An open letter signed by 100 Quebec artists urges Montreal to intervene in a court decision that forces the venue to stop making noise.
“We have hope that this giant of our cultural history will not disappear in silence,” they wrote, urging the city of Montreal to intervene. “We have hope that our voices, which join those that have echoed in La Tulipe for 100 years, will be heard.
“By placing individuals over the collectivity, the Court of Appeal seems to exhibit indifference toward our reality as workers in culture. We refuse to see heritage sites disappear over points of legal detail.”
The letter was published a day after a noisy protest was held Thursday night in front of La Tulipe.
The signatories include Robert Charlebois, Ariane Moffatt, Daniel Bélanger, Isabelle Boulay, Michel Rivard, Cœur de Pirate and members of the Cowboys Fringants.
Louise Latraverse, Guy A. Lepage, Alexandra Stréliski, Corneille, Louise Forestier, Christian Bégin and Damien Robitaille are also among those who signed the letter.
The legal saga behind the court decision began in 2016, when a new building owner obtained a permit to transform a building neighbouring La Tulipe into a residential space. The city has since admitted that issuing the permit was a mistake.
The venue’s operations were almost immediately disrupted by complaints from the new owner, noise infraction tickets and legal proceedings. In 2023, the Superior Court ordered the venue to insulate the wall between the two properties. The new owner appealed and the judgment was overturned on Monday.
The Court of Appeal ordered La Tulipe to stop emitting noise that could be heard in the neighbouring building, particularly through the use of electric amplifiers. Borough Mayor Luc Rabouin has called for city noise regulations to be modified.
The building housing La Tulipe, the Dominion Theatre, was built in 1913.