A proposed new noise bylaw in Montreal’s Plateau-Mont-Royal aims to strike a balance between protecting citizens’ peace and preserving the borough’s nightlife scene, while minimizing the role of police in enforcement and complaints.
The borough announced Thursday the new draft bylaw will be presented Monday, at which point it could be adopted May 4.
The major overhaul of the Plateau’s noise bylaw follows months consultation, in large part triggered by the September 2024 closure of La Tulipe, a historic Montreal concert venue, due to legal battles over noise complaints. Another Plateau music venue, Blue Dog, closed in July 2025 due in part to pressure caused by noise complaints.
The new bylaw will see Montreal police take a more limited role overall, with the borough itself being responsible for enforcing noise rules at performance venues, and for handling complaints related to the venues. The borough would also establish mediation resources for both the complainants and venues.
The bylaw will also include a one-year pilot project to test noise thresholds based on something called spectral emergence: a new way of measuring how much a venue’s sound stands out from the usual background noise in the neighbourhood.
“This is an important step forward in preventing the closure of cultural venues due to excessive noise complaints — a major issue in Montreal for several years,” said Marc St. Laurent, chair of the board of directors for the Scènes de Musique Alternatives du Québec (SMAQ).
The SMAQ hopes other boroughs will do the same.
“We encourage other boroughs, particularly Ville-Marie, to follow suit and quickly begin updating their own bylaws,” said the group’s executive director Jon Weisz. “This is a key opportunity to rebuild trust between independent culture and the City of Montreal.”
The borough says the new bylaw will focus on “prevention, mediation, and collaboration” rather than punishment.
It says a redesigned complaint system will allow residents to file reports at any time via 311 or online, with peak-hour complaints from 9 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. being fast-tracked.
In addition, a pilot project — from June 12 to Oct. 31 — will see a team assess complaints in real time while working alongside the Société de développement du boulevard Saint-Laurent (SDBSL).
