Saint-Henri merchants and residents demand relocation of Maison Benoît Labre

Over 100 merchants and residents gathered in Saint-Henri on Tuesday night demanding that Maison Benoît Labre, a supervised consumption site, relocate from the neighbourhood. Protesters said the facility, which opened in 2024, has worsened safety concerns on the streets.

"We're being robbed. It's become a safety issue," said Herman Alves, one of the protest organizers, to CityNews. "Why wait three years? If they have to go, they have to go. It's the law that's obliging them to go." Co-organizer Mario Napolitano directed a message to Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada: "The message to the mayor is: 'you have to do better Soraya.'"

Under Quebec rules, supervised consumption sites cannot operate within 150 metres of schools and daycares. Maison Benoît Labre currently sits inside that restricted zone and must relocate by 2029.

Hundreds of counter-protesters gathered outside Lionel-Groulx metro station in support of the site. Alex Berthelot, a counter-protest organizer, said the broader issue is systemic: "They're protesting for their immediate concerns, but they fail to see the systemic issues." Alejandro, a former client of the facility, added: "These are people who don't know what they're doing. They're a little confused, but in time they'll realize that everyone needs their place."

Police formed a line between the two groups as demonstrations continued. Maison Benoît Labre said the situation "illustrates the scale of the needs in the community and the necessity of strengthening housing, health, and long-term care resources throughout Montreal." The facility turns away one out of every two people who seek its services.

Mayor Martinez Ferrada told reporters Tuesday: "I really do hope that we're not in a society where we have to choose between the safety of our kid and the safety of a person that lives in the street." She has been calling on the province to provide more resources for the city's response to homelessness since taking office.