On Monday, May 4, several tenants of the Norgate apartments in Montreal‘s St-Laurent neighborhood took action to block renovations that could have exposed asbestos in the walls and caused a prolonged interruption of heat and hot water. The action succeeded in halting work in 74 buildings until an independent investigation could be conducted.
According to the residents, organized with the group Offensive Populaire, the work planned by the landlords was intended to modify the buildings’ heating system. In addition to potentially exposing tenants and their families to asbestos, a disruption of hot water and heating in the buildings was also expected. This would have deprived several hundred people of these essential services from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for two to three months.
The North Star was present when the tenants physically blocked the renovations and spoke with Aissatou Diallo, a resident of Norgate for six years. “Today, we came to stop the work so that studies can be conducted, so that we can be reassured by qualified experts that asbestos is not spreading, so that we and our children are not exposed to these carcinogenic substances.”
Big Landlords Criticized
Diallo says that there have been several landlords since she moved to Norgate, but that the current ones are “the worst we’ve ever had.” “They’re disrespectful, send threatening letters, and impose unreasonable rent hikes.”
The current owners, Jean-Philippe Claude, Frédéric Aubry, William Lande, and Nicolas Luna, purchased the 1,100 units for $197.5 million in 2024. According to La Presse, they secured a $140.8 million federal loan with favorable terms in exchange for a promise to keep 444 units “affordable” for 19 years.
These promises have in all likelihood gone unfulfilled, given that Diallo and his neighbors are facing rent increases deemed “arbitrary” and reaching as high as $151. About 100 Norgate tenants also plan to challenge their rent increases in the Administrative Housing Tribunal.
The North Star obtained a copy of an email sent to all Norgate tenants by Nicolas Sima, a property manager notorious for boasting in the media about his efficiency in evicting tenants.
In the letter, he states that the blockade is “unacceptable,” that the renovations are “not optional,” and that “any refusal or obstruction that may cause delays or additional costs could result in appropriate legal action.”
Residents are Organizing Collectively
Faced with the various problems confronting Norgate residents, they have chosen to organize collectively to strengthen their bargaining power against large, finance-driven landlords.
According to Nicholas Harvest, coordinator of Offensive Populaire in Montreal, the mobilization in the apartment buildings took shape over several months through door-to-door canvassing, tenant meetings, and numerous visits to the borough council.
At the borough council meeting, tenants confronted Alan DeSousa, mayor of Saint-Laurent, over his inaction regarding the housing issue. “The mayor tells us he wants what’s best for tenants, but we find that strange, considering he just cut the Housing Committee’s budget by over $30,000,” Harvest explained in an interview with The North Star.
Following the mobilization and the halting of construction work, tenants and organizers are celebrating a first concrete victory: an independent investigation must be conducted to check for asbestos in the walls and assess the risks associated with the renovations. Concerns remain, however, regarding the future of the project and life in the Norgate apartments.
“Those buildings only have value when they’re occupied,” says Diallo. “Just imagine—if we were to evict all the residents tomorrow, what would they do with those buildings? I want to remind them that people are more important than material things.”
“We are residents of Norgate; we have children who were born here. Saint-Laurent is our neighborhood; it’s our city. We love this neighborhood; our children are integrated here, and we’ve built communities here. They need to know they won’t be able to drive us all out, because we truly intend to stay here,” she concludes.
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