Dealers in the D’Estimauville sector regret the closure of Medicago, who believed the new biopharmaceutical facility would bring new customers to the “years devitalized” neighborhood.
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“It’s a shame. Of course we hoped that with a clientele that had a good income, it would bring grist to the mill,” complains Sylvain Bernard, owner of Swiss Jewellery, which has been installed in the Galeries de la Canardière for decades.
Like many others, he is speechless at the announcement of the closure of Medicago with the halt to construction of its Avenue D’Estimauville facility, which began in 2018 at a cost of $245 million.
After the two federal buildings in the industry that have become empty due to the pandemic and telework, another tile falls on the heads of the tradespeople.
“That’s a lot of great initiatives that fall through. We were hoping for a little revitalization of our neighborhood “, for his part, emphasizes the pharmacist, owner and manager of the Horizon Santé group, Jérôme Lavoie.
Hope went up in smoke
Although new condominiums have been built in the area in recent years, the Galeries de la Canardière shopping center remains particularly empty.
“People used to come to shop and stop at the pharmacy to get something along the way. Now they just come here to get what they need and then leave,” Mr Lavoie said.
A few steps further, in the Salon Royal Coiffure, the news was like a slap in the face. Cynthia Campagna, the owner of the premises, is even considering moving the premises at the end of the lease.
“We have been devitalized for years. It had been over twenty years since we were hoping that such a big company would open a shop to bring us people,” plagues Ms. Campagna.
“We don’t know which foot to dance on anymore, that’s another hard blow,” she adds.