Calches will be banned by 2020 under Montreal's new animal control bylaw

Montreal's new animal control bylaws would see the city's controversialcalchehorse industry banned starting on Dec. 31, 2019.

The proposed regulations were announced today by the Planteadministration. They've garnered support and opposition from stakeholders.

"2019 will be the last year ofcalchesin Montreal," saidCoun. CraigSauvat a press conference Thursday.

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The city has already handed out 24 permits for this year and 2019.

Sauvsaid the city believes that will give drivers enough time to find other jobs."We think it will be a smooth and just transition," hesaid.

There have been a few hundred complaints and four accidents involvingcalchessince 2014, the city said. In 2016 and 2017, 14 infractions were recorded in relation to the health of the horses or the state of thecalches.

TheSPCAwelcomed the city's announcement, saying it hascampaigned for 150 years to havecalchesoutlawed in downtown Montreal.

"The end of this industry marks an important victory for our organization and demonstrates just how our relationships to animals are evolving," saidSophieGaillard, a lawyer withthe group's animal defence department,in a statement.

The measures, which were approved by the city's executive committee this week, will be brought to a vote in city council on Monday. They are expected to come into effect in August.

Advocating forcalches

Luc Desparois, who runs a calche company called Lucky Luc, said he thinks Plante doesn't know what she's talking about when it comes to calche rides.

"The relationship that's formed with an animal, the smile that children have when they come see the horse, even adults, parents," Desparois said. "People come to Old Montreal, often, to see the horses."

He added that about 50 people will lose their jobs if the bylaw passes.

In the last few years, he said, media attention has painted a negative picture of the calche industry.

Plante's party, Projet Montral, has been pushing for stricter measures to ensure the safety of calche horses for years.

After a stretch of sweltering days in the summer of 2015, Projet's Sterling Downey said the city needed to be "more vigilant and proactive in enforcing rules of this industry."

That same summer, protesters called for a calche ban in the city, arguing it's cruel to make horses work long hours in difficult conditions, including intense heat and traffic.

Former mayor Denis Coderreput in place stricter rules for calche operators last summer, but failed to ban them altogether.