Café Cléopâtre “This isn't heritage. It's just a nude dance club.”

[Dee]

Anyway, this part of St. Laurent is only surpassed by the Lambert Closse to Fort as a stretch of urban road that is more run-down. .

I hadn't heard of this area before.

Dee would like to visit here next visit... when I check Google maps these 2 streets seem to parallel each other and don't intersect... could you let me know the specific streets so I can walk through them... thanks... or maybe you mean both streest and those that connect them?

Dee the Doctor of Decay...

 

[Techman]

Lambert Closse is one street east of Atwater on the other side of the legendary Montreal Forum, the true home of hockey's greatest team, the Montreal Canadiens. It was once the location of Montreal's number one rock&roll dive, the Moustache bar wich was directly behind the Forum. For many years it was one of the best live music clubs in the city.

And yes, like most great clubs it was a dive!

 

[orallover]

Celine Dion rocks (or Celine Dion is a rock ?)

Johnny was probably offered something for the place which is too good ???

Sexe Mania sucks *and I am not talking about someone sucking my junior*

that part (or near) Atwater street has been down for many years and I wonder why they don't want to do something about that first, because everytime I go to pepsi forum I end up walking by and it is really an eye sore

 

[YouVantOption]

But at the same time, I can recognize that others do like these things, and grudgingly accept their right to enjoy them.

Bread and circuses. The logical conclusion to this thinking is that we should never chnge for the better. Take your pick, tell us when we should have stopped evolution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Montreal_history

Should I do like those of you who want to shut down Cleo's because they dislike it, form up a gang of like-minded people like myself and do everything in my power to eradicate these things I disapprove from the face of the earth?

The mere fact that some of us are voicing our opinion to the contrary, particularly as to the iconic cultural aspects does not make us a gang looking to eradicate Cleo's, nor arrogant as was the ad hominem attack levelled at me specifically.

We are merely calling into question the 'je me souviens' aspect of the argument being put forth in favour of the place. Don't get me wrong, I like kitsch. I was there when they closed Finnocio's.

I liked Alfie's back in the day, but congratulate someone on their decision to allegedly torch the joint. Where's the dewy-eyed crew mourning the loss?

I haven't head a peep on this board talking about the dearly-departed Spectrum, which for decades was a live music venue, truly contributing to the cultural mosaic of this city.

You want sleazy? Bar Diana, favoured spot of every Inuit coming into town, we used to go to watch the fights on Friday night. What about Scalla's on St. Laurent for great music and heroin? The birth-place of the jazz festival, The Rising Sun? Rockhead's Paradise. The Rainbow on Stanley. Hotel Nelson. Someone help me out here, what's the name of the jazz club down the street from the Centaur in Old Montreal? The place is a coffee shop now.

Boo hoo for all of them, but times change.

Now, as to the criminal record of the guy heading the project, H4E, I thank you for the information, that was something I was unaware of, and that is very troubling. Hopefully the newly re-elected Mayor who wants to disgorge himself and any such associations will re-consider this relationship. You would be wrong about the number of times I've been there. I went on a first date with a very hot woman to Cleo's, been there several times.

Plus, closing something will give Mellonhead more historical material, and how cool is that?

I wonder, is anyone calling the owner Johnny arrogant, seeing as he is using the 'cultural icon' meme as a bargaining chip? Apparently he isn't even buying into that BS.

 

[shijak]

Again I point out to you, YouWantOption: Cleo's and the Montreal Pool room and all of the other places on Lower Saint-Laurent did not close down because on their own they went bankrupt, or financially insolvent, as all these other places you name did.

Unless I am totally mistaken, most of these places could still keep on going for quite a long time to come, in all likelihood. But in this specific case, some outside interests decided to go all Genghis Khan and take away all their economic rights...

And there is all the difference in the world...

 

[shijak]

Originally Posted by shijak
Should I do like those of you who want to shut down Cleo's because they dislike it, form up a gang of like-minded people like myself and do everything in my power to eradicate these things I disapprove from the face of the earth?

The mere fact that some of us are voicing our opinion to the contrary, particularly as to the iconic cultural aspects does not make us a gang looking to eradicate Cleo's, nor arrogant as was the ad hominem attack levelled at me specifically.

YVO, who says I am talking about you or anybody else from this thread? You just voice your opinion, I have no problem with that. I am referring to the actual city powers-that-be that are determined to install yet another concrete-and-glass monstrosity on Saint-Laurent...

 

[Techman]

I wonder, is anyone calling the owner Johnny arrogant, seeing as he is using the 'cultural icon' meme as a bargaining chip? Apparently he isn't even buying into that BS.

Why should anyone call Johnny arrogant? The guy is trying to save his business and if he can't then he'll use whatever method he can to make sure he gets the compensation for his business that he deserves. When a property is expropriated by the city, the owner very rarely gets paid anything near what the business and property together are worth. Why should anyone get pushed out and then paid less than market value in return? I don't see any arrogance there, only desperation.

