Borough officials in CDN/NDG have denied an access-to-information request for information on the repairs they claim are necessary to the vacant Snowdon Theatre, an art deco masterpiece which the borough owns.
- Gymnasts out in the cold as borough closes Snowdon Theatre building
- City seeks to sell Snowdon Theatre
The borough cited three obscure clauses for justifying its refusal, namely articles 21, 37 and 39.*
The borough's secrecy follows its decision to evict the longstanding Flex Art Gymnastics club and simply let the art deco masterpiece structure fall to rot.
The mistreatment of this magnificent building isn't simply an outrageous abuse of west end architectural heritage, it's a slap in the face to girls who want to practice sports.
Municipal authorities already practice a policy of gender sports inequality which sees them heavily subsidize boy-dominated sports like hockey and baseball but allow girl-oriented sports like gymnastics go un-, or under-funded,
It costs $300 to join a boy-dominated Montreal minor hockey league team for a season that begins in September and ends in April. The city owns the arenas and pays loads of workers to oversee the games... referees, maintenance staff, Zamboni drivers who work 11 minutes per hour.
The equivalent of the $300 hockey season for gymnastics - a sport almost exclusively practiced by girls and far less supported by municipal authorities - costs about $2,000 and up.
The borough might claim to have relocated the Flex Art gym, but the club's later premises was entirely inadequate, lacking necessary equipment and whatever equipment was there had to be put away after each session.
The borough's secrecy follows its decision to evict the longstanding Flex Art Gymnastics club and simply let the art deco masterpiece structure fall to rot.
The mistreatment of this magnificent building isn't simply an outrageous abuse of west end architectural heritage, it's a slap in the face to girls who want to practice sports.
Municipal authorities already practice a policy of gender sports inequality which sees them heavily subsidize boy-dominated sports like hockey and baseball but allow girl-oriented sports like gymnastics go un-, or under-funded,
It costs $300 to join a boy-dominated Montreal minor hockey league team for a season that begins in September and ends in April. The city owns the arenas and pays loads of workers to oversee the games... referees, maintenance staff, Zamboni drivers who work 11 minutes per hour.
The equivalent of the $300 hockey season for gymnastics - a sport almost exclusively practiced by girls and far less supported by municipal authorities - costs about $2,000 and up.The borough might claim to have relocated the Flex Art gym, but the club's later premises was entirely inadequate, lacking necessary equipment and whatever equipment was there had to be put away after each session.
Flex Art at the Snowdon Theatre was a busy gym full of hundreds of energetic and enthusiastic young girls practicing gymnastics every day until the city shut it down.
The sad fate of west end gymnastics hopefuls is perhaps best told by a sad note on the club's website.
Since, in November 2013. we lost our gym due to the ceiling problems which brought more and more consequences, we've faced many difficulties. We are still fighting against our bad luck but we are here to stay.
The top floor of the Snowdon Theatre had the necessary high ceilings required for trampolines, as well as permanent floor padding, all under a beautifully-painted ceiling and sumptuous art deco bas relief that will surely be destroyed if the borough sells the building and allows it to be turned into condos.
All but one of the elite gymnasts the gym produced (including one who ranked second in the province for her level) quit the sport soon after the borough evicted the gymnastics club.
The backdrop of this architectural heritage-and-gender equity tragedy is that it happened while the mayor managed to find $11 million to fund new baseball diamonds.
A few crumbs from that funding could easily have fixed the Snowdon Theatre and allowed the girls to return.
The Snowdon Theatre falls in the borough of longtime city councillor Marvin Rotrand who has declined to embrace any endeavour to fix or save the building. Borough mayor Russell Copeman has also stood idly by as the landmark building disintegrates and a generation of girls is forced to stay home as their sport of choice is no longer a viable option.
Mayor Denis Coderre has also failed to weigh in.
Over 100 people have shown enough concern to join a Facebook group that aims to save the Snowdon Theatre and allow the gymnastics facilities to return.
