The strategy of the District Central Business Development Corporation (SDC) is to bring the private and public sectors together and thus increase important initiatives and projects in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough. It has done so through various programs in the past and is now leveraging the Fonds signature métropole (FSM), a Government of Quebec initiative designed to stimulate economic, cultural and social activity in the metropolitan region. ln practical terms, the SDC encourages companies to transform their private spaces into collective projects, building on that momentum to secure public investment and thus get several inspiring and replicable projects underway.

A Green Oasis
A welcoming space designed to reintroduce biodiversity, featuring inviting street furniture and shaded areas for breaks and informal gatherings - that is what the Ruelle L'Oasis offers, inaugurated last fall between the HS Buildings at 333 and 433 Chabanel Street West.

"We want workers in the area to feel good, to want to stay and come back," said Howard Szalavetz, owner of HS Properties, who had long envisioned enhancing a small rest area. "It was important for us to create a gathering space open to everyone."

"He's been talking to us about this project since 2020,"noted Hélène Veilleux, Executive Director of the SDC District Central. "The idea was there, but it remained just that – an intention. With our Signature Intervention Plan and the FSM, the idea took concrete shape and became a motivating project. Through trust and dialogue, we were able to bring this laneway to life in short order."