused on the community spaces, and the summary says the borough would pay the costs rather than share them with the agglomeration.

Case against#

  • The materials do not give the cost or bidding results, so the project’s price and the basis for choosing a contractor cannot be assessed.
  • The work would take place in an occupied building that also contains a fire station. The summary mentions safety and coordination measures but does not give further details about how disruption will be managed.