Report sounds alarm on Montreal retail

MONTREAL — A report commissioned by the city of Montreal calls for wide-ranging reforms to stimulate retail on the island of Montreal. The 30-page brief, put together by a team of retailers and researchers headed by Mouvement Desjardins CEO and President Guy Cormier, argues the industry has been neglected by provincial and local governments. Mayor Valérie Plante, whose left-leaning Projet Montreal party took over from the business-friendly Denis Coderre administration in December, struck the committee in order to devise a plan to help retailers and boost development. Among the group’s recommendations are better coordination of construction projects (also a plank of Plante’s platform), tax relief, and simplifying regulations.