Co-ops or condos?

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About 70 Villeray residents chewed on wet hotdogs last Sunday at a "solidarity picnic" sponsored by the Villeray Tenants' Association (VTA). Organizers were steamed about the proposed conversion of an empty factory on the corner of de Castelnau and St-Laurent into condominiums. André Trépanier, coordinator of VTA, believes the space should instead be converted into cooperative housing.

"No fewer than 250 condominium units have been built or announced in the last year and a half for Villeray, while we have only seen 30 co-op units since 1992," says Trépanier. "This sudden massive arrival of condominiums means rent increases and a higher cost of living in an area where one family out of six is on welfare and over 500 families are on waiting lists for a co-operative."

The project has been given the go-ahead by Montreal's Urban Development Commission (UDC) and now awaits approval by the City.

The company that owns the building, Monsanto Inc. (not the multinational), stands to receive a $235,000 subsidy over the next five years to build 10 luxury condos on the site.

Representatives of both the UDC and Monsanto were unavailable for comment.

--Noemi Lopinto

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