An AirBNB conflict on Cartier Street, one block east of Lafontaine Park has reached a new level of intensity.Tensions have been bubbling over for a couple of years. Coolopolis has held off on reporting on it because blameless neighbours felt that bringing it to light could erode the value of their homes in the event they wish to flee.
However a recent incident has raised the stakes.
Jasmin Tremblay's five-unit operation sees the property owner renting out units, often to large numbers of renters at 4043, 4045, 4047 and 4049 Cartier, between Gauthier and Rachel.
The homes have been modified to sleep many people.
Here is one account of the recent weekend craziness as described by a resident to Coolopolis this weekend describing some bizarre behaviour on the event of St. Jean Baptiste, hours after the Journal Metro newspaper described the tense situation in an article.
On most weekends Jasmin 'hosts' somewhere between 40-50 people, with parties at these locations occasionally getting much larger.On Thursday (June 23) evening for example two stretch limousines pulled up around 1 am and let out about 15 guests into one apartment where a party went on into the early hours of the morning.
At one point someone climbed onto a roof of the building and shouted down at people random people asking where to buy marijuana.
Earlier that same evening, Jasmin himself was dancing around to loud heavy metal music on the balcony of 4039 Cartier around 9:45 pm, lighting off fireworks and liberally using a boat airhorn.
Naturally this kind of thing attracted the attention of the police, who arrived around 10 pm, from the sounds of it there was a bad scuffle on the balcony, in which Jasmin's boyfriend was sprayed with pepper spray.Another neighbour described something similar.
Tremblay went on a retribution festival and turned his speakers on us at full volume. He then paraded up and down the lane with fleur-de-lys flag yelling.
He then later launched fireworks. From what I have gathered five cop cars arrived and they pepper sprayed Tremblay and threw him in a cruiser. He was released with a promise to appear in court. In the meantime his assistant went on a rampage and blasted music and slammed doors until 7 am.
Imagine if you will, 18 guys, completely drunk, chanting, singing, screaming and yelling until 6 am. This was my past summer. It's one thing for the neighbors to throw the odd party but this happens every Friday and Saturday night from June until October.
One of my neighbors has witnessed men urinating from the roof terasse. The amount of yelling and screaming that takes place until 6 am is almost hilarious if it wasn't so infuriating.Coolopolis was unable to reach Jasmin Tremblay to comment. He previously told reporter Anicee Lejeune that the people who rent are "normal people enjoying a happy hour on a Friday evening" Tremblay said that he does "everything in his power to protect my neighbours."
I witnessed one group of renters ask another group so please tone it down.. The reply was "fuck off, we paid for this".. Which I think about sums up the mentality of these groups.
A group of neighbors has signed a petition and presented it to the owner of these apartments. He has promised to tone it down. But in November, another party happened. A DJ was hired, music blasting at 6 am, screaming, chanting, yelling until 6 am.. several visits from the police.. my other neighbor lost his cool and went over to yell at them to stop, banging his fist so hard on the wood fence that he punched a hole through it. As you can imagine, most of us are at wit's end.
Imagine saving for a down payment on your first home for 2 years, finally buy the home you've always wanted, only to realize you've moved in next to Animal House.