Monday night rally draws hundreds to City Hall

BY DANIEL BARTLETT

Chants of “Save our history� rang loudly outside of City Hall Monday as hundreds of protesters gathered in support of the Fraser-Hickson Library and to tell Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay to leave Park Avenue alone.

Coming by bus, metro and car, protesters for both causes fought off cold weather and rain to take part in the rally. Numbers grew as the clock drew closer to the 7 p.m. city council meeting, forcing police officers to temporarily close off part of Notre Dame Street East.

Aliya Ahmad, an NDG resident who has been collecting signatures for a petition to save the Fraser-Hickson, said before the meeting that she had raised 12,697 names in under three weeks. She accredited her passion to seek out signatures to Warren Allmand, city councillor for the Loyola district, who told residents to protest to Centre City over the issue.

“I think Warren Allmand is in support of our library, he has been our guiding light,� she said.

At the meeting, Ahmad asked city council what services could compare to those of the Fraser-Hickson’s if it were to close. She also wanted to know who would benefit from the cultural landmark’s closure, noting that it would only be beneficial to real estate agents and developers, not the community.

“Libraries, public or private, are the responsibilities of the Borough since 2002,� said Benoit Labonté, executive committee member responsible for culture and heritage.

“There is no doubt in our mind that this library is important to the community (but) the City of Montreal has financed the Fraser-Hickson Library. The City of Montreal has completely fulfilled its responsibility to this commitment.�

Raj Rampuhol, an organizer for the Fraser-Hickson rally, said that although the NDG library’s situation is a “democratic issue,� it has only been dealt with closed-door meetings between the Borough and the library. Despite this, he was happy to see the unified front from both the Fraser-Hickson and Park Avenue protesters in front of City Hall.

“We do have a common goal that we want to save our culture and history,� he said.

With a megaphone in hand, Leslie Alleyne encouraged protestors to chant “Save the Fraser-Hickson, save Park Avenue.� He asked how the City could be poised to give $4 million to the expansion of the Percival Molson Stadium with a $400 million deficit.

“If they could give $4 million to them, why can’t they find $200,000 a year for five years to keep our library open?� he asked. “We feel strongly as citizens of Montreal and NDG to keep this community hub open.�

In 2003, Fraser-Hickson member Alana Ronald circulated a petition similar to Ahmad’s when the library temporarily closed due to financial reasons. She successfully gathered over 11,000 names and the library was re-opened thanks to a three-year deal between the library, the Borough and the City. Now, Ronald is hoping the latest rally and petition will once again force the City to invest in the Fraser-Hickson.

“This would be tragic. This would be tragic also in what view immigrants have coming into this country. Books are a resource that will never die,� she said. “It’s a wonderful, wonderful place. Some people say it’s magical.�

Comparing the events of three years

ago to today, Ronald said she thinks “more people are turning out now.

“This time, many, many more people

are rallying for our cause,� she said. “Some people think that (the Fraser-Hickson) is open to only NDG residents or a small group. That’s not the case.�

“We want that the negotiations that have stopped to continue,� said Brigitte Albert, a longtime member of the Fraser-Hickson who’s lived in NDG for 16 years. “We want them all to be aware of the history of the library. We want to make a point that the library was provided for people who could not afford university. It’s a safe place to go.