Summary#
Montréal city council adopted a position in favour of awarding two contracts for park maintenance at Parc Frédéric-Back in the borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension. The decision concerns Lot 1, general maintenance, and Lot 2, ecological and horticultural management; the stated goal is to provide these services under separate contracts. The agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting.
- Lot 1 would go to 178001 Canada inc. (Groupe Nicky) for $1,089,868.72, taxes included.
- Lot 2 would go to 9190-8673 Québec inc. (Les Entreprises Roseneige) for $838,793.21, taxes included.
- The contracts would run for 30 months, from May 1, 2026, to October 31, 2028, with two 12-month extension options each.
- The resolution authorizes $96,433.10, taxes included, for contingencies, and calls for an evaluation of both companies’ performance.
What it means for you#
- Park visitors: The contracts cover routine upkeep, such as cleanliness, mowing, path repairs, horticultural work and ecological vegetation management. The decision does not directly change public access or park rules.
- City administration: The contractors would provide the staff, equipment and other resources for their assigned work. The City would evaluate their performance.
- Businesses: The contracts followed a public call for tenders. Eight bids were received across the three lots in the call; five were compliant. For Lot 1, Groupe Nicky was the lowest compliant bidder. For Lot 2, Roseneige was the only compliant bidder and lowered its price through negotiation.
Money#
The proposed 30-month contracts and contingency budget total $2,025,095.03, taxes included.
- The contingency amount is $54,493.44 for Lot 1 and $41,939.66 for Lot 2.
- Staff estimated Lot 1 at $1,360,572.22 including contingencies; the compliant bid and contingency were $216,210.07 below that estimate.
- Staff estimated Lot 2 at $776,048.57 including contingencies; the bid and contingency were $104,684.30 above that estimate.
- The materials do not state the cost of using the extension options.
What is unclear#
- The supplied resolution covers Lots 1 and 2 only. It does not say what happens to Lot 3, for outdoor maintenance at the TAZ and Montréal Soccer Stadium.
- The materials give the extension-option lengths but not their prices or the conditions for exercising them.
- The resolution authorizes contingency spending, but does not explain how or when that money could be used.
Case for#
- City staff say the park has 65 hectares open to the public, with 26 more expected to open in 2027. A separate ecological and horticultural contract could bring more specialized expertise to that work.
- Separating general upkeep from ecological and horticultural work allows bids from firms with different areas of expertise.
- The Lot 1 price, including contingencies, was below the City’s estimate.
Case against#
- Lot 2 had only one compliant bid, and its price including contingencies was 13.49% above the City’s estimate.
- For Lot 1, the second-lowest compliant bid was 131% higher than Groupe Nicky’s. Staff say the incumbent’s familiarity with the site may help explain the difference, but the materials do not further assess the price gap.
- The total stated amount does not show what the optional extensions would cost.