You could get slapped with fines up to $1K PER DAY for breaking this Montreal tempo rule

If your temporary car shelter is still standing, the clock has already run out in most Montreal boroughs.

April 15 was the removal deadline across the majority of the island, and with that date now in the rearview mirror, anyone who hasn’t taken their tempo down is technically in violation of municipal bylaws. Fines in Montreal range from $250 to $1,000, with additional fees on top of that, and they can stack up by the day.

The rules are also stricter than some people realize. Pulling the tarp and leaving the frame up doesn’t count. Municipalities are clear that the entire structure needs to come down (metal frame, cover and all). The same applies to vestibule-style shelters over front steps or balconies, not just the ones used for parking.

Here’s where things currently stand across Montreal’s boroughs:

Already past deadline (April 15):

• Ahuntsic-Cartierville
• Anjou
• Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
• Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève
• Lachine
• Montreal-North
• Pierrefonds-Roxboro
• Plateau-Mont-Royal
• Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles
• Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie
• Sud-Ouest
• Ville-Marie
• Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension

Deadline still upcoming:

• Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve: April 30
• Saint-Léonard: April 30
• Verdun: May 1 (prohibited year-round on Nuns’ Island)

Prohibited year-round (no tempo allowed at any time):

• LaSalle
• Outremont
• Saint-Laurent

If you’re not sure which borough you’re in, the City of Montreal’s website has the full bylaw details. And if your municipality isn’t on this list, it’s worth checking locally. The April 15 deadline applies broadly across Quebec.

For the boroughs where the deadline has already passed, there’s not much to be gained by waiting any longer. The fine isn’t a small one, and the longer the shelter stays up, the more it could end up costing you.

Spring is here — even if the weather this week isn’t exactly making a convincing case for it — and the tempo has to go.