Montreal has reached a $350,000 settlement with the neighbour whose decade of noise complaints shut down La Tulipe, clearing the way for the Plateau venue to reopen after being dark since September 2024. The agreement, approved Monday by Plateau-Mont-Royal council, requires Pierre-Yves Beaudoin to drop all legal action, restore his adjacent property to commercial use within 60 days, and end the dispute that escalated through multiple courts. The decision follows a series of rulings that culminated in an appeal court order last fall barring any audible sound from the venue, effectively forcing its closure. The settlement arrives as the city attempts to correct a regulatory failure it has already acknowledged.
The City of Montreal confirmed it will compensate Beaudoin, a real estate investor who purchased the neighbouring building in 2016 and later converted it into apartments after a zoning change the city says should never have been granted. Once residents moved in, Beaudoin filed repeated noise complaints against La Tulipe and pursued an injunction. A Quebec Superior Court ruling in 2023 ordered the venue to pay limited damages and undertake soundproofing, but the conflict intensified when Beaudoin appealed for stricter penalties, leading directly to the shutdown.
In November 2025, the Quebec Superior Court annulled the appeal court’s noise ruling after Plateau-Mont-Royal amended Article 9 of its bylaw so that it no longer applied to bars, restaurants, or performance venues. The city then initiated proceedings against Beaudoin for illegal use of the building, prompting a countersuit seeking more than half a million dollars in damages. This week’s settlement brings those parallel legal actions to an end and removes the final legal barrier preventing La Tulipe from reopening.
Korpiklaani on stage at La Tulipe – Photo by Ryan Rumpel
The venue’s ownership group welcomed the resolution but made clear that reopening will not be immediate. In a statement addressed to municipal, provincial, and federal officials, they outlined a list of required steps, including re-equipping the hall, completing new soundproofing work, restoring the façade, and addressing long-delayed heritage upgrades. They stressed that all of this will require significant new investment. The owners also pointed out that while their neighbour is receiving financial compensation from the city, La Tulipe has received none.
Plateau-Mont-Royal borough mayor Cathy Wong said the borough will fast-track permits related to renovations and confirmed that funding previously approved to support soundproofing for cultural venues will be directed toward La Tulipe. She also said consultations are underway with municipal departments and police services to draft a new noise bylaw, with the goal of preventing similar conflicts in the future.
Industry groups say the settlement resolves a specific dispute without fixing the underlying problem. Representatives for independent performance venues have warned that inconsistent noise regulations still leave cultural spaces vulnerable to complaints that can escalate quickly. For now, La Tulipe is legally free to reopen, but the path forward depends on financing, construction, and whether the city follows through on its promised reforms.
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