Work on Sainte-Catherine: a website to help the traders

Sarah Daoust-Braun

Sarah Daoust-Braun

Thursday, 18 January 2018 18:21

UPDATE
Thursday, 18 January 2018 18:24

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An internet site that reference the shops and restaurants located in the area of the construction site of the rehabilitation of the Sainte-Catherine street West, has just been launched as an expression of solidarity towards the businesses affected.

The site stecatherine.net indicates the places where to eat, drink, and shop on commercial street and the adjacent streets, as well as the parking spaces and the subway entrances are nearby. Contact details and opening hours of the businesses listed are also displayed.

“Our customers are traders and we prefer that the merchants are in good health, it seems logical to contribute,” explained Thursday Baptiste Laget, one of the instigators of the project, who works for the young company montreal Moose.

Moose, which has eight employees, is selling gift card programs and loyalty to merchants with the aim to promote local purchasing.

Baptiste Laget, however, specifies that no trader has paid to appear on the web site, which is free, without advertising, and bilingual. “We don’t want to make money with this, it is not that in which we are interested,” he said.

The first phase of the renovation of the rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest will be held until 2021. From January to June, 2018, sections of the artery will be closed to vehicular traffic between rue de Bleury and Mansfield.

The site stecatherine.net was launched in the aftermath of the beginning of the work, which began on 8 January. It will be frequently updated according to the evolution of the site.

“It is based on open data that can be found among the various partners and on Google, and compiled them into an interface to make it more simple for everyone,” said Baptiste Laget, who hopes this tool will be used also by the tourists who attend in large number the famous street.