Montreal council votes to rename Parc Avenue
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 | 2:00 PM ET
CBC News
Montreal city council voted to rename Parc Avenue after former Quebec premier Robert Bourassa on Tuesday, despite the opposition of thousands of people who fought the move for weeks.
The council voted 40-22 in favour of the highly contentious proposal, which drew opposition from thousands of people who reside or work around the street.
Some of the opponents who had packed into city hall Tuesday morning booed Mayor Gérald Tremblay following a few moments of stunned silence after the vote result was announced.
Others stormed city hall's entrance and had to be physically restrained as certain councillors left the building.
Mario Rizzi, who lives near Parc Avenue and has helped organize various protests over the past month, said the vote disappointed many people.
"The councillors, and the mayor disappointed us. We had confirmation from some councillors [who were going to vote against the proposal], and then they flip-flopped. Clearly there is no democracy on this. We have 40,000 names on a petition against this idea."
The vote was initially postponed during Monday night's regular council meeting because of the dozens of people who wanted to comment on the motion. About 300 people crowded city hall in anticipation of the vote.
Fewer made the trip down to city hall Tuesday, even though they were just as vociferous in their opposition to the name change.
