Summary#
Montréal city council adopted a position supporting a three-year agreement on circular economy projects in construction, renovation and demolition. Its position is to approve the $1,295,000 agreement and reserve $300,000 as the city’s contribution; the agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting. The stated goal is to support projects that keep more materials in use and reduce waste in the sector.
- The agreement would bring together the ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie, RECYC-QUÉBEC, École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) and Ville de Montréal.
- The agreement would cover 2026–2028 across the metropolitan region, with priority for the Montréal agglomeration. If other municipalities join, the location and geographic share of projects would be adjusted according to their financial contributions.
- ÉTS’s Centre d’études et de recherches intersectorielles en économie circulaire (CÉRIEC) would manage the agreement, coordinate work, administer funds and evaluate supported projects.
- Projects would aim to build industry skills and knowledge, encourage businesses to develop and adopt new circular practices, and support conditions for change in the sector.
What it means for you#
- Construction, renovation and demolition businesses: The agreement is intended to support projects in your sector, but it does not require businesses to change their practices or guarantee any business funding.
- Researchers and organizations: CÉRIEC would develop tools and documents to share knowledge from the agreement. The decision does not set out who can apply for funding or how projects will be chosen.
- Montréal residents and taxpayers: The city’s adopted position reserves $300,000 for the agreement. This decision does not directly change taxes, waste rules or residents’ services.
Money#
The proposed agreement totals $1,295,000 for 2026–2028; the city’s contribution is $300,000.
- The decision reserves the city’s share, listed as $100,000 per year. City staff say it is provided for in the Service du développement économique’s budget.
- The listed contributions are $700,000 from the ministry, $35,000 from RECYC-QUÉBEC and $260,000 from ÉTS. Staff say the city provides 23.1% of the total and the other signatories 76.9%.
- The materials give no separate estimate for administrative or staffing costs. No publicly available information is provided on whether the amounts include taxes.
What is unclear#
- No publicly available information is provided on project eligibility, application steps, selection rules, funding limits or appeal rights.
- The contribution table lists RECYC-QUÉBEC’s 2027 and 2028 amounts as “to be determined,” while giving its total contribution as $35,000. How those figures fit together is unclear.
- No publicly available information is provided on the measures or targets that will be used to assess project impacts.
- The agreement’s full terms are not included, so details such as oversight and reporting requirements are unclear.
Case for#
- City staff say construction uses substantial materials and energy and sends significant waste to landfill. Supporting projects in this sector could address those pressures.
- The agreement pools money and expertise from government, a recycling organization, a university and the city rather than relying on the city alone.
- The arrangement includes evaluation and knowledge-sharing duties, which could help spread lessons from supported projects.
Case against#
- The decision sets broad aims but does not explain how projects will be selected or what conditions they must meet.
- The city would reserve $300,000, but the materials do not show how much funding individual projects may receive or what results the city will require.
- The unclear annual figures for RECYC-QUÉBEC make the timing of all partner contributions difficult to assess.