Summary#
Montréal city council adopted a contract with Gateway Ticketing Systems inc. for Galaxy ticketing-system maintenance and professional support to customize the system, from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2029. The total is $368,937.21, taxes included. City staff say the contract is intended to maintain service and support the system’s evolution.
- The city awarded the contract directly, without a call for tenders, because Gateway owns Galaxy’s source code and, according to city staff, is the only company able to modify and maintain it.
- The contract covers maintenance and professional services, including possible additional modules and connections to the city’s digital systems.
- The city’s director of digital engagement is authorized to sign documents related to the contract.
What it means for you#
- Visitors to Espace pour la vie’s five institutions: The contract maintains the Galaxy system used for ticket sales, reservations and sales through resellers. It does not directly change ticket prices or access rules.
- Taxpayers: The city is committing up to $368,937.21 for three years. The city centre will pay the full amount from its budgets.
- City staff: Professional support is billed according to actual use; the decision does not specify which customizations will be made.
Money#
The contract’s maximum cost is $368,937.21, taxes included; city staff say the necessary funds are already included in the IT department’s budget.
- $134,520.75, taxes included ($122,835.38 net of taxes) is allocated to a capital project and financed through a city borrowing bylaw.
- $234,416.46, taxes included ($214,053.47 net of taxes) comes from the IT department’s operating budget.
- Annual licence maintenance is billed as a fixed yearly amount. Professional support is billed based on actual use.
- The negotiated total is $8,128.09, or 2.16%, below the city’s estimate.
What is unclear#
- The decision does not specify how many hours of professional services the city expects to use or which customizations it will request.
- It does not describe how the city will monitor the work or report on the results.
Case for#
- A possible argument for the contract is that it maintains a ticketing system already used across Espace pour la vie, reducing the risk of interruption when the current contract ends.
- City staff say only Gateway can modify and maintain Galaxy because it owns the source code.
- The negotiated amount is below the city’s estimate, and staff say negotiations reduced the planned increase in professional-service rates from 20% to 16%.
Case against#
- One concern is that the city is buying directly from one supplier, so there was no competitive tender to compare offers.
- The decision does not specify the amount of customization or professional support the city will ultimately use.