Condominiums, gentrification and socialhousing regained media headlines in Montreal earlier this week aftersuspicious packages were found at various condominium development sites ineast end Montreal on Monday. A previously unknown group called the“Anti-Gentrification Committee” claimed responsibility in a communiquésent to members of the mainstream media by e-mail.

“This action aims to denounce the construction of [condos] in the thirdpoorest neighborhood in Canada,” the communiqué said.

“We need low-cost housing. We’ve had enough of being kicked out of ourneighbourhoods by the well-to-do, their luxury condominiums and theirtrendy little cafés.”

The communiqué continues: “You want to wage war on the poor. Well thepoor will reply and won’t take that lying down.”

(The full communiqué, translated from the French, is printed below.)

The packages were placed at four luxury condo construction sites and two condosales offices in the Centre-Sud and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve areas.Construction workers first discovered the packages, which had been tracedwith red paint and indicated with a spray-painted arrow, on Mondaymorning. Near each package was an identical typewritten notice that warned“workers” to call the relevant authorities while at the same timeasserting the action “is not against you, but against the slimy buildingdevelopers and their clientele.”

The “Anti-Gentrification Action Committee” — a slight variation on thename of the signers of the media communiqué — end their notice byadvising: “Don’t forget to ask for compensation for lost hours.”

(The full notice, translated from the French, is also printed below.)

The suspicious packages resulted in the evacuation of hundreds of personsfrom apartments, businesses and homes, as well as from two medicalclinics. The Montreal Police bomb squad cordoned off entire city blocks todetermine whether the packages were dangerous or not. In the end, aMontreal police spokesperson confirmed that no explosives were found inthe packages, and that they were homemade devices meant to resembledetonators. No one was injured.

One construction worker, Jean Boisjoly, described finding a paper baginside of which was what resembled an alarm clock with attached sticks.Speaking to the tabloid daily, Le Journal, Boisjoly expressed his supportfor the action that disrupted his work site: “Speaking for myself, Iunderstand them, and I respect this.”

Not all persons, obviously, felt as respectful of the disruption. SamNusto, a developer whose condo construction site — Les Lofts des Erables — was targeted by a package, said to Le Journal: “We haven’t demolishedany old rental units. These were warehouses before.”

Not oblivious to the desperate housing situation in Montreal, which hasbeen described for several years as a “crisis,” Nusto added: “It’s not usthat made the housing situation get to this point. It’s the State thatshould invest in social housing.”

Francois Saillant, a spokesperson for the Quebec-wide housing rightsumbrella group FRAPRU, replied: “Maybe, but vacant lots are rare, and a[condo] project means one less lot for social housing.”

Meanwhile, a Madame Charland told Le Devoir, “I cried, and I was scared. Idon’t want to die because I bought a condo.”

Madame Charland moved into a brand new condo in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve thispast October, in the hopes that it would become “the next Plateau.” ThePlateau refers to a formerly working class, low-income district neardowntown. A section of the old Plateau was immortalized through characterslike Duddy Kravitz in Mordecai Richler’s novels. The Plateau is now ahigh-rent area, whose previous low-income tenants have become “Plateaurefugees” to outlying neighbourhoods.

Madame Charland, whether she knows it or not, expressed the real fear ofmany residents in low-income areas of Montreal of being squeezed out bycondo development and the process of gentrification.

Despite the controversial tactics of whichever person or persons wasbehind the “Anti-Gentrification Committee,” established housing rightsgroups and advocates refused to condemn the Monday morning action.

According to Francois Saillant of FRAPRU: “It’s not the kind of action weutilize ourselves, but we agree with the concerns expressed.” Saillantexpressed his preference for collective action by people who are notproperly sheltered, while in the same breath adamantly refusing to condemnthe Anti-Gentrification Committee.

Richard Miron, a spokesperson for a more left-wing housing rights groupknown as the Association for the Defence of Social Rights in MetropolitanMontreal (ADDS), received a constant stream of calls this week. His groupis based in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, and squatted empty apartment blocks inthe neighbourhood in the summer of 2002.

Referring to the potential police intrusion into the activities of hisgroup, Miron expressed: “We will live with the repercussion of the actionsof others, but we are still sympathetic to the concerns expressed [onMonday].”

Another housing group that has targeted the gentrification of Montreal isCLAC-Logement (the Housing Committee of the Anti-Capitalist Convergence). Between the fall of 2002 and March 2003, CLAC Logement spearheaded apublic awareness and protest campaign against a condominium developmentproject on the Lachine Canal, in St-Henri, another gentrifying workingclass neighbourhood in southwest Montreal.