By the way, I seem to remember a considerable outcry when the Spectrum went down. Maybe not so much here, this is a sex related board after all not a music one, but in general people weren't too happy about it.

Maybe attitudes would be a little different if the expropriation of the buildings on St-Laurent actually had something to do with culture and entertainment instead of just another office tower that we have little use for. Once Hydro vacates their offices in Place Dupuis, who will take over that office space? Some new company subsidized by the government with our tax dollars? This entire project is a farce.

 

[Techman]

Another thing that I find extremely hypocritical are some statements in the press that mention that Cleo's being an adult entertainment enterprise makes it unsuitable for their idea of a cultural center. I don't understand how they can say this with a straight face when a couple of hundred feet up the street lies Kingdom bar, another strip club that hasn't ever been mentioned as being unsuitable for the cultural district they are trying to build.

How is it that one is unsuitable and easy to dispose of and the other is not? If they are so convinced of their plan for the area, how can Kingdom be permitted to stay there?

 

[YouVantOption]

YVO, who says I am talking about you or anybody else from this thread? You just voice your opinion, I have no problem with that. I am referring to the actual city powers-that-be that are determined to install yet another concrete-and-glass monstrosity on Saint-Laurent...

I was not referring to your comment, rather that of horny 4 ever.

 

[EagerBeaver]

In the article quoted Johnny makes himself sound like he is a museum curator who is the guardian of a very old and sacred treasure. Of course it's bullshit, and of course it's fair game that he use this kind of BS as a bargaining chip, because the chances are he has no place else to go where it will not cost him far more overhead than what he is paying now. If he had a similar location that he could bail to and pay the same rent he is paying now, he would do it and not even waste his time uttering nonsense like what he is quoted as saying, which he does not and cannot seriously believe. But he doesn't, so he is forced to use the newspaper journalist as a fucking propaganda tool, which he obviously succeeded in doing.

 

[Techman]

The thing is, EB, that he literally has no place to go because there is a moratorium on new stricp clubs in the city of Montreal. So if, actually when, Cleo's closes, he will not be able to re-open his business in another location no matter what he is willing and ableto pay in rent or spend to purchase a building. A restaurant can re-locate, a regular bar can re-locate, a grocery store can re-locate, just about any business can re-locate but a strip club cannot.

When Cleo's closes, it closes for good. And if he is trying to hold up the city for whatever he can get out of it, whatever way he has to, well good for him. No one deserves to have their business that they have owned and run for over twenty years literally stolen out from under him by the government. Especially to put up an office tower for a government corporation when it can easily build it in many other areas of the city without evicting any businesses at all.

 

[HornyForEver]

...

Hadn't seen this comment before about the fire:

Lors d'une visite de La Presse sur les lieux, cette semaine, il y avait encore une forte odeur d'essence.

Looks like the head of the takeover is a crook.... everyone can have youthful indiscretions but this boy has established a track record. Ironically it may be a good thing that the head is crooked... if there is enough of an uproar maybe Cleo's will remain...

Gérald Tremblay seems to be walking on egg shells these days. Many contracts have been suspended recently. Given the fact the Quartier des spectacles project was given to Angus without giving other investors a chance to bid. This fact on its own is already embarrassing for the Tremblay administration. Add to that the criminal connections of Benoit Labonté who suggested Angus to Tremblay add to that the last suspicious fire.

What is more immoral, a girl getting naked on stage and whose actions will not harm anybody (on the contrary) or some white collars socially-respected who are using tax payers money to inflate their own profits?

PS. Given that Montreal is a young city, a buiding that dates back to the 19th century is surely part of our heritage.

 

[YouVantOption]

In the article quoted Johnny makes himself sound like he is a museum curator who is the guardian of a very old and sacred treasure. Of course it's bullshit, and of course it's fair game that he use this kind of BS as a bargaining chip, because the chances are he has no place else to go where it will not cost him far more overhead than what he is paying now. If he had a similar location that he could bail to and pay the same rent he is paying now, he would do it and not even waste his time uttering nonsense like what he is quoted as saying, which he does not and cannot seriously believe. But he doesn't, so he is forced to use the newspaper journalist as a fucking propaganda tool, which he obviously succeeded in doing.

I wonder where the petitions are for this lost landmark

http://communities.canada.com/montr...montreal-west-st-jacques-ville-st-pierre.aspx

 

[johndoe]

Cleo's is much more than a nude bar as Christian Whateverani keeps mentioning in the media.

I go to Cleo's once a week. I have never been a real strip clubs goer before discovering Cleo's. I did not step inside any other strip club since 2006 and very likely will stop visiting strip clubs if Cleo's closes.
....

