Nouvel Établissement announces its permanent closure

Due to residential renovations and noise regulations the bar is unplugging the turn tables

Fringe ArtsAnya Tchernikov — Published October 22, 2024 3 minutes

This changes the noise regulations for the bar below, known for its lineup of sets every weekend. 

The closure comes after legendary music venue La Tulipe announced it was temporarily closing as section 9 of Plateau-Mont-Royal’s noise regulation prohibits any amplified noise from being heard outside an establishment.

Ariane Roy Geromin has co-managed Nouvel Établissement with partner Charles Étienne Pilon since its inception. 

“That's something that I feel saddened me a bit, is that the people that were coming to a safe space—and there’s a lot of people that were really coming often,” Geromin said. “I know it's really bad now that they won’t have this space anymore.” 

The venue welcomed visitors in September 2021, before it officially opened December of that year.

Before Nouvel Établissement was formally opened, there was a regular “Drink and Draw,” where visitors could come to the bar and partake in exactly what the name entails: illustrating at the establishment with a drink in hand if desired. It quickly grew to foster a community and regulars. 

“I think we were lucky with that, [with] creating a place where people could really come be themselves,” Geromin reflected. “It was really nice to see that happen at Nouvel.” 

DJ sets and artists played every weekend, with new talent constantly on the mixer. For many, this venue came to be familiar.

“I had never seen other clubs that had this sort of decor and also had very cheap cover. I went to some of their Drink and Draw events,” Nouvel attendee Micha Paradis reminisced. “[It was] a great place where I knew I could go out and see people that I know and hear music that I loved.”

As the lease approaches its end, the rent is set to increase, already too high for the co-owners, with profits from the business low. Having known about the incoming closure since June, Geromin has accepted it. 

“It was good timing,” Geromin said.

For many, Nouvel Établissement shutting its doors means losing a space that was dear to them.

Walid El Majidi, aka WALIDord, is a vinyl DJ from Morocco who immigrated to Montreal eight years ago as a student. Venues such as Nouvel Établissement allowed him to meet friends and cultivate a community. 

“I couldn’t go back home and see my family for six years,” Majidi said. “Great relationships get built inside these communities and these events. It is actually how I made myself my own family in Montreal.” 

Beyond Nouvel Établissement, nightlife in Montreal has been a lifeline for Majidi. 

“I feel stronger because I am not alone in it. We built a community where what harms me, harms everyone around me,” Majidi said. “It is not only about partying and going crazy. It is also about this feeling that it creates. […] If I’m sad, then I have this community around me, which brings up this ray of hope that makes me stand up again.”

As Nouvel is pushed out, what is next is unclear. The creators intend to keep in touch with the community they have connected with.

“We are Montrealers. You shut one place down, we are gonna open 10 others,” Majidi said. “If there is any way we can help, we will. That is the power of the community.”

This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 4, published October 22, 2024.