“Gentrification and the development of condominiums in working-class andlow-income neighbourhoods represent, in their own way, a time bomb againstpoor tenants,” said Claude-Catherine Lemoine, a member of CLAC-Logement.

She continued: “The process of gentrification means, in the long run,the destruction of viable, livable communities.”

Louis Gaudreau, a member of POPIR — another housing committee based inSt-Henri — drew attention this week to the day-to-day reality of thehousing crisis. Speaking on Radio CKUT’s Off the Hour news program, Gaudreaudescribed in detail the situation of several families who are facinghomelessness come February 1, when they must leave their currentapartments without any option for new housing. The situation will increasehundred-fold come July 1, when most leases expire in Montreal, and manyfamilies are unable to find affordable housing in a low-vacancy,landlord-driven housing market.

According to FRAPRU, there have been more than 6,000 condominium unitsslated for construction in Montreal in 2003, a record number. In contrast,there have been only approximately 1500 social housing units slated to bebuilt in the same period, with only 500 actually constructed.

The action of the Anti-Gentrification Committee on Monday represents acontroversial new tactic against developers. Already, on Wednesday, therewere at least two apparently copy-cat packages left at development sitesin Rosemont, another low-income neighbourhood north ofHochelaga-Maisonneuve. No one claimed responsibility for the latterpackages, but again, no explosives were used, nor was anyone injured.

Nonetheless, the actions this week come after many years of concertedorganizing by a multitude of groups against the various manifestations ofthe Montreal housing crisis: homelessness, sub-standard housing, risingrents, low vacancies, the lack of affordable housing and gentrification.

There have been many high-profile housing actions in recent years, such asthe Overdale/Prefontaine squats initiated by the Comite des sans-emploi inthe summer of 2001. That squat project inspired a series of symbolic,temporary squat actions all over Quebec in the spring and summer of 2002,including in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. This past summer, the Comite dessans-emploi and CLAC Logement jointly organized a Tent City, again inopposition to the so-called housing crisis that is seemingly permanent.

Complementing the direct action based actions of recent years is theday-to-day grind of the various housing committees based inneighbourhoods, who deal with the daily concerns of local residents, suchas fighting rent increases and drawing attention to slumlords andsubstandard housing.

One committee that deals with the day-to-day grind inHochelaga-Maisonneuve is the group known by its French acronym BAILS(which means “leases”). Like other spokespersons, Jean-Claude Laporte ofBAILS adamantly refused to condemn the Monday action: “We can understandthe action.”

Referring to the difficult situation of tenants who visit his officedaily, Laporte concluded: “When there is a major social crisis, thesekinds of things will happen.”___________________________________________________

Text of communiqué sent to mainstream media

Montreal, January 5, 2004

Communiqué to Everyone

Whoever sows misery harvests anger.[Translation of the rhyming French language slogan: Qui seme la misererecolte la colere.]

On this Monday, January 5, 2004, 4 luxury condo site and 2 sales officesof these condos in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Centre-Sud neighbourhoodssaw their activities paralyzed by the presence of suspect packages thatnecessitated the intervention of a special squad of the SPVM [MontrealPolice].

This action aims to denounce the construction of such dwellings in thethird poorest neighbourhood in Canada, which is a shame. We need low-costhousing. We’ve had enough of being kicked out of our neighbourhoods by thewell-to-do, their luxury condominiums and their trendy little cafés.

You want to wage war on the poor. Well, the poor will reply and won’t takethat lying down.

Stop immediately these useless buildings that will only harm people of theneighbourhood, and start building dwellings for those who are really inneed.

This is just the beginning. Consider this just as a warning.

We will go as far as necessary so that the yuppies know that they are notwelcome in our neighbourhood.

Free housing for all. Housing is not a commodity nor a privilege, but aright.

Anti-Gentrification Committee__________________________________________________

Text of notice accompanying suspicious packages at six condo sites in Montreal

January 5, 2004

Workers:

We strongly encourage you to not move the package and to call the relevant authorities.

We want to tell you that this is not against you, but against the slimybuilding developers and their clientele. We would like best to see youwork on low-cost housing rather than luxury condos.

Don’t forget to ask for compensation for lost hours. Solidarity!

The Anti-Gentrification Action Committee__________________________________________________