Mayor hopes to revise policy to protect the horses and the industry
Mixed emotions have gathered around the city of Montreal as the long weekend marked the last days leading up to the year-long ban that Mayor Denis Coderre has finalized on horse-drawn carriage rides.
Horse led carriage rides, authentically referred to as “calèches” in French, will no longer be a staple on the city’s streets as of Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Although the carriage rides provide a nostalgic atmosphere and historical romantic identity, Coderre remains unsatisfied with the current treatment and numerous incidents involving collisions with the horses, which have increased within the last few months.
[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“We are going to take the time to ensure we have a real policy about horses in Montreal.”[/pullquote]“We are going to take the time to ensure we have a real policy about horses in Montreal. We have to protect them and ensure they are being treated properly,” Coderre told the National Post.
He believes that the ban will serve as an educational learning experience and will provide the city with enough time to thoroughly examine the overall health of the horses within a multidisciplinary spectrum, as well as the entire calèche industry.
This has introduced a divide among citizens, as calèche services have been battled and scrutinized by animal activist groups demanding closer supervision of the horses, while simultaneously the ban has triggered tremendous stress for individuals whose livelihoods are dependent on this service.
May through August are the most profitable months for drivers within the calèche industry, as Montreal is filled with tourists traveling from all over the world. These months are booming for businesses and drivers who are hoping to make a profit.
The owner of Lucky Luc Calèches, Luc Desparois, owns stables holding 90 per cent of Montreal’s horses and employs more than half of the calèche workers. He is worried about continuing to provide for the horses, his workers who rely on this income and will struggle to find new jobs, and the business, which may be unable to continue once the year has finished.
[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]May through August are the most profitable months for drivers within the calèche industry…[/pullquote]Many of the individuals employed by Desparois will be put out of work, including drivers, office workers, as well as the contracts held by the company with hotels, weddings, and special events.
“They’re killing us,” Desparois told the National Post, explaining that the ban is a cruel decision not only for the workers but the horses as well, as owners will no longer be able to afford the adequate care they deserve.
Desparois has also dismissed numerous complaints regarding mistreatment and brutality towards his horses as acts of jealousy from competitors in the field.
“A carriage horse is a happy horse because he has the company of a driver too,” he commented to the National Post.
On the other hand, animal activists are pleased with the ban, especially after the recent accidents on the road resulting in multiple horses being injured.
Activists within the Anti-Calèche Defense Coalition acted fast and have put in a lot of work to ban the industry all together.
During this time, the coalition has worked on establishing a refuge for the displacement of the horses during the 12-month ban so they can be looked after if the calèche drivers are unable to care for their horses.
Mirella Colalillo, the founder and main spokesperson of the coalition, told CBC News: “We’re eager to get them out of their hands. They are threatening to send them to slaughter—you can tell [calèche drivers] don’t really care.”
The policy for calèche horses will be up for review after one year and will determine the fate of the once booming industry in Montreal.