St-Henri Residents Accuse Owner of Restaurant Venice of “Renovictions” | Eater Montreal

"On Notre-Dame W, a 14-person rooming house was condemned by the city after a pipe burst; inspectors had previously reported multiple serious deficiencies — lack of heating, broken toilets, holes in the wall, and a partially obstructed emergency exit — and a re-inspection found the building still uninhabitable with interior temperatures around 12 degrees even after owners said heating was fixed. Tenants, who are low-income and on welfare, say they were not told where to pay rent after the building changed ownership, were prevented from getting receipts despite trying to pay, and received unsigned eviction notices that demanded they leave in one month rather than the legally required three. The building was acquired by a company linked to Charles Manceau in May 2019, and while Manceau blames unpaid $400 monthly rent and accuses residents of drug and alcohol use (calling them “junkies”), tenants fear renoviction and losing access to affordable accommodation; he has declined to produce documents to substantiate his claims about police visits or nonpayment of rent." - Tim Forster