Montreal facing questions after Grand Prix patio-goers kicked off over bylaw infractions [Video]

Montreal’s administration is facing questions after fire prevention officers ordered a number of restaurants to shut their packed outdoor seating areas during the busy Grand Prix weekend.

City hall opposition group Ensemble Montréal is joining its voice to those calling on the administration and the fire department to explain why shocked customers were ordered off the patios on Peel Street at around 9 p.m. on Friday during one of the busiest nights of the year.

Sandra Ferreira posted a tearful video to social media on Friday describing how uniformed officers arrived at her family’s Ferreira Café and ordered her to clear the outdoor seating area because it did not conform to municipal bylaws.

She said there had been some back and forth with inspectors on the placement of patios and the tents covering them in the weeks preceding the Montreal Formula One race, but she was under the impression that …