Montréal centre-ville Steps Up Cleanliness Efforts in the Heart of the Metropolis

Montreal, Monday, May 12, 2025 – Montréal centre-ville announces a new partnership with the City of Montreal to enhance cleanliness at Place du Canada and Square Dorchester. The borough of Ville-Marie will contribute $150,000, while Montréal centre-ville will add $50,000 through a public-private partnership. This brings total direct investments from local businesses in downtown cleanliness to $1.7 million.

This new partnership will allow the hiring of 8 new staff members dedicated to maintaining the cleanliness of these two public spaces, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. They will join the SDC’s existing team of about 50 employees who, year-round, walk the streets of downtown to remove garbage piles from roadways, empty city trash bins, and sort recyclable materials.

In the presence of about thirty members of its special brigade, the organization wanted to demonstrate the scale of its ongoing efforts.

The Montréal centre-ville teams collect nearly 200 garbage bags per day—equivalent to 5 Olympic-sized swimming pools per year. In total, that’s 8.5 million liters of waste and 3.5 million liters of recyclables that would otherwise go to landfills.

Just look at what we collect every day. We want our downtown to be clean—for everyone. It’s good for our image, good for the environment. It’s good for morale, and it’s good for business.

Glenn Castanheira

Executive Director of Montréal centre-ville

Optimization and New Investments
To boost operational efficiency, Downtown Montreal is also implementing a revamped logistics system, including the use of an electric cargo bike and the addition of new waste containers.

Our downtown is constantly evolving. To keep it a vibrant and attractive place to live, we have to address the fundamentals: cleanliness and safety. What we’re doing today, with the City’s support, is a concrete, visible, and lasting action

Glenn Castanheira

Executive director of Montréal centre-ville

Luc Rabouin, Executive Committee member responsible for economic development and higher education at the City of Montreal, was also present to applaud the partnership.

The SDC Montréal centre-ville is stepping up to ensure that Montreal, as Quebec’s economic engine, has a vibrant and attractive downtown. Our joint efforts to maintain cleanliness are essential to continue attracting workers and tourists to the area and to ensure a healthy and welcoming environment for everyone. With this additional investment, we are directly contributing to the cleanliness of key sectors of our downtown, and together, we’re making Montreal a great place to live, work, and visit.

Luc Rabouin

Executive Committee member responsible for economic development and higher education at the City of Montreal

Dorchester Square Beautification
Downtown Montreal recently enhanced Dorchester Square with new features to energize this iconic space. The improvements include 50 tables, 100 chairs, and 50 umbrellas, offering visitors and downtown workers a welcoming place to relax.

About Montréal centre-ville
Founded in 1999, the SDC Montréal centre-ville is a non-profit organization that represents nearly 5,000 member businesses located between Atwater Avenue and Saint-Urbain Street, and between Sherbrooke Street and Saint-Antoine Street. It is the largest organization of its kind in Quebec.