Balconville Wants to Become Verdun's First Bar in a Century

With Verdun about to shed its prohibitionist past and grant bar licenses for the first time since 1919 (albeit on a narrowly-defined stretch of Wellington between Strathmore and 6e Avenue) a relatively new restaurant has made its intentions clear.

"Since the announcement was made, a lot of people have come here for a drink. What they don't realize is that even though the regulation was adopted we still don't have our bar permit, " Balconville principal Sophie Bergeron tells Voir. "They'll have to wait a little while longer."

Balconville, the first non-BYOB from BYOB kingpin Marc-André Paradis (O'Thym, Monsieur B, Les Canailles, Le Smoking Vallée, Lannes et Pacifique, Le Wellington, Boucher Double), was built with the new bylaw in mind, declares Bergeron: "When we thought of this restaurant, even before it was built, steps were well underway towards the new regulation, so that was reflected in the kind of space we wanted to create."

"At the end of the workday people will now be able to stay in their neighborhood for a drink. And that is good for restaurants, but also for all other businesses, because it makes people want to stay in [Verdun]."

Balconville took to Facebook yesterday to address the prospective bar permit: "We are still waiting. Sorry to those who since December thought it was already the case. We continue to tell ourselves that it's coming ..."