Les Valoristes face Oct. 31, 2026 deadline to vacate Berri‑UQAM as search for downtown relocation intensifies
Montreal’s Les Valoristes must vacate Berri‑UQAM by Oct. 31, 2026, urgently seeking industrial space to continue refundable-container collection services for residents.
Les Valoristes, the cooperative that collects refundable containers from Montreal’s streets, has been given until October 31, 2026 to leave premises inside the former Berri‑UQAM bus terminal.
The group, which has operated at the Îlot Voyageur site since 2020, says it needs a new downtown location to maintain daily services for hundreds of members and thousands of returned containers.
Deadline set for October 31, 2026
The cooperative’s current tenancy at the former bus station is temporary, a status tied to a major redevelopment of the Îlot Voyageur site that will include 1,030 residential units.
City officials told the cooperative that the site must be cleared before work begins, and municipal correspondence notes that relocation planning has been under way but remains unresolved.
Scale of the operation at Berri‑UQAM
Les Valoristes operates the largest refundable-container drop‑off in Quebec, receiving between 100 and 140 people daily who bring as many as 60,000 containers to the site.
Most patrons arrive on foot or by bicycle, while roughly 15 per cent use a car, and the cooperative receives an industry handling fee that supplements the amounts paid to people who return containers.
Fire hall proposal blocked by structural concerns
The cooperative had sought nearby space in the vacant 1876 fire hall at Ontario and Beaudry, arguing the site’s former garage doors and yard would suit their needs.
Montreal has declined that option, saying the heritage building is in poor condition and has been surrounded by scaffolding since 2018, making immediate reuse impractical.
Political and community responses
Local civic leaders circulated the cooperative’s appeal widely; the new president of the Association citoyenne du Village publicly backed Les Valoristes and said neighbourhood residents would welcome the move.
A municipal councillor has called on the city to consider extending the cooperative’s tenure at Îlot Voyageur until construction activities commence, warning that any interruption of service would be “devastating” for people who rely on the drop‑off.
City presents limits and relocation efforts
The municipal administration declined an on‑camera interview but confirmed by email that it has assisted the cooperative in seeking alternatives, while noting that industrial‑type spaces are scarce in the Ville‑Marie borough.
Officials say borough and city staff have explored potential sites and provided support, but a suitable building that meets Les Valoristes’ specific operational needs has not yet been identified.
Funding options and candidate sites
Les Valoristes says it has revenue from industry handling fees — a small per‑container payment the co‑op receives in addition to the refund returned to individuals — and has set aside reserves that could cover rent or a purchase.
The cooperative has flagged provincial programs for social economy organizations as potential sources of capital and is weighing proposals that include the former Miséricorde hospital site on René‑Lévesque, where Hydro‑Québec has indicated interest for a downtown substation.
Voices from inside the cooperative
Members who collect containers daily argue that a compact, centrally located facility would be sufficient and would reduce travel for people who bring returns from across the downtown core.
Those members stress that locating in the city centre is essential because festivals, businesses and high volumes of consumption outside the home generate large numbers of refundable containers.
Emergency fallback and operational risks
If no temporary or permanent site is secured by the end of October, Les Valoristes says its contingency plan is to return to the area beneath the Jacques‑Cartier bridge, where the cooperative operated from 2014 to 2020.
That option would require permission from the federal authority that manages the bridge lands and would likely interrupt services through the winter months, when collection volumes drop and outdoor operations are difficult.
The cooperative’s leaders are urging municipal authorities, local organizations and property owners to prioritize a downtown solution that preserves service for members and the many residents who rely on the refund system.
With an explicit deadline of October 31, 2026 and construction at Îlot Voyageur not slated to begin until late 2027, stakeholders say there is a narrow window to find a workable interim or permanent home that keeps Les Valoristes operating in the heart of Montreal.