*In reply to your request of September 30, 2015 we regret to inform you that the documents are protected under sections 21, 37 and 39 of the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information (R.S.Q., c. A-2.1) :
Article 21. A public body may refuse to release or to confirm the existence of information if, as a result of its disclosure, borrowings, proposed borrowings, transactions or proposed transactions relating to property, services or works, a proposed tariffing, taxation or imposition of dues, or proposed amendments to taxes or dues would be revealed, where such disclosure would likely
(1) unduly benefit or seriously harm a person, or
(2) have a serious adverse effect on the economic interests of the public body or group of persons under its jurisdiction.
Article 37. A public body may refuse to disclose a recommendation or opinion presented less than ten years earlier, and obtained from one of its members, a member of its personnel, a member of another public body or a member of the personnel of the other public body, in the discharge of his duties.
A public body may also refuse to disclose a recommendation or opinion presented, at its request, by a consultant or an adviser less than ten years earlier on a matter within its jurisdiction.
Article 39. A public body may refuse to disclose a study prepared in connection with a recommendation made within a decision making process until a decision is made on the recommendation or, if no decision is made, until five years have elapsed from the date the study was made.
In accordance with article 51 of the Act, you may apply to the Commission d'accès à l'information for a review of the decision. Please refer to the attached notice of recourse.
The backdrop of this architectural heritage-and-gender equity tragedy is that it happened while the mayor managed to find $11 million to fund new baseball diamonds.
A few crumbs from that funding could easily have fixed the Snowdon Theatre and allowed the girls to return.
The Snowdon Theatre falls in the borough of longtime city councillor Marvin Rotrand who has declined to embrace any endeavour to fix or save the building. Borough mayor Russell Copeman has also stood idly by as the landmark building disintegrates and a generation of girls is forced to stay home as their sport of choice is no longer a viable option.
Mayor Denis Coderre has also failed to weigh in.
Over 100 people have shown enough concern to join a Facebook group that aims to save the Snowdon Theatre and allow the gymnastics facilities to return.
*In reply to your request of September 30, 2015 we regret to inform you that the documents are protected under sections 21, 37 and 39 of the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information (R.S.Q., c. A-2.1) :
Article 21. A public body may refuse to release or to confirm the existence of information if, as a result of its disclosure, borrowings, proposed borrowings, transactions or proposed transactions relating to property, services or works, a proposed tariffing, taxation or imposition of dues, or proposed amendments to taxes or dues would be revealed, where such disclosure would likely
(1) unduly benefit or seriously harm a person, or
(2) have a serious adverse effect on the economic interests of the public body or group of persons under its jurisdiction.
Article 37. A public body may refuse to disclose a recommendation or opinion presented less than ten years earlier, and obtained from one of its members, a member of its personnel, a member of another public body or a member of the personnel of the other public body, in the discharge of his duties.
A public body may also refuse to disclose a recommendation or opinion presented, at its request, by a consultant or an adviser less than ten years earlier on a matter within its jurisdiction.
Article 39. A public body may refuse to disclose a study prepared in connection with a recommendation made within a decision making process until a decision is made on the recommendation or, if no decision is made, until five years have elapsed from the date the study was made.
In accordance with article 51 of the Act, you may apply to the Commission d'accès à l'information for a review of the decision. Please refer to the attached notice of recourse.
Enough is enough! We have seen a trend in our borough, and across Montreal, to put private interests above historic, cultural and community ones. This building, and the people who have used and supported it over the years, will not go down without a fight!
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteMy two daughters use to be in Flex-art.
It is a shame what happened.
The real question here is... will this also end-up in a saga like the one led Mr. Applebaum to hit the screens of our T.V.'s handcuffed?
Let it be known, as Montreal Marlo well said, we will not go down without a fight...
Poor Snowden Theatre... I like how they "regretted" to inform you they did not have to disclose information- not they were prohibited, but that they did not have to... A paper thin veneer of "regret"!
ReplyDelete- and why don't they have to disclose pertinent information? As they point out, because it could adversely affect their money! Basically, if people saw the details they might freak out and the scandal could cost someone profits they haven't even made yet...
For the record I left Montreal decades ago, but I like this blog. I saw Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang at the Snowden Theatre whenever that movie was playing theatres in Montreal.
Erik T
ExNDG
These are not "obscure" articles. They are the ones authorities use all the time. Have the applicants taken the case on revision to the Access to Information Commission? The Commission will require the City to justify any refusal of information and can order it released, if appropriate.
ReplyDelete