Its crazy...when I was reading this I said wow...that is EXACTLY how I feel about Cleo! To me it is way more than a strip club it is a place I feel confortable. I also try going once a week...and honestly I could not believe the politics behind this whole scam and abuse of power. Hopefully if Johnny the owner closes I hope it could at least be relocated near by with the same lighting, chairs, painting, paint, booths (with old curtains), same bar, same waitresses same everything. I would still go although I love it exactly where it is.

I still hope some miracle happens and the project is scratched! Boy will that tower change the feel of the area...: ( BORING!

 

[Illiterati]

(Frothing at the mouth deleted...)

Yes, Blue Bonnets (the hippodrome if you will) IS almost deserted if it isn't already. Has anyone planned to do anything with the property other than putting up interminable line-ups of identical condos? Of course not...A baseball stadium, an opera house, an amusement parc,anything else? condos, condos, condos, straight from the mouths of many of my acquaintances in real estate...

Well, we could point out, quite reasonably I think, that no one is planning to make a baseball stadium, or opera house, or amusement park there for, well, one reason. It seems that what people are willing to pay for is more places to live, whether they're to your taste, or mine, or not. After all, we have no baseball team, have an opera house, have an amusement park...

 

[Dee]

Someone I was with last night spoke to Johnny and was told that it should be open until at least August. I spoke with someone else less in the know but still connected to the club about a possible relocation but I didn't learn anything so either it isn't being considered or the fact that it is, isn't being discussed.

Man I hope it stays.

 

[HornyForEver]

Its crazy...when I was reading this I said wow...that is EXACTLY how I feel about Cleo! To me it is way more than a strip club it is a place I feel confortable. I also try going once a week...and honestly I could not believe the politics behind this whole scam and abuse of power. Hopefully if Johnny the owner closes I hope it could at least be relocated near by with the same lighting, chairs, painting, paint, booths (with old curtains), same bar, same waitresses same everything. I would still go although I love it exactly where it is.

I still hope some miracle happens and the project is scratched! Boy will that tower change the feel of the area...: ( BORING!

Jonhdoe,

I am pretty sure that there are many people who think that Cleo's is more than just a strip club. Actually I miss some of the very nice waitresses like Sylvie who used to work Fridays and Saturdays DT, than any stripper out there. Cleo is a family whose members do not necessarily speak to each other.

The rational voice in me wants Cleo's to be demolished though so that I can invest my time, money and brain elsewhere. Though, if Cleo's relocates in a convenient location , then I will happily keep my Cleo's-addiction on.

Now, let's just all meditate on the motivations of this YVO/(future Mod12 ) to start and keep reviving this Cleo's hostile thread.

 

[CaptainPicard]

The thing is, EB, that he literally has no place to go because there is a moratorium on new stricp clubs in the city of Montreal. So if, actually when, Cleo's closes, he will not be able to re-open his business in another location no matter what he is willing and ableto pay in rent or spend to purchase a building. A restaurant can re-locate, a regular bar can re-locate, a grocery store can re-locate, just about any business can re-locate but a strip club cannot.
...
.

I have heard about this moratorium but how is it that the 281 club was able to move after UQAM pushed it out?
Isn't the Kingdom club the old Scandale bar under another name after UQAM pushed it out also?
Is this moratorium a new regulation? Does it apply to existing clubs that simply move?
Captain out!

 

[johndoe]

I have heard about this moratorium but how is it that the 281 club was able to move after UQAM pushed it out?
Isn't the Kingdom club the old Scandale bar under another name after UQAM pushed it out also?
Is this moratorium a new regulation? Does it apply to existing clubs that simply move?
Captain out!

Wow I didn't know that.At least it gives me hope that justice will triumph and cleo could at the minimum just move somewhere close to where it already is. Honestly I am not sure if the law should even apply given the smell of the project as a whole! All those businesses were legit (fries, cleo, katacombes, lebanese bakery, big sex shop)...and what I read recently on this forum about hydro owning a few of the buildinds in that street and letting them rut really pissed me off. Preservation my ass and quartier des spectacles my ass! Honestly taken Cleo's aside, there are significant consequences to tourism/nighlife that will be felt! It will to my opinion dull down that whole area...if you go there around1:00AM- 3:00am on a friday the streets are usually full of pedestrians (weirdos and non weirdos)...taxis make that street part of their nightly run...I am sure the pedestrians are not hydro-quebec workers at that time. They should just do like Bell did and move outside of the city.

J

 

[Mod 8]

Hello HFE,

Are you insinuating that MERB moderators are corrupt? If so, I am expecting you to provide proof to back up this statement. If not, or if you cannot back up your statement, I expect the comment to be removed and an apology issued to all moderators. I have a very low tolerance for such accusations and if you cannot back up your statement and do not retract it, a long suspension will be forthcoming.

Mod 8

....

Now, let's just all meditate on the motivations of this YVO/(future Mod12 ) to start and keep reviving this Cleo's hostile thread. Yet another corrupted Mod?